Peter Schmeichel doesn't believe it will be 'plain sailing' for Manchester City and Liverpool in the Premier League once the new season starts. The two sides have dominated English football for the last five years and many think that trend is set to continue.
City made it two titles in a row last season, but Liverpool pushed them all the way by finishing one point behind on 92 points. With the FA Cup and Carabao Cup going to Anfield, the two sides shared the English top tier trophies between them.
Liverpool defeated Schmeichel's former side, City, 3-1 in the Community Shield on Saturday afternoon thanks to goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.
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The former Premier League goalkeeper has highlighted how Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur can be title challengers next season and has talked up Arsenal's top four chances. Schmeichel is less optimistic about another of his former sides in Manchester United.
"It is not going to be as plain sailing for Manchester City and Liverpool as people think. For both, it’s going to be a very different season," Schmeichel told The Times. "A massive transition, in terms of the playing style, is taking place at City. Look at Pep Guardiola’s transfer business: signing Erling Haaland and letting Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus go.
"That tells you how committed he is to playing with a No 9 and we haven’t seen that with Pep before. How’s that going to play out? How long is that going to take to bed in? Will Haaland be as good in the Premier League as in Germany? I’m not sure. Will he score 25 goals? Yes, if the team service him. But City are not used to playing that way.
"Liverpool are also changing. They signed Darwin Nunez but lost Sadio Mane. Is Nunez going to be as good as Mane? I wonder. The competition will come from Chelsea, and from Spurs, who have signed well and in Antonio Conte have a very clever manager who is so good at getting the maximum out of his players.
"I’m also looking Arsenal and for the first time in a long time thinking “top four”. Manchester United? Pre-season has been promising but the reality is that a long process of transition is required. The club have backed Erik ten Hag in recruiting players he knows and wanted to work worth, and his first season will be fascinating."
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