Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard has described Manchester City as amazing, adding that they have reached the mark of excellence in Premier League football under Pep Guardiola.
City have won the Premier League title for the fifth time in six seasons and, despite this dominance, Guardiola insists the competition is getting tougher every year.
But the hardest is to dislodge City from the top, and here's a look at the five teams that could compete with Guardiola's side next season.
🏆🥇 Manchester City crowned the English Premier League title #English_Premier League | #ManchesterCity#PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/qO9tkhby08
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) May 21, 2023
1. Arsenal
Young coach Mikel Arteta's side stumbled against City's ruthless side in the final metres of the season, but they should be celebrated after holding out long at the top and coming close to clinching their first league title since 2004.
Spaniard Arteta, who worked as Guardiola's assistant at City and benefited from his compatriot's methods, has restored Arsenal's identity this season with a lively way of playing and with a squad of promising talent who will learn valuable lessons from this season.
The question now is whether Arsenal can strengthen their squad and add depth to their squad to meet the demands of the Premier League alongside the Champions League, and West Ham's Declan Rice will be a key target in the transfer window if he is to confirm the seriousness of his efforts.
2. Liverpool
Jurgen Klopp's side have fought fiercely with Manchester City in recent years, winning the title in 2020 while finishing runners-up twice after collecting more than 90 points.
But he has stumbled this season after failing to replace striker Sadio Mane and the dip in the form of several high-profile players in Klopp's golden generation.
The club will leave the likes of James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain, so the club will focus on revamping its squad, and some high-profile deals may revive City's strong rivalry.
3. Manchester United
United's first season under Erik ten Hag looks encouraging as they approach finishing the league inside the Golden Box, as they have already won the League Cup.
The gap between the quality of City and United remains significant, and fans are looking for new owners after the Glazer family and huge deals.
Tottenham Hotspur top scorer Harry Kane will be the favourites to join United who are looking to enter title contention.
4. Chelsea
Chelsea's season has been horrific despite spending around 600 million pounds ($757 million) on players since owners Todd Boly and Baghdad Iqbali took charge of the London club.
It is very difficult to expect Chelsea to move from the bottom half of the table to contention at the top next season.
But he has many talented players such as Reece James, Noni Maduki and Michello Modric, and with the imminent arrival of Mauricio Pochettino he will have the perfect coach for the new project.
5. Newcastle United
A year ago, Newcastle fans were delighted that the team remained in the Premier League.
But after an incredible season under Eddie Howe, the Reds are preparing to return to the Champions League for the first time in 20 years and will likely spend a lot in the summer transfers.
It may be difficult for Newcastle to improve significantly, but it is also difficult to be a marvel for just one season.
With stability with the Saudi management of the club and the expected investments in the transfer market, it is not difficult for Newcastle to remain in the golden box and may aspire further.