Catch Man City if you can: Which Premier League club has the best chance of ending Pep Guardiola's era of dominance?

No-one expected Arsenal to mount the sort of title charge that they did this season. Ultimately, they fell short, but they have shown that they have managed to cut the gap between themselves and Manchester City massively thanks to some expert coaching and some smart recruitment in the transfer market. 

The challenge now is building on what they have done this season and getting things right in the summer window is going to be crucial to that. Arsenal need to build a squad that ensures that when Mikel Arteta rotates his favoured starting XI, the drop off in level is not felt as much as it is right now. 

They need to bring in top-quality players that allows Arteta to confidently switch players around knowing that those who come in can continue to play at the level of the more regular starters. Pep Guardiola can do exactly that at City, Arteta can’t and that is where Arsenal fell short this season. 

When they got injuries to big names, they couldn’t maintain their level. That’s why Arteta wants to bring in Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo, that’s why they are looking at Mason Mount’s situation at Chelsea. All three are players that have proven they can do it at the top level, and that’s what Arsenal need to close the gap to City even further. 

Some tough decisions will need to be made. Some popular players, such as Kieran Tierney, Granit Xhaka and Emile Smith Rowe might need to be shown the door as part of the next stage of the rebuild. But if that’s what’s needed to be done to raise the level, then Arteta will not be afraid to do it. 

Signing some much needed cover for Bukayo Saka is absolutely imperative, while a new centre-back is also needed. Getting William Saliba’s contract sorted has to be at the top of the to do list as well this summer. 

Arsenal have to have a squad that can go toe to toe with City and compete in the Champions League next season. To do that the recruitment this summer has to be perfect.

When Manchester United came from behind to beat City at Old Trafford in January, the gap between the Red Devils and their noisy neighbours did not seem so large. Four months on, and the difference in quality and squad depth looks bigger than the Grand Canyon. While City went from strength to strength from February onwards, United ran out of breath and have looked on the brink of collapsing.

The number one priority for Erik ten Hag in the summer is to land a prolific striker, and he has made no secret of that. But even if they can sign Victor Osimhen or Harry Kane, they will still have a goalkeeper incapable of playing the ball out from the back and a midfield that relies too much on Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro running themselves into the ground. A young, dynamic midfielder would help them close the gap on City, as would a goalkeeper equipped to meet the demands of the modern game.

But with funds running low and the club's takeover still unresolved, it is likely to take at least one year, if not more, before United are ready to compete with City again.

You can bookmark this, because it could come back to haunt me in 12 months’ time, but I fully expect Liverpool to regroup and come back strong next season, after a campaign of disappointment this time around.

Will it be enough to dethrone Manchester City, however? I’m not so sure. The Reds, don’t forget, have achieved 90-plus point seasons three times in the last four years prior to this, and only once was it enough to win them the Premier League title. Unfortunately, that’s the price on the ticket these days. The margin for error is so slim, as Arsenal have discovered recently. 

There is no doubt, in my mind at least, that while Arsenal’s revival has been exceptional, while Newcastle’s growth is only going to accelerate and while Manchester United and Chelsea will both expect to be stronger next season, the team Guardiola will be most interested in is Liverpool. They might be the fifth-best team in the league right now, but they’re the ones that have proven they can destabilise and unnerve City, who will be desperate for signs that the decline at Anfield is a permanent one.

How do Liverpool get it right? Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment. They need a run of signings similar to those made between June 2017 and July 2018, when they added Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Fabinho, creating the bulk of the side which went on to win everything. 

It’s midfielders they need now, two of them, minimum, and probably a centre-back, too. They don’t necessarily need superstars and huge names, but they need players who can run, who can handle the rigours of the Premier League and who can stay fit and perform consistently, allowing the likes of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and the rest to do their thing. 

If they get them, and if they can find some momentum early in the season, then I fully expect them to be there or thereabouts come May 2024.

Mauricio Pochettino has a huge job on his hands if he is to get Chelsea anywhere near Manchester City next season. The one positive that Pochettino has, however, is that he at least can’t make anything worse at Stamford Bridge. 

Chelsea have been a shambles for the past 12 months, from top to bottom, and a huge part of that blame has to be levelled at the new ownership and Todd Boehly. The approach to the transfer market was embarrassing and that gave his coach, whether that be Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter or even Frank Lampard, a near-impossible job. 

Chelsea simply have to get players out that summer, they have to give Pochettino a squad that is manageable, because right now the number of players they have on their books makes it almost impossible. There are good players there and in Pochettino they have a fine coach who knows what it takes to impress in the Premier League. 

If he can have a squad of around 25 players and can get on with things without any distractions from above in west London, then he will certainly get Chelsea back at least competing for the Champions League places. But moving a number of players on is absolutely crucial to that and then adding a further one or two, especially a striker.

Eddie Howe has done a remarkable job at Newcastle, and it now looks all-but certain they will be in the Champions League next season. They will still have finished way behind Manchester City, but few would have predicted they would have enjoyed such a successful campaign. 

With the owners the club has, they have the financial capability to go big this summer, and it’s highly likely they will make a big impression in the transfer market. They already have an excellent defence, but a new left-back will arrive, with Tierney at Arsenal a target. 

Tierney would certainly improve Newcastle, and then it’s just about where else they can strengthen to try and narrow the gap. Callum Wilson has had a fine season, but a new centre-forward could be targeted to raise the level even further, as well as a new winger. 

Newcastle do not have the biggest of squads, and with Champions League football to contend with next season, strengthening the options Howe has and giving him the capability to rotate will be absolutely crucial to building on what has been achieved this season and trying to close the gap towards City at the top.

Where to start??? First thing is they have to actually appoint a manager. Spurs have lurched from crisis to crisis this season and their disappointing campaign is a direct result of some terrible decisions that have been taken by the club and Daniel Levy.

A manager must come in to try and bring stability and then the club needs a reset to determine what sort of direction they want to head in, because right now it feels like a club that is drifting without a plan. 

Kane’s future must be decided one way or another. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, then they have to sell him in the summer, as tough a decision as that would be. They can’t afford to lose someone like Kane on a free transfer next summer, and the money that he would bring in now would allow Spurs to really strengthen a squad this summer that is in desperate need of a revamp. 

They are miles off Manchester City right now and no amount of business this summer will see them even get close to Guardiola’s side during the next 12 months. But they have to at least start the process of rebuilding, otherwise they will just fall even further behind.

It’s tough to see any other club making any sort of breakthrough next season. Maybe if Brighton keep hold of Roberto de Zerbi they could have a good crack at making the top four next season, but it’s likely they will lose one or two of their star names this summer, with top clubs circling for Alexis Mac Allister and Caicedo. 

One thing Brighton have proven to be, however, is incredibly smart in the transfer market, and if they do lose those players you would expect them to move quickly to replace them. 

De Zerbi is an incredibly talented coach and with him in charge the Seagulls certainly look the best of the rest at the moment when it comes to causing the top clubs problems. Brighton will have European football to contend with next season, however, and that will place extra demands on the squad, so they will need to give De Zerbi the tools to cope with that. 

Evan Ferguson looks like a real talent and Danny Welbeck has had a fine season, but you feel they need to sign a real top-quality striker to take them on to the next level. 

Aston Villa have made great strides this season since the arrival of Unai Emery and you would expect they will strengthen throughout the squad this summer, but their ambition will be on closing the gap to the top four, not Manchester City.