The bookmakers believe Manuel Pellegrini’s side are the frontrunners to claim back-to-back titles with Chelsea made close second favourites

After a late surge saw them clinch the Premier League title, Manchester City are unsurprisingly the early favourites to retain the trophy in the 2014/15 campaign. After a decade of regular change at the Etihad, they may be one of the more stable Premier League clubs over the coming months.

Although the club didn’t make a significant impact in Europe this season, a return to the top of the Premier League table as well as a Captial One Cup victory is an encouraging start for Manuel Pellegrini and with their resources and existing squad depth it’s easy to see why the bookmakers are keen to price them as the market principles at 7/4 (2.75).

Chelsea are bet365’s second favourites at 9/4 (3.25) and Jose Mourinho has already hinted that he is likely to add significantly to the Blues’ squad over the coming months, with a big name striker at the top of his list of additions.

The 2013-14 season was the first time that a Jose Mourinho team has finished outside the top two in their domestic competition since Porto ended the 2002 campaign in third place, albeit Mourinho only took over that squad in January and during his 15 league games in charge he picked up 34 points to take the club from fifth to third place, so this is unknown territory for the 51-year-old Portuguese boss.

Manchester United look set to appoint Loius Van Gaal in the coming weeks and the bookmakers clearly believe that the potential arrival of the 62-year-old manager will see a turnaround in fortunes at Old Trafford after a dismal season.

United are priced at 5/1 (6.0) to claim the title and are generally a 4/7 (1.57) shot to reclaim a place in the top four after their disappointing seventh place finish in the last campaign.

After two frustrating transfer windows under David Moyes there is plenty of work to be done behind the scenes at Old Trafford but in Van Gaal the bookies clearly believe the club have a boss who can oversee a return to past glories in a relatively short space of time.

If United fans need an example of what a season without European football can do they need only look to second placed Liverpool, who are 11/2 (6.50) to go one step futher than the 2013-14 campaign and claim their first league title since 1990, although it seems somewhat unlikely that the Reds will be able to lay down such a serious challenge with the added European commitments to come.

Arsenal secured Champions League football courtesy of finishing in fourth place and bet365 make the Gunners a 10/1 (11.0) chance to make the transistion from top four stalwarts to genuine title contenders.

Sign up for a bet365 account and get a 100% first deposit bonus of up to £200

So after 38 games and twists and turns aplenty, Manchester City have been crowned the Premier League champions for the second time in their history after beating West Ham.

It just wasn’t to be for Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool, who, despite beating Newcastle 2-1, ultimately lost the title thanks to slip-ups against Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

Arsenal were on top of the table for 128 days, and it is the Gunners’ back-up goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (3.5) who makes it between the sticks today. It was a quiet game for the Pole but he made two crucial stops to earn his side a clean sheet.

There were strong performances from Nathaniel Clyne and Bacary Sagna at right-back, but Cesar Azpilicueta (3.5) gets the nod ahead of them due to his contant attacking forrays, an asset that has turned him into one of Mourinho’s favourites.

At the heart of the defence we have Southampton star Dejan Lovren (4), whose composure and strength shackled Robin van Persie for Manchester United.

Vincent Kompany (4) was at his talismanic best against West Ham as City wrapped up the title. His strength in attack and defence is priceless for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, and again he provided a reminder of how integral he is to his club’s success with a goal and all-round fine display.

It was a special day for Carl Jenkinson (4), who scored his first goal for Arsenal, and he completes our back four due to his attacking tenacity and enthusiasm, qualities that the youngster will be hoping to demonstrate more regularly next season.

His Gunners team-mate Aaron Ramsay (4) is the first name in our three-man midfield. His audacious volley helped Arsenal on their way to a win over Norwich, which further provoked questions of how differently the club’s campaign would have been had the Welshman remained fit for the entire season.

Next to Ramsay we have James McCarthy (4.5), whose excellent display against Hull earned him the highest player rating of the weekend. The Irishman scored his first Everton goal, and he again showed how valuable he has become to Roberto Martinez and to the Toffees’ progression.

Completing the trio is Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard (4). It may be a season defined by a slip, but the iconic midfielder proved again how effective he can be in the quarter-back role, particularly from set-pieces; he turned the Reds’ game on its head with two identical assists from free kicks.

The first of our three forwards is in-form Crystal Palace striker Dwight Gayle (4). It’s been quite a couple of weeks for the youngster, who inspired the Eagles to a 3-3 draw against Liverpool last Monday and scored two goals against relegated Fulham here. After his surprise move from Peterborough last summer he has started to show Tony Pulis that he can be a key player in the seasons to come.

Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku (4) earns his place in this week’s team after a well taken goal helped his Everton side to a comfortable 2-0 victory over Hull. His goal typified the power and precision that he has demonstrated so often this season, and serves as a reminder of his importance to Roberto Martinez’s hugely encouraging debut campaign.

Emmanuel Adebayor (4) completes the side after forcing Nathan Baker into conceding an own goal before slotting home a penalty to give Spurs a 3-0 victory against Aston Villa. His early energy set the tone for Tottenham’s approach to the rest of the game, while his physicality and skill proved too much for the Villa defence.

The 41-year-old saw his side narrowly miss out on the title to Manchester City but believes his players are capable of challenging next season

Brendan Rodgers insists Liverpool have the belief to win the Premier League next season.
Liverpool narrowly missed out on this year’s title as Manchester City registered a 2-0 win over West Ham to lift the trophy.

Rodgers’ men came from behind to sign off their campaign with a 2-1 victory at home to Newcastle on Sunday and the 41-year-old feels his side can maintain a challenge next season.

“The word now is belief,” Rodgers said. “Belief that we can be up there challenging.

“I read a letter to the players on the first day of the season from a supporter, who told us about getting into the top four and the pride he has in the club.

“And not just to think about fourth but to think of winning.

“Probably at the same time the players and maybe the staff thought the letter was maybe a bit far-fetched.

“I read the same letter back again (on Sunday) and all the words that went into the players’ minds were the same as the beginning.

“It’s been a wonderful campaign. The overriding feeling at the moment is one of sheer pride of the players.

“It’s been incredible to see the supporters, we’ve made them dream and that’s our job to do that. And the great thing is, we’ll improve.”