The favourites for the Premier League title - ranked

Premier League fans are bracing themselves for the most open and exciting title race for many years.

There are three sides still in contention to be crowned champions, with Liverpool, Arsenal and current holders Manchester City all battling for glory. With little under a month of the season still to play, things are remarkably tight at the top.

All three teams will fancy their chances of going all the way, while reigning champions Man City are chasing a record fourth successive Premier League triumph.

Here are the favourites for this season's Premier League title - ranked.

3. Liverpool

The Reds are used to vying with Man City for titles, but Arsenal are a new competitor for Jurgen Klopp's side. Despite failing to win any of the four Premier League meetings with their direct rivals this term, Liverpool were in the driving seat for the trophy.

However, two badly damaging defeats to Crystal Palace and Everton have seen Klopp's hopes of marking his final season at Anfield with a second league title go up in smoke.

Despite having far more experience in such races compared to Arsenal, the Reds have still only beaten Man City to the Premier League on one occasion, hammering Pep Guardiola's sub-par Cityzens during the 2019/20 campaign.

Liverpool now have to pray for collapses from their rivals to squeak their way back in contention. It's not an easy end to the campaign for a side looking short on ideas, either.

They face West Ham, Tottenham, Aston Villa and Wolves in Klopp's final four matches as manager.

2. Arsenal

Arsenal went close to toppling Man City last season, but a significant injury to William Saliba ended up derailing their title bid. However, the Gunners have looked far more mature this time around and have a remarkably clean bill of health ahead of the crucial run-in.

Mikel Arteta's men have often played the most attractive football of the three sides fighting for top spot, while they also boast the most stubborn defence. They have match-winners in the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, with Declan Rice having stabilised the spine of the side.

However, unlike Liverpool and Man City, the north London side are yet to prove themselves when the pressure mounts, with Arteta having only guided Arsenal to one major trophy before - the FA Cup in 2020.

As a result, there are still suspicions over their character, especially when you see how nervous they looked during their recent Champions League last-16 tie with Porto before exiting the competition at the hands of Bayern Munich.

1. Manchester City

Given what they have shown us all during the Guardiola era, Man City must be considered the favourites for the crown. They have dispatched of both Liverpool and Arsenal in previous races and have the experience, depth and quality to comfortably win all their remaining fixtures.

The matches they still have to play look relatively straightforward, with the champions facing none of the four sides that joined them in the top five last season.

A trip to Tottenham is as hard as it gets and while that is a fixture Man City have struggled in recently, they are more than capable of blitzing Ange Postecoglou's side as well as all the other teams that face them in the final weeks.

There is no Champions League football to distract them after the exit to Real Madrid, leaving Guardiola free to guide his side to more glory in the league and cup.

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