Rodri expects Arsenal and Liverpool to be Manchester City’s biggest threats as they bid to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title.

The Cityzens have seen off a strong challenge from Arsenal over the past couple of seasons, with Liverpool, under the management of Jurgen Klopp, City’s biggest adversaries prior to that.

Klopp’s Liverpool finished as runners-up in 2018/19 with an incredible 97-point haul, wrestling the title away from City the following year after improving to 99 points, before they again finished second with 92 points in 2021/22.

28-year-old Rodri, who is one of the favourites to win the 2024 Ballon d’Or, has played a key role in each of City’s four title successes between 2020/21 and 2023/24 and will again be crucial to Pep Guardiola’s bid to win a record-extending five in a row.

In an interview with ESPN, the Spaniard spoke about who City’s biggest challengers will be this season, where he recognised the start Liverpool have made since Arne Slot succeeded Klopp in the dugout. He also spoke highly of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who he tipped to be in the mix when it’s all said and done.

“I see Liverpool very strong and was not sure how they were going to respond with the goodbye of Jürgen [Klopp],” he said. “But they respond like nothing happened, so they’re always a threat.

“And Arsenal, I think the last two years, yeah, there was the bigger threat. Let’s see how they do because when you are at this level two years, it’s not easy to sustain it.

“So big credit for them because it’s not easy. They push us to the limits and I think it’s going to be these two teams. But you never know.”

Arteta signed a new three-year contract at Arsenal on Thursday, committing his future to the club until 2027, but it remains to be seen how long Guardiola will remain in charge of City for.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss is out of contract at the end of the season, though he has hinted at a possible extension at the Etihad Stadium as long as “it’s the right decision, not just for me, [but] for the club.”

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