Manchester City 2013-14 Preview

Best odds to win league: 9/4 (Boylesports)
Last season: 2nd

Reasons for hope:

If you are already a very good team and then spend £95m over the summer then you ought to be optimistic! New boss Pellegrini has splashed the cash on the Sevilla pairing of Alvaro Negredo and Jesus Navas with Montenegrin Stevan Jovetic adding further firepower. Brazilian box-to-box midfielder Fernandinho commanded the biggest fee of all (£30m) and could form a formidable partnership with Yaya Toure.

Potential bet: The team with the best defensive record in 2012-13 are 2/1 (PaddyPower) to keep the most clean sheets again.

Reasons to worry:

There’s always a sense of uncertainty when a new manager comes in and Pellegrini, unlike rivals Mourinho and Moyes, has no direct experience of the English Premier League. However well he did at Malaga, City fans will demand he hits the ground running for their team. Will be granted a shorter ‘honeymoon period’ than his main adversaries.

Potential bet: No trophies this season - 6/5 (StanJames). It didn’t happen last term and just ask Arsenal how easy it can be to get in a silverware rut.

Verdict:

It would be disastrous if they didn’t even contend for the title but any position between first and third seems almost equally likely depending on how the manager and new players settle.