The 2021/22 Premier League campaign kicks off in less than a month when newly-promoted Brentford’s take on Arsenal on August 13, and anticipation is starting to build ahead of what should be another enthralling season in England’s top-flight.
In May, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City reclaimed their Premier League crown from Liverpool, romping home with games to spare ahead of neighbours and rivals United, though disappointment in Europe meant they finished on a sour note.
The Citizens will start afresh as the bookmakers’ favourites to dominate domestically again in 2021/22, however, they might not have everything their own way in another year of twists and turns in the always unpredictable Premier League.
Below we’ve taken an early look at the best odds and betting picks for the Premier League title winner as well as some of the contenders gunning for glory.
Premier League 2021/22 winner odds
Odds taken from Draftkings. Prices correct as of July 21 2021. Odds are subject to fluctuation.
- Manchester City -150
- Chelsea +500
- Liverpool +500
- Manchester United +750
- Tottenham Hotspur +4000
- Leicester City +4000
- Arsenal +5000
- Everton +10000
- West Ham +15000
- Leeds +15000
Premier League 2021/22 favourites
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Manchester City -150
Position last season: Champions
Star Players: Kevin de Bruyne, Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden
Premier League champions in three of the last four seasons, big-spending Manchester City have made their huge financial clout count under Pep Guardiola, though they hold little appeal at the prices available to reclaim their crown in 2021/22.
City’s final points total of 86 in 2021/22 paled in comparison to the meatier 98 and 100-point hauls they bagged in their previous two title-winning campaigns – figures that suggest that the Citizens are on a downward trajectory.
Much will depend on their headline pursuits of Tottenham’s £150m-rated Harry Kane and Aston Villa’s £100m man Jack Grealish however, and if City land their two primary transfer targets, they could waltz away with the silverware once again.
Premier League 2021/22 title contenders
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Chelsea +500
Position last season: 4th
Star Players: N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount, Jorginho, Reece James
Chelsea upset the odds to lift the Champions League last season when they toppled favourites Manchester City at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto back in May, though the Blues could only muster a modest fourth-place finish in the Premier League.
The club’s decision to replace legend Frank Lampard with astute German tactician Thomas Tuchel in January proved the correct call however, and the ex-PSG coach transformed the Blues defensively in the closing months of the 2020/21 campaign.
Chelsea kept a staggering 19 clean sheets in all competitions following Tuchel’s appointment, though the 47-year-old’s next task is to get the team firing on all cylinders further up the pitch.
To that end, The Londoners will need much more from Timo Werner and Kai Havertz in particular to mount a serious title challenge over the next ten months, and Chelsea will have to show more imagination in the market with their chase of Dortmund’s Erling Haaland expected to fail.
We think it’s best to avoid Chelsea in the Premier League winner’s market until they make some more moves in the summer transfer window.
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Liverpool +500
Position last season: 3rd
Star Players: Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane
Liverpool’s catastrophic title defence was one of the most compelling storylines in 2020/21 and the drop-off in the Reds’ mid-season performances – triggered by a major injury crisis in defence – made for remarkable viewing.
The Merseysiders won just three of their 14 league fixtures between December 27 and March 7 – a dreadful sequence that included a six-game losing streak at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s men got their act together ahead of the campaign’s climax however and Liverpool eventually roared to a third-place finish, winning eight of their final ten matches in a superb late flurry.
A big improvement from Klopp’s talented squad is expected in 2021/22 and with fit-again Dutch colossus Virgil van Dijk back at the heart of the defence, Liverpool look best-equipped to give Man City a run for their money at the Premier League’s summit.
Match-winning winger Sadio Mane, who was nowhere near his best last term, should produce more, Spanish schemer Thiago Alcantara should be more settled following a tumultuous first year in England, while the acquisition of highly-rated French defender Ibrahima Konaté from RB Leipzig looks a smart piece of business.
At +500, Liverpool are excellent value with Draftkings in the Premier League 2021/22 winner’s market and that price could start to close as the Reds add more quality to their roster before August.
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Manchester United +750
Position last season: 2nd
Star Players: Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defied the odds and silenced his army of critics last season when he led an unfancied Manchester United to an impressive second-place finish in the Premier League.
Tipped by many to miss out on the top four completely, the Red Devils were comfortably the Premier League’s second-best team and United lost just once in 28 games between November 7 and May 9.
The Manchester giants were unbeaten on the road for the entire 2020/21 campaign and Solskjaer’s side were the only team to beat champions Man City twice, beating the champions 2-0 at home and 2-0 away.
Again this year, United find themselves priced as a title outsider in the betting markets, despite the early signing of ex-Dortmund wonderkid Jadon Sancho and the imminent arrival of French international defender Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.
Sancho joins an array of attacking talent that already includes Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and the evergreen veteran Edinson Cavani and the 21-year-old should help to balance a frontline that had no natural right-winger before his arrival.
Still, there are problems to address, particularly in goal where neither David de Gea nor Dean Henderson inspire confidence, while United also lack a reliable ball-winner in midfield.
The Red Devils are also light on depth in several key areas and they still look an injury or two away from a crisis, which in part explains their long price in the market.
