Two weeks out – Who’s the favourite for the Premier League title?

The dramatic increase in transfer prices over the last few years in world football certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Managers and pundits alike have expressed their disbelief in just how expensive signing football players has become. With the increased revenue that the game has seen in the last decade, particularly in the English Premier League, it is clear to see how this transition has come about. While the exorbitant prices bother some, it has allowed the EPL to become more interesting than ever this season.

The main contenders for this year’s Premier League crown will surprise few. The top six – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – will be the favorites yet again. With the exception of Tottenham, who have an extremely young and talented squad, each of the big clubs have made significant additions. Arsenal have brought in goal fiend Alexandre Lacazette, Chelsea have prepared for incoming departures by adding Bakayoko and Morata. Liverpool meanwhile have added attacking quality in Mohamed Salah and others, while the Manchester clubs have both spent well over 100 million euros this summer. All of these teams are expecting to take a step forward from last season.

It is among the middle of the pack teams where this new found financial strength has come to the fore. Everton and West Ham are the two obvious examples of the way in which all EPL teams can now ‘flex their muscles’ in the transfer market. Everton have spent close to 100 million euros already, not to mention the return of boyhood fan Wayne Rooney. West Ham meanwhile have been able to bring in four established names in Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic, Javier ‘Chicarito’ Hernandez, and Pablo Zabaleta. Adding players like this would have been unimaginable for a club like West Ham five years ago, no matter how proud a history they have. Expecting teams like Everton and West Ham to compete with the top six regularly is not necessarily fair, but they are getting closer in terms of talent. As Leicester City showed just a season ago, it is not impossible for the teams outside of the top six to win a title.

So who should be the favorites to win the league this year? Bookies would have believe that it is the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea who have the best shot. Based on the transfer activity so far, it has to be Manchester City. With Pep Guardiola now having a year under his belt there are no excuses for the Spanish manager. Having spent in excess of 200 million euros already this summer, no one can argue that Guardiola doesn’t have a squad he feels is good enough to win the league.

That being said, there is still time in the transfer window for other teams to close the gap with Man City. One thing is for sure, the firepower the EPL will boast across all its teams will be the best the league has seen to date.