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Manchester City's grip on the Premier League title has reached an unprecedented four years, but off-field doubts surround the English champions ahead of the new season.
Pep Guardiola turned City into the dominant force in English football with six Premier League titles in the past seven seasons.
Guardiola, though, is entering the final year of his contract and the City boss has offered no guarantees that he plans to extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium to a decade.
"Nine years today in the same club is an eternity," Guardiola said during pre-season. "I want to be sure it's the right decision. Not just for me, for the club, for the players."
Another cloud hangs over City's title defence, with the long-awaited hearing into 115 Premier League charges for alleged breaches of financial rules expected to take place before the end of the year.
City have vehemently denied any wrongdoing over the allegations, some of which date back to 2009.
However, if they are found guilty, they could face severe sanctions. Everton and Nottingham Forest received points deductions last season for breaches of profit and sustainability rules (PSR), with Leicester set to face similar consequences this season.
The need to meet those regulations and a summer of both European Championship and Copa America action have been blamed for an unusually slow start to the transfer window from Premier League clubs.
City have only added Brazilian winger Savinho and appear weaker for the impending sale of Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
Arsenal look the best-placed challengers to take City's crown after finishing second in each of the past two seasons.
The 89 points amassed by Mikel Arteta's men last season is only surpassed in the Gunners' history by the unbeaten "Invincibles", who won Arsenal's last Premier League title in 2003/04.
Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori is Arsenal's only major close-season signing to date, strengthening what was the best defence in the league last season.
But the Gunners are the coming force in the English game.
Arteta's squad was the third youngest in the league last season and features a host of stars such as William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli yet to hit their peak years.
Liverpool ran City and Arsenal close for the majority of last season before a dip in form cost them a glorious finish to Jurgen Klopp's reign.
Arne Slot has been given the daunting task of replacing the charismatic Klopp, who won the Premier League and Champions League during his time at Liverpool.
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