Fabinho believes Manchester City and Chelsea are the two favourites to win the Premier League this campaign and says both clubs are ‘really strong’.
Man City won the title by 12 points last season but appear to have more competition this year, with Chelsea impressive under Thomas Tuchel, Liverpool boosted by the return of key players and Man United enjoying an superb transfer window.
Chelsea only finished fourth last campaign but impressed after Tuchel took over from Lampard as manager and ended the season by lifting the UEFA Champions League.
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United were City’s closest challengers last term and have improved Solskjaer’s team with the additions of Cristiano Ronaldo, Varane & Sancho.
‘I think Manchester City are the favourites, as they’re the defending champions and still keep strengthening themselves, which is what they do every season,’ Fabinho told ESPN.
‘They, even being champions, always want to reinforce, so they are favourites for the season.
‘Chelsea, current Champions League champions, keep buying, too. I think these two teams come really strong, too, and are the favourites.’
While Liverpool did not spend anywhere near the money some of their league rivals, Fabinho believes securing new deals for several first-team players is just as important for the team.
‘Even though Liverpool haven’t spent as much as other clubs in this window, several players have renewed their contracts, which is very important for the club,’ the Brazilian added.
‘I was one of those players. We signed Konate, who is an excellent defender, Harvey Elliott came back on loan, which is something important for us, [Takumi] Minamino, too.
I believe our team is very strong. It’s the same team that won the Premier League two years ago. ‘More experienced players, more important games in the bag. These are things that make the team stronger.
‘If you want to have a winning team, we have to keep the most important pieces and that’s what Liverpool have been doing.’
