Manchester City not winning a trophy last season doesn’t count them out of next season’s title race. One off-season doesn’t make City a weak side. All signs in the transfer window indicate that Manchester City will want to win at least a trophy and compete for the league title next season to make up for the just concluded 2024/2025 season.
I think City are capable of coming back, considering that Arsenal cannot go through a season without dips in form. As for Liverpool, it is hard to say anything now, it is unclear how they will recover after such a loss. I do not think it makes sense to judge their form based on the Club World Cup matches — we will see everything when the new season starts. By the way, nobody is talking about Newcastle and Aston Villa, who are also good teams, and Chelsea could also be expected to fight for a top 4 spot.