I'd rather mention Liverpool as one of the favorites, but I wouldn't count Manchester City among the top contenders. I haven't seen anything in their performance to expect much from them this season. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea are strong teams in the Premier League that I believe will perform well in the Champions League this season.
Barcelona and Real Madrid will be among the strong contenders, and according to my prediction, Barcelona will win the Champions League this season. It's just that I'm losing confidence in their defensive line with Ronald Araújo's recent performances, which haven't been impressive.
I don't know, like every year we talk about the same teams that can win the Champions League, and as always we are disappointed when we see that in reality the teams that were the favorites in the end don't reach the final or the final stages, this is something that teaches us not to underestimate the small teams that then surprise us or even the less favored ones.
When was the last time a small team lifted this trophy? Champions League is one of the strongest league, which I don't think favors small teams. Judging by past records, it's very challenging for small teams to win the Champions League. The top contenders usually come from strong teams, that is why It will be difficult to predict the favorite for the Champions League title and mention small clubs because they are not strong for the battle.
I believe Barcelona, Liverpool, and Real Madrid are serious candidates for the UEFA Champions League, specifically Barcelona but I don't think the other teams I mentioned will be that good at winning this trophy. But they will all have an important impact this season.