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Thomas Tuchel Spotlights ‘Huge’ Advantage for Two Clubs in Premier League Title Race

The England boss is pegging Arsenal and Liverpool to challenge once again for the Premier League title amid a hectic summer schedule.

Max Mallow

Thomas Tuchel is giving Arsenal and Liverpool a leg up in next season's Premier League title race.
Thomas Tuchel is giving Arsenal and Liverpool a leg up in next season's Premier League title race. / IMAGO/PPAUK

England boss Thomas Tuchel is picking Liverpool and Arsenal to challenge for the Premier League title next season as one major advantage hasn't gone unnoticed by the German: both clubs don't have to play in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

“I think it [the Club World Cup] will have a huge impact and it will give Liverpool and Arsenal a huge advantage in the next season to not be there,” Tuchel said in the buildup to England's friendly against Senegal. He went on to explain his excitement for the tournament, but continued the ongoing debate around the packed match calendar and the challenges with managing a national team in light of it.

Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand here

“The games are not the problem. It's just the amount of time it occupies with the players, and they need some rest in this calendar, which they hardly get,” Tuchel remarked. Players though, according to the manager, are hungry to represent England and aren't putting the Club World Cup ahead of representing their country this camp.

Both Chelsea, Tuchel's former club, and Manchester City are representing the Premier League in the Club World Cup. Arsenal and Liverpool have the summer off outside of traditional preseason requirements like international duty.

Liverpool were well clear of Arsenal for most of the season, but a strong transfer window could put the Gunners in pole position. Or, at the very least, in the conversation. They'll also avoid a hot summer tournament where injuries could arise in a more intense environment than preseason. The Premier League has remained competitive over the years, but for most of recent history title races have been contested between two sides—some combination of Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

To play devil's advocate, it could be of more benefit to Chelsea given Enzo Maresca's coming off his first season in charge It could also get Man City back to a standard they've set and subsequently dropped off of last year. They're both favorites to go deep in the competition.

Tuchel and England close out their camp with an international friendly against Senegal on Tuesday, June 10 before players depart for the Club World Cup.

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Max Mallow
MAX MALLOW

Max Mallow is an associate editor for Sports Illustrated, primarily working on the SI FC brand.

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