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LIVERPOOL: Liverpool have splashed out to defend their Premier League title as champions but face stiff competition from an Arsenal side desperate to shake off their tag as nearly men and a rejuvenated Manchester City.
After storming to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge, Liverpool have looked to build from a position of strength during a summer marked by tragedy.
Portuguese forward Diogo Jota was killed in a car accident alongside his brother last month, plunging the club into mourning.
Tributes to Jota will continue throughout the season with “Forever 20” — his shirt number, which the club have now retired — printed on Liverpool’s jerseys.
The Reds have already spent £260 million ($350 million) on Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
However, after the departures of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, they are not yet done in strengthening their forward line and are expected to launch a fresh bid for Alexander Isak, with Newcastle demanding a British transfer record fee for the Swedish striker.
Liverpool’s rivals will hope Wirtz and Ekitike take time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League after shining in Germany’s Bundesliga, while there are defensive doubts for Slot’s men to answer.
The Dutch coach said his side need to defend better after leaky performances in pre-season were followed by defeat in the Community Shield to Crystal Palace on Sunday after twice blowing the lead.
After finishing second for the past three seasons, Arsenal are longing for their first title in 22 years and have backed Mikel Arteta with another near £200 million investment in the transfer market.
Spanish international Martin Zubimendi will be the new anchor of the midfield, while the signings of Christian Norgaard, Cristhian Mosquera, Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga add depth to the squad.
But Arsenal’s season is likely to be defined by whether Viktor Gyokeres proves to be the answer to their need for a prolific striker.
The Swede struck 97 times in 102 games during two years at Sporting Lisbon, but the 27-year-old failed to make a breakthrough in the Premier League during his previous experience in England.
After coming up short at Brighton, Gyokeres scored 41 goals in 121 games in England’s second tier with Coventry and Swansea.
“He’s a player that, when you leave him with the space one against one, he’s going to destroy you,” said Arteta of his new striker.
City were dethroned last season after an unprecedented run of four consecutive titles as the wheels came off for Pep Guardiola’s men without Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.
The Spaniard has been ruled out till September due to a setback in his return from a serious knee injury, but City have refreshed their squad with the additions of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.
After a first trophyless season since 2016/17, City expect to be back in the fight for the title.
Chelsea were the last side other than City and Liverpool to lift the title back in 2017 and showed they are a coming force once more by winning the Club World Cup in the US last month.
The Blues finished fourth, 15 points behind Liverpool last season, but their transfer policy of investing heavily in scores of young prospects is beginning to bear fruit.
Joao Pedro made an instant impact with three goals in three games at the Club World Cup after a £55 million move from Brighton and could solve Chelsea’s need for a world class goalscorer.
Manchester United have transformed their forward line with the signings of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo after finishing 15th last season.
Beating United in the Europa League final was not enough for Ange Postecoglou to keep his job as Tottenham manager and former Brentford boss Thomas Frank has taken over in north London.
Promoted trio Leeds, Sunderland and Burnley are aiming to avoid a worrying trend for the competitive balance.
For the past two seasons all three promoted clubs have gone straight back down as the gap between the riches of the Premier League and the second tier continues to grow.

CHICAGO: South Africa’s Dean Burmester sank a six-foot birdie putt on Sunday’s first playoff hole to beat Spaniards Jon Rahm and Josele Ballester and win the LIV Golf Chicago title.
Burmester, who squandered a two-shot overnight lead with three bogeys to start his round, battled back to shoot a par-71 final round to match Rahm and Ballester on nine-under 204 for 54 holes at Bolingbrook Golf Club.
“This has been emotional,” Burmester said. “Since before Virginia (in June) I’ve been going through a bit of a rough time, personal stuff. I’ve just been grinding and trying to get better, thinking about my wife and my kids back home, and I’m just trying to do the best I can for them.”
At the par-four 18th hole in the playoff, Ballester landed 12 feet from the hole but Burmester, who found the rough off the tee, dropped his approach six feet from the hole while 2024 Chicago winner Rahm’s ball was 10 feet away.
Ballester and Rahm missed their birdie putts and Burmester sank his for the victory.
“After three bogeys in a row to start I was like, fudge, I don’t know where I’m going. My head was nowhere but I just kept at it,” said Burmester.
“To hit that out of the rough and get the right bounce and roll it in — I watched Jon’s go left and I knew I hard to right line — to roll it in in front of everybody that’s here is amazing.”
It was Burmester’s second LIV title after last year in Miami.
Ballester, the 2023 European Amateur and 2024 US Amateur champion who turned professional in June, was in only his seventh pro event at age 21.
Rahm, Ballester, Burmester and Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, who finished fourth, shared the lead at eight-under with three holes remaining.
Burmester birdied the 16th from four feet to seize the solo lead but Ballester sank a four-foot birdie putt at 18 and Rahm made his birdie putt from five feet to force the playoff.
Burmester’s horrid start signaled a final-round shootout, although his birdie at the fifth hole put him one ahead of Rahm at the turn.
Ballester birdied the par-four 10th to match Burmester for the lead and they both birdied the par-five 12th.
Ortiz joined the co-leaders with birdies at the par-three 13th and par-five 14th.
Ballester birdied 14 to seize the lead alone but Rahm birdied 15 to pull within one and when Ballester made bogey there moments later, the Spaniards shared the lead with Ortiz and Burmester.
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann, a five-time winner this season, finished on 211 to share 17th but still led the season points standings ahead of defending season champion Rahm entering next week’s final individual event at Indianapolis.
Burmester’s Stinger beat Niemann and Ortiz’s Torque in a playoff for the team title.