The 2023/2024 season for Europe's top 5 leagues is coming to the end, with titles still to be decided as we head into the business end of the season.
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00:00 The end of the 2023-24 football season is just around the corner.
00:05 In the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1, the title is all but decided.
00:10 But in the Premier League, we're seeing one of the best races in history.
00:14 So, who are the favourites to be crowned champions across Europe's top five leagues?
00:19 Hello and welcome to Football Now.
00:26 As the March international break is upon us, it means the conclusion of Europe's domestic seasons are drawing ever closer.
00:33 With just a handful of games to go, the race for the title is on.
00:37 So, let's take a look at the current state of play around the continent.
00:41 For four of Europe's top five leagues, the title picture is looking pretty comfortable for the leaders.
00:47 In Spain, Real Madrid are looking likely to wrestle a title back from Barcelona this season.
00:52 The €103m signing of Juve Bellingham last summer has been a revelation, with 29 goal involvements in 31 appearances so far.
01:01 In Italy, Inter are 14 points clearer of Milan in second, having lost only once in the league so far.
01:08 It would be their first Scudetto since 2021, and this achievement has put their manager, Simone Inzaghi, into the spotlight.
01:15 With many top coaching jobs available this summer, Inzaghi could be a man in demand.
01:20 I honestly believe that Simone Inzaghi is a manager who's going to succeed wherever he goes next.
01:26 And I believe that because when you look at the football that Inter are playing this season, it's really modern, advanced football.
01:32 I think it's the fluidity in his teams is a striking contrast with most, not all, but most of the teams that are in Serie A, and I think frankly most teams in Europe.
01:41 Who knows? I really think he should be one of the first names on everyone's lips this summer.
01:46 I also think for the sake of Italian football, it would be great if he stays exactly where he is and keeps Inter competing at the levels they're competing at.
01:52 In France, it's business as usual, as PSG hold a 12-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
01:58 It would mean 10 of the last 12 league titles have headed to Paris.
02:02 Kylian Mbappe is set to move to Real Madrid this summer, and is proving his worth.
02:06 He's scored 38 goals in 37 appearances so far this season.
02:11 While in Germany, Bayern Munich, who were on a similar path of domination to PSG, might well have their streak ended this year.
02:18 After winning 11 titles in a row, they now sit 10 points behind Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen in what seems an insurmountable deficit.
02:26 So, things are looking pretty straightforward around Europe then, but the same can't be said for the Premier League.
02:33 With just 10 games to go, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are three heavyweights separated by just one point.
02:40 The Gunners were in this situation 12 months ago, but ultimately couldn't get the job done.
02:46 A year later, are they finally ready to lift the title?
02:50 I think Arsenal have been at a better form at the moment, especially their midfield.
02:54 We've been able to adapt. This year alone, we've scored 33 goals and conceded only four.
02:59 It's one of the most against all the other teams. I think we've got the mindset at the moment.
03:03 Arsenal winning the league will mean a lot for all of us because it'll be one of the trophies that we'll see in our lifetime.
03:09 Last time that Arsenal won the league, I think I was about five or four, so I didn't have any recollection of this and I wasn't able to experience anything.
03:17 It'll definitely be something historical as well, and especially under Arteta.
03:21 He's helped form the team so much, so that would be amazing for us, for him, and also to just shut the rivals up as well.
03:29 Last year, Manchester City overcame Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side to lift a third successive league title and went on to win a historic treble.
03:39 Another league win this time around would be an unprecedented, four times in a row, something no English side has ever done before.
03:47 It would just be another day at the office in an era of dominance for the men from East Manchester.
03:53 The mentality that Pep's installed in the club, it runs from top to bottom, you can see it. It's unique and it's pretty ruthless.
04:02 It's like these players are just getting on with it and ploughing through it.
04:06 There's a lot of things that Manchester City have done in the last decade which are unique.
04:11 We won the treble, which obviously United did it years ago, but we finally did it.
04:15 We've won two more trophies this season, so we've won the quintuple, if you want to say that.
04:20 We did formidable season, all domestic, clean sweep, and we did the Centurion season.
04:25 So if they managed to get four in a row, it'd be brilliant. It'd be another achievement.
04:29 And for a team that a lot of people claim have got no history, they seem to be making the history.
04:34 And the history they're making is unique. It's not just stacking up numbers and trophies.
04:39 We're doing things bigger and better than everybody else.
04:41 Sandwiched between Arsenal and Manchester City in second place at the moment are Liverpool.
04:47 Their manager Jurgen Klopp has made the decision to step away from Anfield at the end of the season after nine trophy-filled years.
04:55 So will he get his fairy tale ending and lift the title in May?
05:00 I just think with Klopp announcing that he's leaving, I think that just gives everyone in the team that extra 5 or 10% that we didn't know they actually needed.
05:08 I look at Man City and it's just Man City, isn't it? It's just a machine. They can go on forever.
05:13 They can win 20 games, 30 games on the spin when we want it, although it was Covid and stuff like that.
05:18 We had this thing about us, like aura and attitude about us where we won't get beat or it'll take something special especially.
05:25 But it kind of feels like the momentum is with Liverpool right now, especially with the Klopp news.
05:30 The players want it, the managers want it, the fans want it, especially for Jurgen as well.
05:34 We didn't want to see him go, of course, we never, but if he goes winning the Premier League again with fans on the ground, it'll be a perfect send-off.
05:41 Really exciting Premier League finale to look forward to then as we reach the end of the European season.
05:47 That's all we have time for from our studio here in Doha.
05:50 Do let us know your thoughts using the hashtag #FootballNowTitleRace and we'll see you next time. Bye for now.
05:56 [Outro music]