You Bet | Premier League still offers fiercest competition
Elsewhere in Europe, the champions are almost preordained, but that's not the case in England
The summer's major transfers have confirmed Spain as the main attraction for the cream of the world's top players, but there is no doubt the fans' choice for excitement and competitiveness will be the English Premier League.
La Liga added Luis Suarez, James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos to play alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Lionel Messi and Neymar, but at best there will be a three-horse race between giants Real Madrid and Barcelona and last season's surprise champions Atletico Madrid.
Other major European leagues have become even less competitive, with Bayern Munich, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain dominant in Germany, Italy and France respectively, but the Premier League is more open than ever.
Chelsea had obvious need of a top striker and the pressure will be on Diego Costa to deliver
Liverpool's resurgence, along with the expectation of a much better showing from Manchester United under Louis van Gaal, means five teams have realistic title hopes. Chelsea are favourites at 2.75, closely followed by Manchester City at 3.0, United at 4.6, Arsenal at 7.0 and Liverpool at 9.0. By contrast, all the other major European leagues have an odds-on favourite and little expectation of a real contest.
The competition in the Premier League extends well down the table. Top spot looks beyond Tottenham (50.0 for the title) and Everton (100.0) but they are capable of getting involved in the battle for the four Champions League places, while the value of staying in the Premier League (both in terms of money and prestige) means the lower teams will also fight for every point.
Chelsea are favourites largely because improvement is expected now Jose Mourinho has been able to mould the team more to his liking, particularly with the recruitment of Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid. Having lagged 30 goals behind Manchester City and Liverpool last season, Chelsea had obvious need of a top striker and the pressure will be on Costa to deliver.
If he does, Chelsea have an excellent chance as they had the best defence last season and have only four points to make up on champions Manchester City. It is also notable that Mourinho has won the title in every second season he has had as a manager.