Manchester City is the team to beat, says Giggs

Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs has criticised former English Premier League (EPL) champions Manchester City, asserting that the side lacks a strong defensive line-up which may cost them in the 2017-18 season.

Manchester City have got rid of a host of experienced players in recent days, including defensive midfielder Pablo Zabaleta and defenders Gael Clichy and Alexander Colarov.

They have also sold goalkeeper Willy Cabellero to reigning EPL champions Chelsea, bringing in Ederson Santana de Moraes as replacement.

"What they needed to get right was their defence and it will be interesting to see how Ederson settles in, because you don't win the Premier League with an average goalkeeper," he added. Gigg's former club Manchester United have brought in prolific striker Romelu Lukaku from Everton FC during the pre-season as a replacement for Swedish star Zlatan Imrahimovic who has completed his contract period.

Giggs asserted that Lukaku is exactly what the club needed, but added that the Belgium international needed to improve his first touch.

"Manchester United needed some new blood and the injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic removed the question as to whether he was replaced. Romelu Lukaku will score goals, there's no doubt about that. "He's still got to work on his first touch but he has already been scoring plenty at West Brom and Everton and will get more chances at Old Trafford," the 43-year-old said.

"What he won't have experienced is the pressure of being a Manchester United forward. He wouldn't have felt that before and you can't get away with the odd mediocre performance."

"There were too many home games last season where we didn't take our chances but it's not just down to Lukaku, the rest of the team need to be contributing as well," he added.

"I think Manchester City are the team to beat though. I looked at them towards the end of last season and the forward players they've got is scary, with Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Raheem Sterling," Giggs wrote in a column on Sky Sports