In the Premier League last season, there was just one point separating champion Manchester City and runner-up Liverpool.
Another epic title battle is anticipated between the two teams after they had major summer transfer activity, both in terms of arrivals and departures.
In advance of their Community Shield match on Saturday at Leicester's King Power Stadium, BBC Sport examines how each team is developing for the next campaign.
The newcomers
The Premier League's top two scorers, City and Liverpool, scored 99 and 94 goals respectively the previous season, while Chelsea's 76 goals placed them second and third, respectively, in the league's goal-scoring standings.
But both teams have made significant investments in their front lines.
Erling Haaland's acquisition from Borussia Dortmund for £51 million put an end to City's long-running conversation about the need for a good, pure striker.
Despite being only 22 years old, the Norwegian has long been productive for both club and nation. Haaland departed Dortmund with 86 goals in 89 games, having scored 20 goals in 21 appearances for Norway.
Argentine attacker Julian Alvarez is also anticipated to achieve great things. The 22-year-old joined the team in January after leaving River Plate, but he only officially joined City in July. He has been mentioned as Sergio Aguero's possible replacement.
Additionally, Pep Guardiola, the manager, reinforced his midfield by acquiring 26-year-old international for England Kalvin Phillips from Leeds for £45 million.
Darwin Nunez, a striker from Uruguay, was Liverpool's biggest summer acquisition. He arrived from Benfica for a club-record £85 million.
The 23-year-old scored 34 goals in 41 games for the Portuguese team last season and has adjusted well to life in Europe after relocating from South America.
The Reds also acquired 18-year-old Scottish right-back, Calvin Ramsay, from Aberdeen and promising young Portuguese attacker Fabio Carvalho from Fulham.
The leavings
Given that Sadio Mane left Liverpool after six seasons filled with trophies and success at Anfield, they needed to improve their offensive alternatives.
Despite receiving a contract extension after scoring 23 goals in all competitions the previous season, the Senegalese striker chose to go on and signed with Bayern Munich for £35 million. His goals will undoubtedly be missed.
Other significant exits included Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi.
Raheem Sterling's exit from Manchester City made headlines.
The English attacker left City with a record of 131 goals in 339 games, including 13 goals in the Premier League the previous season. He afterward signed for Chelsea for £50 million.
In the upcoming season, City will also face another of their former stars, Gabriel Jesus, who joined Arsenal this summer for £45 million.
Although the Brazilian attacker was never particularly productive at City (58 goals in 159 Premier League appearances), he did contribute eight league assists last season, which tied him with Kevin de Bruyne for most of any player at the club.
Reading too much into preseason performances is usually a mistake, and with the World Cup coming up in November, there have been fewer friendlies than normal. Fans, though, will obviously have sought to see how they fared because both teams have significant new additions.
While Manchester City traveled to the US for a few matches, Liverpool went on a tour of Asia and Europe.
The preseason for Jurgen Klopp's team began with a 4-0 loss to Manchester United in Thailand; Nunez made his debut and had a forgettable moment as he missed an open goal.
After beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in Singapore on the strength of goals from Jordan Henderson and Mohamed Salah, the Reds then defeated RB Leipzig with four goals from Nunez.
Nunez was later substituted at halftime as Liverpool fell to Red Bull Salzburg 1-0 on Wednesday.
City, meanwhile, competed in two matches against Club America and Bayern Munich while abroad.
In their 2-1 victory over the former, De Bruyne scored twice, and in their 1-0 victory over Bayern, Haaland scored his first goal for the team after just 12 minutes.
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