Are Chelsea and Liverpool the Premier League's Dark Horses for Next Season?

"Blue leads red in Pasadena," cried the commentator on Chelsea TV as Gary Cahill nodded Chelsea in front against Liverpool at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday evening (or the early hours of Thursday if you were watching in England).

With that perspective in mind, could the line change to "Blues and Reds lead the Premier League" in 2016/17?

As things stand, both Chelsea and Liverpool are outsiders for the title next season. Now that Jose Mourinho is coaching Manchester United and Pep Guardiola is in charge at Manchester City, the expectation is Manchester will lead the way, with Arsenal and all the rest behind.

Chelsea finished a disappointing 10th place in 2015/16; Liverpool were in eighth, 10 points better off than the Blues on 60 points.

Being reigning champions at the time, it was a disaster for Chelsea. Never before had a team collapsed so spectacularly in the Premier League so soon after winning the title. For Liverpool, a side that had come so close to being champions themselves two years earlier, finishing well outside the top four was also a disappointment.

Last season confirmed plenty, especially how Chelsea and Liverpool have declined in more recent times. The answer from both clubs has been to change managers, and they now enter the new campaign with different men at the helm to this time in 2015.

For Chelsea, it's Antonio Conte who is now charged with making up that lost ground. At Anfield, Jurgen Klopp has been gradually rebuilding Liverpool since last October, when he stepped in following Brendan Rodger's departure.

The managers have big reputations. They've won titles in the past, and that breeds an expectation that they can deliver success. The problems both clubs face now is the personnel at their disposal. While we're still not convinced how a Chelsea side that failed last season can bounce back, it's a lack of talent compared to their main rivals that raises concerns for Klopp's Liverpool.

Both Chelsea and Liverpool have a big advantage in 2016/17, however: Neither club is in Europe. Could it be that success is born from failure?

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It's fitting that, in a time when the focus in the Premier League has switched to the dugout, Chelsea and Liverpool have two fine managerial talents of their own.

Alongside that pair, English football's top flight now boasts Mourinho, Guardiola, Arsene Wenger and Mauricio Pochettino. They're arguably among the most forward-thinking managers in European football—their status at least matching their players.

That's rare in football. In these modern times, we're used to the players being the attraction, but now the Premier League has changed the conversation.

While the rest will be jetting across the continent and juggling busy schedules this season, Klopp and Conte will be working on the training ground. There won't be airport departure lounges or endless press conferences for them; it's going to be far more structured, allowing the pair to drill their players from Monday to Friday and build a team.

Give Conte and Klopp that sort of access to their players, and the possibilities are mouthwatering.

We saw signs of the potential in Pasadena, California, when Chelsea defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the International Challenge Cup.

For Chelsea, it wasn't what Cahill did in the Liverpool box with the winning goal that excited most; it was more how Chelsea defended as a unit. In just over fortnight of working with his players, Conte is restoring the resilience of old.

The Italian has reorganised the starting XI, and the early signs are that it's working. That's two clean sheets in a row Chelsea can boast now in pre-season, and they've done it by largely containing their opponents.

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Forget last season—Chelsea weren't even used to that in pre-season 2015. The cracks were beginning to reveal themselves, and now it's a different situation.

Liverpool caused Chelsea some problems inside the Rose Bowl, yet the Blues handled them well. The back four looked strong; the 4-2-4 system with Victor Moses and Willian on the wings gave a more fluid attacking and defensive structure, too.

Conte has been a revitalising presence, and the feeling is that his influence is only going to grow over the course of his time at Stamford Bridge. He's meticulous, and with time on his hands, it isn't unrealistic to expect his side to bridge the 31-point gap that separated them and champions Leicester City last term.

For Conte, read Klopp. The German has built his reputation on what he achieved with Borussia Dortmund, restoring the club to one of the Bundesliga's and Europe's finest. He re-energised them to the force they are now, and that same method is gradually taking hold at Liverpool.

Klopp's making big changes to his squad—already this summer he's sold no fewer than five players—and the Reds are playing with a different dynamic. They weren't as effective in the final third against Chelsea as the manager would've hoped, yet the signs were there of how his work is impacting the Reds.

Liverpool dominated possession, using their midfield to control the flow of the game at times. There was no Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Jordan Henderson or Daniel Sturridge in the starting lineup, either, meaning we can only expect improvements as Klopp's international players are gradually reintroduced in pre-season.

Time is a precious commodity that not enough coaches are afforded in the modern game; Conte and Klopp will only be given the 2016/17 season. Transfer what we're seeing in the present to an entire Premier League campaign, and it's difficult to write them off.

Chelsea and Liverpool are looking the Premier League's dark horses.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes