The team that comes out on top in this season's Dublin derby mini-table will have a strong chance of lifting the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division title according to former Republic of Ireland international Keith Treacy.
The new season will kick off on Friday with reigning champions Shelbourne hosting Derry City and with Damien Duff's side being one of four capital clubs in the top flight points accrued in the league's many Dublin derbies go a long way to pushing teams up the table.
Speaking on the first RTÉ Soccer Podcast episode of 2025, ex-St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United winger Keith Treacy highlighted how Shelbourne had enjoyed good fortunes in the match-ups between Dublin sides on route to winning the title last year, especially compared to runners-up Shamrock Rovers.
"I was digging through all the stats of last season and what Shelbourne did really well was they won the games in Dublin," he said.
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"In the so-called Dublin Derby table, Shelbourne came out with 21 points. That's more than St Pat's, who had 18, Bohs had 14 and it probably doesn't surprise anybody given how Rovers went last season that they only picked up 12 points in Dublin.
"Now, I'm not saying that it's all about the Dublin clubs. Galway will have a big, big say. Nobody is looking forward to going to Galway (United) or playing there; Cork (City) look really strong, not too sure what we're going to get from Derry.
"But I do think whoever comes out on top of the Dublin derbies table is going to be there or thereabouts at the top."
While Treacy has long tipped Stephen Kenny's St Patrick's Athletic side to challenge this season given how they finished the 2024 campaign, he has also been impressed by Shelbourne's moves in the transfer market.
"(Mipo) Odubeko is one straight away that people have mentioned but I have to be honest with you, I love Ellis Chapman," he said.
"I saw an awful lot of him at Sligo (Rovers) last season and he sort of meanders around the pitch at his own pace.
"But he's always in space. It's never a coincidence and he just pops up at the right moment, he thinks about what he's doing and he came off the bench for Shelbourne in the President's Cup but I think he's somebody that if you look at JJ Lunney in there, (Sean) Gannon and (Sean) Boyd, I think he's a brilliant addition to it and he's probably somebody that people didn't look at the signing and thought was an unbelievable signing.
"But I will be looking to see what Ellis Chapman can do in a Shelbourne jersey because, as I said, I was very impressed with what he did at Sligo last year."
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