Gary Neville flipped his original top-four predictions concerning the Premier League in this season, but definitely still predicted an Arsenal title-winner, claiming that Mikel Arteta’s troops will find “hot form” through that busy Christmas period.
Liverpool are actually positioned 6 points ahead of Arsenal and 4 ahead of Chelsea in the second position while holding a game in hand over both of their rivals, with Arne Slot basking in the glory in his wonderful start to life in Anfield.
Same goes for Enzo Maresca, who has been excellent so far this season in his debut at Stamford Bridge as the Blues hope to pull level with the Reds with a victory over Everton this Sunday, as Slot’s side faces Spurs later that evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Arsenal struggled in the absence of their captain, Martin Odegaard, with Arteta recently under pressure having had to rely on set pieces for goals just as Manchester City suffer under Pep Guardiola, increasing the frustration of Gunners fans who have watched Liverpool take full benefits of the shocking form.
Neville, who said that Arsenal would end their 21 years drought for an English title, just in August, also predicted that Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea complete the rest of the top four-in that order.
But on the latest episode of The Overlap US’ It’s Called Soccer, Neville changed his prediction, taking his former side Manchester United – who currently sit 13th in the table – out of his top four.
“I’m going to go with Arsenal [to win the title] on the basis that I think they’ll hit their form,” Neville said.
“They’ve got a decent run of fixtures over Christmas, I think they’ll get within a couple of points, a few points, and I think they will hit their form in the new year and I do think they will win the league this season.
“Top four… I’ve not got full faith in Tottenham, Aston Villa and, to be fair, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and all the other teams that are in and around it.
“I think it will be City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal at this moment in time. It’s the first time I haven’t said United will be in the top four, I think, in about 15 years!”
Neville then said he believes the current bottom three will be the teams to drop down to the Championship.
“Relegation… Southampton, definitely, I think Ipswich will go and I’m going to say Wolves,” Neville added.
“I watched Wolves against Liverpool and, to be fair, Liverpool weren’t great in the game at all but they didn’t have to be and Wolves were absolutely awful and I thought, ‘Oh no!’.
“So I think Wolves are probably gonna go, unless they can do something in the January transfer window.”
Jamie Carragher then gave his prediction, tipping his old team Liverpool to maintain their position.
“I’ll go for Liverpool [to finish as champions] and Chelsea second because they’ve got no Europe,” the former Liverpool defender explained.
“So I’ll go with Chelsea, I’ll go with Arsenal and I’ll go with Manchester City.”
Pushed for his prediction at the wrong end of the division, Carragher added: “I’m going to go with the three teams who came up [Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester].”
