Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have both backed Arsenal to retain the Premier League title, but loyalties resurfaced when the Sky Sports pundits assessed Manchester United and Liverpool, reports BritPanorama.
The pair delivered their annual predictions on Monday Night Football after Chelsea dramatically beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage.
While they disagreed over the top four, Neville and Carragher were united in believing Arsenal remain ahead of their rivals. “One hundred per cent Arsenal,” Neville said.
“They’re way out in front and the squad they have assembled with the signings of [Ezri] Konsa, [Bruno] Guimaraes, [Christos] Tzolis and maybe one more – what a squad they have.”
Neville predicted Chelsea would finish second, Manchester City third, and United fourth. Carragher placed City behind Arsenal, followed by Chelsea and Liverpool.
Neville admitted sentiment influenced his decision to place his old club above Liverpool, conceding, “If I’m being honest I can’t separate United and Liverpool in fourth place, I have no idea.”
“A couple of weeks ago I had United in third and Chelsea not in the top four but as you get nearer towards the season you start to look at the squads and think about it, such as Chelsea having no European football – which will give them a big edge – and I think City are in a better position than United,” he continued. “At the moment I’m not convinced by United or Liverpool but I’m going for United fourth as I’m purely a fan.”
Carragher put United fifth, while Neville selected Liverpool in the same position. Tottenham were Carragher’s choice for sixth, with Brentford identified as potential European qualifiers. Neville backed Brighton for sixth and named Tottenham as his European contender.
The relegation predictions yielded further disagreements between the pundits. Neville expects newly-promoted Coventry City, Hull City, and Ipswich Town to return immediately to the Championship, while Carragher believes Coventry will survive and provided a warning for Sunderland despite their European qualification last season.
“They’re going to be doing a lot of Thursday-Sunday,” Carragher explained. “When you look at their underlying numbers last season they were pretty close to relegation and I think with the European football it could be a problem for them.”
Both pundits placed Fulham in danger, with Carragher also including Crystal Palace. They agreed that City striker Erling Haaland will finish as the Premier League’s leading scorer.
Carragher chose Tottenham midfielder Mateus Fernandes for the greatest impact, while Neville selected Arsenal’s £75million arrival, Guimaraes. “I think it’s the best signing by a mile,” Neville declared. “He is a massive personality and believes he can win every single match for his team.”
He added, “For £75million, that is value in this market.” Carragher named Jeremy Jacquet as his player to watch and Newcastle boss Matthias Jaissle as his manager to follow. Neville selected Chelsea pair Morgan Rogers and Xabi Alonso in those respective categories.
In the ever-shifting landscape of the Premier League, it’s a stark reminder that pre-season expectations rarely tell the full story — as loyalties and sentiments intertwine, so do the unpredictable dynamics of the beautiful game.
