Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has made a very controversial claim that the EPL top-four will eventually look really different from what it is now.
Currently, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are sitting at the top of the Premier League table, tied on points, followed by Manchester City and Liverpool. On the other side, Manchester United and Chelsea, the two other giants are struggling to get their season going. The Re Devils have lost four league matches while the Blues have lost three.
United and Chelsea are 10th and 11th respectively on the EPL table and according to Gary Neville, Manchester United will struggle to make it into the top-five of the EPL table by the end of the season.
The ex-Man United defender has said on his podcast for Sky Sports (h/t Goal): “I don’t think Manchester United will finish in the top five this season. I think they are way off it. And I’m surprised because seven or eight weeks ago, I had them third, But honestly from what I see at the moment, I don’t think the goalkeeper is settled in, I think he should have saved the one yesterday so that is a problem.
“If you’re goalkeeper is not settled in and there is a bit of instability around that, it does create a big problem. I’ve had that at United. So United, not for me.”
Neville has already made a very controversial claim by putting Man United out of the top four race but this is not enough. The pundit has also claimed that Spurs will eventually fall out of this race with Chelsea taking their place.
He added: “Chelsea I think probably nearer to it (top 4/5) if they could just go on a run because they have got some really talented young players, their age is a lot better than Manchester United’s squad.
“The key for Tottenham is to keep their best players fit. I don’t think Tottenham can sustain it over a 38-game season in my honest opinion, I think their squad will get found out in the end but they are going to have a lot of fun, it’ll be a rollercoaster and they’ve got a manager who I think belongs at the club, so it’s all positive for Tottenham but I don’t see them hanging in there towards the end even though it’s very early.”
Our Opinion On The EPL Top Four Race:
Tottenham have made a scintillating start to their Premier League campaign under their new manager but Gary Neville is very correct in saying that Spurs won’t be able to keep this up.
Spurs and Arsenal are yet to lose a league match but Ange Postecoglou is working with a very small squad and only a handful of injuries is enough to disrupt their season.
However, the fact that Chelsea will crawl up from the 11th to the fourth spot seems like a very long shot. They are not in Europe so that’s an advantage but for them to get back into the top-four, the six teams above them along with Spurs will have to play really poorly for the remainder of the season.
Teams like Palace and Villa should and will slide down as the EPL season progresses but there’s very little chance that teams like Brighton and Man United will fall off. United will definitely get better as the campaign progresses whereas Brighton are one of the most well-rounded teams in England.
At the same time, Chelsea will have to constantly play in fifth gear until May and that’s kind of impossible. Pochettino still has to sort out several things in his squad and in doing so, the Blues will drop numerous points.
Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool are good enough to hold onto their place in the EPL table and with the way Tottenham are playing, it’s up to them to throw their position.
