Jamie Carragher Challenges Gary Neville's Premier League Predictions
Jamie Carragher wasted no time going after Gary Neville’s Premier League predictions – accusing his Sky Sports colleague of flip-flopping on Manchester United and Liverpool before August has even warmed up.
One weekend. One round of games. And, according to Carragher, four different Neville tables.
United handed Neville the first jolt. Erik ten Hag’s side crashed to a miserable 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City, the worst possible opening for a club already under scrutiny. While the inquest raged over what went wrong at the MKM Stadium, Liverpool were living their own chaos.
At Anfield, Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League match in charge of the Reds was seconds from disaster. Newcastle United led 2-1 deep into stoppage time, only for Dominik Szoboszlai to bury a 99th-minute penalty and salvage a 2-2 draw. Relief, not celebration.
So when Neville sat down on Monday Night Football and was asked the simple question – who finishes higher, Liverpool or United? – he tried to sit on the fence.
“Look, do you want me to be honest? I can't separate United and Liverpool in fourth place,” he said.
Carragher pounced.
“I've heard you've changed it four times over the weekend,” he snapped. “So after United played, he changed it to Liverpool. Liverpool played and he changed it to United.”
Neville pushed back and laid out his thinking. He admitted that only “a couple of weeks ago” he had United nailed down in third. Then pre-season ended, squads took shape, and his view shifted.
He pointed to Chelsea as the big disruptor. No European football, fresher legs, a clearer schedule. In Neville’s eyes, that gives them “a big edge”. Manchester City, he argued, still look stronger than United over 38 games.
“Look, at the moment, I'm not convinced by United or Liverpool, really,” Neville said. “But I do think they'll finish fourth and fifth.”
Pressed to stop hedging and lock in a table, Neville finally did it. Arsenal to win the Premier League. Chelsea to finish second. City third. United fourth. Liverpool, by implication, on the outside looking in.
Carragher, for his part, also backed Arsenal to take the title, with City, Chelsea and Liverpool as the chasing pack. On that, at least, the old rivals found common ground: this might be the season Arsenal have to turn potential into a trophy.
The early evidence hasn’t hurt that argument. Mikel Arteta’s side opened their title defence with a controlled 2-0 dismantling of Coventry City, a routine win that looked exactly how a contender should start a campaign.
Chelsea’s beginning was far more frantic. The Blues edged Fulham 3-2 in a lively Monday night clash, a result that kept Neville’s bold call for them to finish runners-up from looking reckless on day one.
Enzo Maresca’s first league game as Manchester City manager brought its own drama. City trailed Bournemouth late on before turning it around, with Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol striking to complete a 2-1 comeback and keep the champions firmly in the early slipstream.
Arsenal, Chelsea and City are three of nine clubs to open the season with a win, a reminder that the table means little right now – even if it’s already causing arguments in the studio.
Next up, the schedule starts to bite. Chelsea welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge, a test of whether Maresca’s side can back up their chaotic opener with control. City head to Selhurst Park on Friday night to face Crystal Palace, a ground that has tripped up plenty of title hopefuls. Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Monday, where Aston Villa will be eager to bloody a contender’s nose.
By then, Neville might be tempted to reshuffle his top four again. The question is: will Carragher let him forget it?
