Carragher vs Neville: Premier League Predictions Heat Up After First Matches
Jamie Carragher wasted no time going after Gary Neville. One game into the Premier League season, and the long-time sparring partners were already accusing each other of flip-flopping.
The trigger? Manchester United’s nightmare start and Liverpool’s late escape.
United slumped to a 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City, a result that immediately darkened the mood around Erik ten Hag’s side and sparked a fresh inquest into what went wrong at the MKM Stadium. While United unravelled, Liverpool were clinging on.
At St James’ Park, Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League match in charge of the Reds looked destined to end in defeat. His team trailed Newcastle United 2-1 deep into stoppage time, only for Dominik Szoboszlai to bury a 99th-minute penalty and salvage a 2-2 draw. One point rescued, a crisis averted – for now.
That swing in fortunes fed straight into the debate on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
Carragher, who has already nailed his colours to the mast by backing Arsenal to win the title with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool behind them, challenged Neville over his uncertainty on who will finish higher: United or Liverpool.
Asked live on air to choose between the two rivals, Neville hesitated before saying: “Look, do you want me to be honest? I can't separate United and Liverpool in fourth place.”
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 didn’t deny he’d been wrestling with his predictions. He admitted that only a couple of weeks ago he had United finishing third and Chelsea lower down, but said his view had shifted as the season approached and the squads became clearer.
He pointed to one key factor: Chelsea’s lack of European football.
“You think about Chelsea and the fact they've got no European football. That'll give them a big edge,” Neville said. “I think City are in a better position than United. Look, at the moment, I'm not convinced by United or Liverpool, really, but I do think they'll finish fourth and fifth.”
Pressed to commit, Neville finally laid out his full top-four call. Arsenal, he said, will be champions. Chelsea second. Manchester City third. United down in fourth. Liverpool, by implication, outside the Champions League places.
Early results have done little to weaken his faith in Arsenal, Chelsea and City.
Mikel Arteta’s side opened their title defence with a controlled 2-0 win over Coventry City, a professional dismantling that suggested last season’s momentum has not disappeared. Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca’s former mentor Mauricio Pochettino’s successor, edged a wild 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday night, hinting at both their attacking potential and lingering defensive questions.
City’s new era under Maresca began with late drama. Bournemouth threatened an upset, but goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol turned a tense evening into a 2-1 win, underlining City’s habit of finding a way even when not at their slickest.
Those three sit among nine clubs who started the campaign with a win, a reminder of how congested the top half could become once the season settles.
The next round will test Neville’s convictions again. Chelsea welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Stamford Bridge, a fixture that has troubled them in recent years. City head to Selhurst Park for a Friday night meeting with Crystal Palace, never a straightforward assignment under the lights. Arsenal must wait until Monday for a trip to Aston Villa, a ground that has become one of the league’s most hostile.
By then, the table will have shifted again. The noise will grow louder. And if United stumble or Liverpool surge, how many more times will Gary Neville be tempted to rewrite his script?
