Frank Leboeuf has dramatically revised his Premier League top-six prediction, dropping Manchester City from second to fifth following their 3-0 Community Shield defeat to Arsenal. The former France and Chelsea defender made the call after watching Enzo Maresca's side fall short in Cardiff, a result that has raised immediate questions about City's readiness for the new season.
Arsenal took the lead inside 24 seconds through Riccardo Calafiori, and Kai Havertz doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark, with Christos Tzolis providing the assist on his full debut. Tzolis then added a second goal early in the second half, and Martin Odegaard sealed the emphatic victory, leaving Maresca frustrated on the touchline at the Principality Stadium.
Leboeuf's revised top-six and reasoning
Prior to the match, Leboeuf had backed City to finish second, replicating their previous season's result. However, speaking to ESPN in the aftermath, he revealed a new top-six order: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham. City have dropped out of his top four entirely, with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool each moving up a place behind his favourites Arsenal.
‘Exactly. We are judging on one game, present time and Manchester City are not ready,’ Leboeuf explained. ‘They are missing players, some are not fit, I don’t see Marc Guehi on the bench, I see maybe Guehi instead of Josko Gvardiol and Gvardiol maybe somewhere else. For sure, Elliot Anderson wasn’t ready and I don’t even talk about Erling Haaland who was a ghost, so they’re not ready.’
Leboeuf, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, emphasised that the Community Shield is not a friendly. ‘I played in two Community Shields, I never thought it was a friendly game. That’s not a pre-season game. You are one week away from the beginning of the Premier League, it’s not a friendly game. It’s a game you have to win because fans are going to Cardiff to see you playing and it’s not a friendly game because you’re going to be judged.’
City's early-season struggles and Chelsea optimism
Leboeuf predicted City will drop points early in the season, making it difficult for Maresca's players to catch up. ‘What we are seeing right now is Arsenal are spot on, City are not ready. So City are going to lose points at the beginning of the season which makes me think it can be unbearable for the fans, it can be impossible to catch up for the players under Maresca.’
He added: ‘I cannot be positive. I thought that they could be second and it’s what I thought before the game, but after the game… Maybe new players are going to come in the middle of the park where we know it’s very important so, therefore, it’s impossible for me to see City higher than fifth.’
Leboeuf also expressed optimism about his former club Chelsea, who begin their campaign away to Fulham on Monday night. Xabi Alonso will take charge for the first time in an official capacity, and Leboeuf believes the Blues' lack of European football will be an advantage. ‘Of course, the heart is talking, that’s for sure. You have to expect a good thing,’ he said. ‘They’re not involved in European campaigns so that will be for them maybe a relief and for some players it can be a time to recover.’
‘I want to see Chelsea better. They have the individuals for that, they have the squad, they have the coach for that who can do miracles and we saw that when he was working with young players at Bayer Leverkusen. I want to believe that it’s possible and it’s impossible for me to put Manchester United before Chelsea. That’s impossible, I cannot do that, that’s the blood talking.’
Impact and next steps
City face Bournemouth in their Premier League opener on Sunday, while Arsenal host newly promoted Coventry City on Friday night, a match that could further boost their confidence. Leboeuf's revised prediction underscores the pressure on Maresca to address City's fitness and squad issues quickly, with the season now just days away.
