Steve McManaman has named Arsenal as the team to beat in the Premier League this season, predicting they will retain their title ahead of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. The former Liverpool winger also delivered a damning verdict on Manchester United, saying they will not finish in the top four.
Arsenal's summer business earns praise
Speaking to Seven, powered by Ladbrokes, McManaman highlighted Arsenal's summer transfer activity as a key reason for his confidence. The Gunners, who won their first league title since 2004 last season, added Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa, and Christos Tzolis to their squad.
They have started their title defence with wins over Coventry City and Aston Villa, and face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium this weekend in an early test of their credentials.
“The standout side in the division is obviously Arsenal – I think the business they’ve done has been excellent,” McManaman said. “They were strong last year, and to bring in Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Ezri Konsa has only strengthened them further. To have those three in the door is just great for them. Premier League experience is a really important thing to have in the dressing room nowadays.”
Experience and immediate impact
McManaman stressed the importance of a squad filled with players who have been through the rigours of the Premier League. “They’re all hard games, no matter who you’re playing against, so if you’ve got a dressing room full of bodies who have all been there and done it, I think that’s brilliant,” he added.
“We know now, football isn’t about getting a team together for the next 10 years… you’ll change your manager six times between now and then, unfortunately. So you’ve got to think about the here and now. And Arsenal have built a really strong team with that in mind.”
He concluded: “If I’m looking at it and taking everything into consideration, then Arsenal are of course the ones to beat.”
Chelsea backed for improvement
The summer saw major changes at other big clubs, with Enzo Maresca, Xabi Alonso, and Andoni Iraola appointed at Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool respectively. McManaman is optimistic about Chelsea's prospects under Alonso, despite their 10th-place finish last season.
“I think Chelsea have got an excellent opportunity; Xabi [Alonso] is a great manager, they’ve got a big squad and they play one game a week, so that will definitely help,” he said. “They finished 10th last season which is obviously incredibly bad for them, but they should be a hell of a lot better this year – they have to be.”
Man United to miss out
However, McManaman is less confident about Manchester United under Michael Carrick, as they return to the Champions League. He predicts a top four of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea, with United falling short.
“As for the top four, I’d go Arsenal, I’d probably go with Man City, just because of the amount of players they’ve got, and then Liverpool and Chelsea. I don’t think Man United will be anywhere near the top four.”
