Former Manchester United and Everton player Phil Neville believes Liverpool will finish in the fourth place instead of Arsenal and has also tipped his former side to finish above Manchester City in second place.
The 38-year old spent ten years at United before joining Everton in 2005. He returned to Old Trafford as a first-team coach under David Moyes in 2013. He was asked for his predictions for who will finish in the top four at the end of the season.
“For me Chelsea are going to win the league,” he says. “I think they’ll win it with three or four games to spare.
“I’m going for an outside bet of Manchester United finishing second and then I’m for City and Liverpool.”
While there have been many comments made regarding United’s chances of finishing second, above Manchester City, it is strange that Neville has tipped Liverpool to finish above Arsenal given their current good form and Wenger’s record of seventeen consecutive seasons in the competition.
After a difficult start to his United tenure, Van Gaal has presided over four league victories on the bounce and two of those include wins over top 4 competitors Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. A win at home against Aston Villa this weekend and a Liverpool loss away at Arsenal would mean Manchester United go eight points clear of Liverpool. However, after that, the Red Devils have two tough games – home to Manchester City (a match that could determine who finishes ahead) and a visit to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.
Meanwhile Liverpool face a tough visit to Arsenal, but their next four games are against Newcastle United (H), Hull City (A), West Brom (A), QPR (H). Therefore the Reds can hope to ideally get 12 out of 15 points in their next five games if they hope to finish in the top 4.
Former Liverpool player Robbie Fowler believes the Reds can finish in the top 4 but they have made it difficult for themselves after the loss to United at home.
“They’ve made it more difficult for themselves with the game last week but potentially they still can (finish in the top four),” he said. “If you look at the run of games they’ve got, there are some tough ones there but a lot of them are winnable.
“Manchester United are playing well at the minute but their run of games is a little bit more difficult, if I’m being honest. So they (Liverpool) definitely still can, but it will be more difficult than it was a week or two weeks ago.”