MNF Extra: Carra and Nev's Premier League Predictions

0:04Right, it is protection time on Monday Night Football, our first of the season. As is tradition for Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, to put them on the spot. And we're going to start with who's going to win the league. This is the easiest one, I think, isn't it, guys?

0:22Champions. Jamie's gone Liverpool, Gary's gone Arsenal. Why Arsenal, Gary?

0:27Gary Neville:I couldn't separate Arsenal, City or Liverpool. I think they're absolutely all in with equal chance of winning it. So I've got no certainty at all that Arsenal are going to win it, but they've been consistent over the last three years. They've been second. I do feel they'll get there at some point. Liverpool watching them Friday night. I saw Cara's point. The two full-backs have got to settle in. They look a little bit open. They're going to be exhilarating to watch. They're going to score a lot of goals. City look like with Rinders, and if Rodri can come back and if they can keep Stones and Diaz fit with Highland up front, they've got an unbelievable spine.

1:01Gary Neville:So, honestly, I couldn't separate them, so I just went for the team that I've been going for for the last three years, feeling that they're very reliable. It's going to happen at some stage. No, they're reliable and solid and they're consistent, which I think is important. Can you win a title being reliable and solid? Well, they're consistently getting sort of high points totals and finishing second to great teams, Liverpool and City. so I think that for me they've improved themselves Jochrez, I wasn't actually negative about Jochrez at all yesterday, I saw some things in that game, I thought that De Ligt did well against him so I thought De Ligt had a fantastic match but there were moments where he was a bit uncomfortable with him he was wrestling with him and I think he'll do well for Arsenal, so Zubimendi didn't have his best game yesterday but again I think he'll slot in well Declan Rice couldn't have been any worse yesterday I think Arsenal have got the right material, they're just going to have to sort that forward bit of the pitch out and I think Jochrez will Jamie are you more or less confident on Liverpool given what you've seen on this opening weekend?

1:56Less confident it's not just the opening weekend it was the Community Shield it was a pre-season game against AC Milan when I saw them things that I saw in the Community Shield which is still a semi-friendly if you like I didn't think I'd see it on Friday night that's what worried me a little bit that I'm sure the manager's been speaking to the players in pre-season on the back of the Milan game you know the Community Shield and to see it sort of, not three games running, but the three high-profile games, if you like, up until this stage, that did worry me a little bit. But I think if Liverpool fix that, they have got great firepower.

2:28There's no doubt about that. You're not certain about them, though, are you? I just said that right at the start. No, I wasn't. Don't get on the defensive. I'm not getting on the defensive. It's a question. You're not Bob saying to us. No, I've said that. I think, I said a few days ago that I thought Arsenal would be Liverpool's biggest challengers and I know it's only one game. What's your Arsenal the weekend? And I thought it was a great result for Arsenal. But just the way they played was the most typical sort of Arsenal of last season. You know, win with a set-piece, which is fine. The name of the game is winning games.

2:57But it will be interesting over the next few weeks if we see them sort of open up a little bit more, create more chances and see how maybe they've evolved from last season. But I was really impressed with Manchester City. And I actually think it might be Manchester City or Liverpool's closest challengers. OK, well, Liverpool fans are probably a little bit more confident than you are, Jamie, I think. Because Sky Sports has partnered with Phanalysis, an app where verified true fans known as fanlists share their opinions on their club. Guess what percentage of Liverpool fans think they are going to win the league?

3:3692%. Oh, that's pretty close. That's low. they're feeling pessimistic it's 95 is it 95 % of Liverpool fans

3:47Gary Neville:if I was a Liverpool fan I'd be thinking just to be fair I can't separate the top three and if I was Liverpool and they're going to get Izak it looks like then I'd be absolutely you know who are the 5 % that are saying they won't win the league me 13 % incidentally of Manchester United fans think that they will finish in the top four 13 % 13 % Have we got 1 % here? Of course we have. I can't disappoint you. I've got to come back here in 10 months and try to defend this. I genuinely didn't know your answer to that. So Dave, we worked out before that I've done this now for eight years and I've always had Manchester United in the top four every year.

4:33Gary Neville:It's a late change, but I think with a bit of science. Go on, what's the science? Well, last season, I remember watching Chelsea on the first game of the season. At that point, no one had Chelsea, I think, finishing in the top four or five. And I watched them against City and thought I saw something. I thought, that's not bad, that. That will do damage this season. That's a good team. And when I watched United yesterday, I thought the performance was very good. And I think they'll get a goalkeeper. I absolutely am banking. They'll not make the mistake of not getting a goalkeeper. And when they bring a goalkeeper in, and you've got those players up front that they had yesterday with that back line, I think with the three weeks that they've got and no Champions League football, no Europa League, I think Manchester United will surprise a few people.

5:13Gary Neville:Last week I had them sixth to eighth, but I have changed my mind over this week. I thought that performance yesterday was a really good performance. I genuinely liked it. They were high energy. We saw some stats before. It's the first time they've kept a higher possession, or the first time they've kept 60 % possession against the top three team for 10 years. I think they won 70 % of the duels yesterday. First time they've done that for nine years. 22 shots on target. They haven't done that for about 11 years against the top three. that was a dominant performance against the top three team when United have beat top three teams in the last five, six, seven years, it's always been smash and grab, sitting back, counter attack pinch a goal, yesterday they lost but I value performance I really value performance, if you perform like that you'll win a lot of football matches so for me, yeah, maybe it's a little bit of bias because of who I support but I saw something yesterday similar to what I saw last season with Chelsea when they lost to City, I thought Chelsea will be a good side this season, I'm not sure Chelsea are going to find it as easy with the World Club Championships, the European Games, all the demands of that.

6:11I think United will just sneak in with Liverpool and City. When you hear those compelling arguments, are you thinking, I wish I had Man United instead of Chelsea in my top four? No. No, no, no. I think you've got to be very careful of getting carried away about one performance. And don't forget, they didn't win the game, they lost. And at no stage in the game, did I think Manchester United were going to score a goal yesterday? I get what Gary's saying, and I did think they played really well. best I've seen them for a long time there was pace there was energy in the team I think the front players they've brought have got something no doubt but even though they had a lot of shots and we've just seen David David Rea make lots of saves I didn't feel at any stage Man Utd were going to score a goal and I just think that's a big jump from what was it 15th last season to fourth I don't see that and also if I'm being honest the manager's still got a lot to prove really and I think there's a lot of managers in this league who've done a lot more than he has in his I think he's had about 40 games now for a man.

7:05You think of Eddie Howe, think of Unai Emery. These are top managers. And yeah, I don't see Manchester United that high, no. Interesting that you've both gone City second. You both sort of see them as danger lurking, if you like. We're going to move on to fifth and sixth for both of you. Both have got Newcastle involved in that top six. Newcastle's interesting, isn't it? Because you feel like the story is not finished yet for this summer and then we'll be clearer about what they're going to look like.

7:38Gary Neville:Yeah, that's why probably Newcastle and Villa I really liked last season. I just feel they might not be. The PSR is killing them a little bit in terms of being able to invest freely. And I feel like they might just be... I think they'll have a good season. I think they'll do OK. But I just don't think they'll have that spark to get into fifth and into the Champions League and into fourth space. So, yeah, I didn't have Spurs, to be fair, in there like Cara has. I've gone Chelsea. I think United are the one team that can break into that group more than Newcastle, more than Spurs, more than Villa because they haven't got the European football.

8:11Gary Neville:I do think it'll be a big advantage to United. I think that's why they'll break into that group. Is Sig too much to ask for Spurs, given the Champions League involvement as well? Maybe, but I do think... When you look at Spurs and Man United last season, I actually think Spurs have got some good players I do believe that When you look at the two centre-backs Romero signed a new contract today Hasn't he? Kudis has come in as a good player I think they will be active as well In this transfer market in the last couple of weeks Maybe get a couple more players I was thinking about Aston Villa to be honest That was the decision Newcastle, Spurs, Aston Villa Where would I find those three teams?

8:52And I've just gone for Spurs Looking at Villa at the weekend and it just feels, well, it's the same team, they haven't really bought anyone, have they? You know, except maybe the backup striker, the top end of the pitch, and I'm not sure they're going to get too much more in because of the PSR situation, but I do think Spurs will probably get another couple of players in, so I just went for them. And one of the reasons, you're talking about European football, I think because now, and this is one of the reasons is why, I think Aston Villa are in the Europa League, aren't they? I think they'll go far in that.

9:20So I think their European campaign will really kick on in the second half of the season. and I'm not sure Newcastle and Spurs will in terms of the Champions. You don't drop into the Europa League no more. If you don't make the cut, you're basically out, aren't you? So I'm not sure Newcastle and Spurs will have too much European football after Christmas. Yeah, I think that's a significant point you made on Romero as well, that he's now been made captain. Everyone thought he was leaving and a big new contract for him. When we talked about surprise European contender, the sort of challenge we set the guys was, think about Nottingham Forest last season and how they had an impact on things.

9:53And we can see what they think Forest of last season might look like this season with our surprise European contender. And Gary, you think it looks like...

10:02Gary Neville:Actually, you've been done United. The insults just continue to reign. Or you could just read that as, actually, he's got you seventh. Which is a million miles away from things, isn't it? Yeah, I mean, obviously, if it was seventh, I'd have put Villa. I didn't read surprise European contender as being a team that obviously should finish in Europe, which obviously I think United, Villa... You didn't surprise European contender. It was the surprise European contender last season. Would it not be a big surprise this season if Forrest to be there again, given that they are involved in Europe as well?

10:32Gary Neville:For Forrest to repeat what they did last year would be a massive result for them. I think that was a massive overreach and overperformance last year. They were punching well above their weight. So for me, for Forrest to go in again would be a big surprise. But I actually think they've got a lot of very good players there. They've got a good system of play. I think it's an efficient system of play that I think can win a lot of football matches. and I really like Nottingham Forest. Let me back in. Feelings are mutual. You're going about it the right way. I'm putting words into your mouth there, but Manchester United, do you have them as seventh, as high as that?

11:09I mean, I'm forgetting now. So how far down does Europa League go? It goes to probably seventh or eighth. I mean, there's nine teams, I think nine teams in Europe this season. I think a club of the stature of Man United with no European football. The fact that they brought big players in in Cunha and Waymo on there. Goalkeepers may be going to come in. If Man United aren't challenging for Europe, that's not acceptable. But do you have Villa above them right now? I just think Unai Emery is a better manager than what Manchester United have got. I think he's a top manager. He's come in and every season he's been there or thereabouts in terms of European football.

11:44So, yeah. Right. Who's going down? We've had a late change I can reveal tonight. there is always a little bit of recency bias involved with these predictions. This was very recent, about five minutes ago. And it came from Gary because, let me get this right, Gary, you had Brentford in your bottom three with Burnley and Wolves and now Leeds, who've won tonight, have replaced them in your bottom three. What has not convinced you about Leeds this evening?

12:13Gary Neville:It's not what's convinced me. I think Brentford have been consistent in this league. I don't want them to go down I don't want Leeds to go down I think Leeds would be great in the Premier League Who do you want to go down? No I don't want anyone to go down to be fair I hate predicting relegation because it's obviously something that's a negative I just don't think Burnley will have enough When I watch Leeds tonight look I don't know who they're going to sign in this next couple of weeks and it's obvious that Daniel Farker the manager and their owner before said that they were going to sign players so they could sign two or three players and that could change my mind in this next couple of weeks that's the sort of unfair situation we're in Why is Sunderland avoiding trouble?

12:50Gary Neville:I saw something on Saturday that was beyond just passion. I thought there was a physicality, a quality to them, a strength. I thought it was a good performance. And I think that maybe this could be the year for Wolves. Look. I'm like that with Wolves. To be honest, I look at that and it's easy to put the three promoted teams there. It is. And I'm just so desperate for someone to stay up. I don't want to be talking about the three teams going down. So I think Leeds, just in terms of Ellen Road, really, they've got to win tonight. I'd already obviously chosen this before the game. I'm always desperate for the Leeds or somebody to stay up.

13:28So it was almost who else am I going to choose? And am I sitting here convinced that Wolves are getting relegated? Not really. I think the manager's top. I think he's a really, really good manager. But they have lost some big players. Obviously, Aitnori's gone. Semedo's gone. Cunha's gone as well. So they have lost big players. but I do think the manager is a really good manager. Who else might get involved in this story at the bottom of the table? That's what we were asking around danger zone. Yeah, Gary, that became your Brentford.

14:00Gary Neville:Yeah, but I had West Ham. When I had Brentford going down, I had West Ham in the danger zone. I think they'll really struggle this season. I think it'll be tough for Brentford. You think of the players that they're going to lose, Visser potentially as well. that's eating a lot out of their team and we've loved Brentford haven't we for this last few years but I think this could be their toughest season West Ham Jamie? Yeah just watching the game again at the weekend and it wasn't a great end to last season the team just looks slow and old and this is something I think we were highlighting a lot last season but the lack of legs in midfield really stood out and against the promoted teams to get ran over like that the way they did, lose the physical challenges.

14:47Yeah, I think it's going to be tough for them. But to surmise, when I'm looking at that relegation pitch in the danger zone, it feels like you've both got an idea that there is a bit more hope for the promoted clubs this season than perhaps last season. It may be because we're just sick

15:02Gary Neville:of the same things happening every year. We might just want to see it happen so that basically we need, look, the game needs, the Premier League needs, the Championship needs, a club that comes up to stay up. If it happens again, I said it's worrying because we're creating basically almost like a fixed league and we can't have that by default. We asked our fan lists as well to predict where their club would finish this season and we can reveal all. We've got three champions. Arsenal, Liverpool and City fans all think on average that their team will win the league this season. Chelsea fans also pretty confident.

15:41They've got their team in third place. Villa fifth, slightly more confident than Spurs, Newcastle and Manchester United. No one's going down. Brighton, we haven't had a mention around this, but they had a really good season last year. Lost one or two players still, but it'd be a folly to rule them out, wouldn't it? Everton and Forest predicting their team's finishing top half, along with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace. and down at the bottom well no one's getting relegated Gary as you said but Burnley probably slightly more pessimistic than the rest maybe that's just a feature of what's happened before for them do you think that they've done a bit less than Leeds and Sheffield United in the summer?

16:29Sunderland Burnley yeah I mean I watched the whole game they did alright Burnley I think if you look at that resulting in Tottenham, you know, 3-0, we showed the goals from great goals. For a lot of the game, Burnley did OK. It wasn't sort of, you know, they were getting peppered and they couldn't get out. It wasn't like that at all. They had a lot of counterattacks, but again, as we saw a little bit with Leeds tonight, once they get to that final third, that quality's just not there and that's what makes the biggest difference and that was a problem for Burnley at the weekend in the Tottenham game.

16:57Tottenham played well, of course, but Burnley weren't sort of massively short, so hopefully they can be competitive. That's what we need. It's not even about the three clubs just going down. I said this before the game. The highest points anyone's gone in the last two years is 26 points. We used to always talk about 40 points. It was never 40 points. It's always around the mid-30s, Mark. But they're 10 or 12 points short. You know, that's even for Luton with the highest number. It's not enough. These teams need to be getting to mid-30s to give themselves a fighting chance.

17:25Gary Neville:If we just go back to that, I'm trying to think of which fans I disagree with. It talks to you about fans being honest. If you just go back to that previous graphic, the only club that I would say from a fans perspective that to me looked like they're sort of what would be potentially over-egging their position there because you're not going to get Wolves, Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley fans saying we're going down so they've been realistic and said they're going to finish just outside the rail game I think Everton fans saying they're finishing ninth is the only one that I look at and think that is optimistic at this moment in time Maybe it was on the back of David Moyes saying they were going to get ten signings and they haven't quite managed that Well yeah look if they've got signings in the next couple of weeks maybe but I think at the moment that of tonight's performance that would be optimistic All right, well, let's get back to our awards, our predictions.

18:06And we'll go to the players now. And top scorer, well, no surprises there, perhaps. Have you just predicted him every year? We have done, yeah. And listen, Salahad is arguably his greatest season last season, or certainly on par with his first season at Liverpool. I think it would be difficult to replicate that, but Haaland is just... He's the best centre-forward, Haaland. Yeah, I mean, the way he took his second goal... I said this this morning in the production meeting, people in the last year or so, it's become like Isaac is the best striker, or people say all-round striker, because we talk about Haaland maybe being a one-trick pony, just getting goals.

18:44Haaland's the best centre-forward in the Premier League. I know it's just about goals, and maybe he doesn't get involved at different times, but as numbers goals-wise are off the scale, Haaland is the best centre-forward.

18:54Gary Neville:I spent about seven or eight years saying Aguero should score 40 goals every season, he's that good. And I think the same with Haaland. the amount of chances he gets he should be scoring 40 goals he's that good I mean he won't but we could get pretty close with the quality of this around him even in the Premier League he should be scoring more than a goal a game he's that good Impact signing there's been a lot this summer that's been the real feature of this Premier League summer hasn't it the amount of new players that have come in Jamie's gone with Witt and Giocarez for Gary interesting what did you make of his debut at Manchester United and the discussion that sort of followed afterwards around him?

19:34Gary Neville:Look, I thought he made some runs. I didn't think he was found at times. I didn't think they played passes into him or crosses into him that suited him. I thought he caused De Ligt problems in moments in the game. I thought De Ligt had a brilliant game against him and really man-marked him well. I think he'll cause massive issues. He's what Arsenal need up there. He's what they need. Look, was he brilliant yesterday? No. But I think that for me, I saw things that would mean that It was his first game in the Premier League away at Old Trafford. Going to Manchester United for teams from London like Arsenal and Chelsea is tough, just like it is for Manchester teams going to Arsenal and Chelsea.

20:09Gary Neville:It's bloody hard work to come up to Manchester and up to Merseyside and win and play well. You know, Thierry Henry used to come to Old Trafford and sometimes not get a kick. That happened quite a bit. The idea that he's gone there yesterday in a tough game, I think he did all right. Go on, I was going to ask you about this. Yeah, I just think it's a deal that is probably brilliant for the Premier League in that, I mean, how often do we see a player not go to Bayern Munich from the Bundesliga who looks like the top player they always go to Bayern Munich so for Liverpool to get that deal done I think it was fantastic and he got brought off on Friday night and probably wasn't at his absolute best but he still had some silky, lovely touches that he just, when you go and watch him play there's something there and yeah, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens with him next weekend.

20:56I'm already thinking of the Liverpool team next Monday. I think he might actually play as always the false nine or Liverpool don't go there actually with a striker with him playing there. But no, I think with Kevin De Bruyne going, we needed a superstar in that position to come into the league and I think he might be there. Player to watch. We were thinking on the lines of a young player that may have just arrived or is coming through and we asked our finalists to recommend one, finalists of each club to recommend somebody that might help our guys make their choice. So we sort of gave you this list, gentlemen.

21:31Tierno Barry, we didn't get to see too much of. His time will come in an Everton shirt. Anton Stak, we saw taking corners for Leeds United this evening. Let's have a look then. let's move on to what they have gone for off that list Truffaut the new left back for Bournemouth and Esteval who made quite an impact Jamie without scoring or creating an assist for Chelsea yesterday Well I think he's already got Brazil caps I think I'm right in saying that he was fantastic in the Club World Cup against Chelsea a few weeks ago as well. I think at the end of the game, all the players are coming up to him, talking to him.

22:19He came on yesterday. I watched the Chelsea game yesterday and he made a difference when he came on and he looks pretty special. I think in a few pre-season games as well in the last couple of weeks that they've played well. He's done particularly well as well. He looks such a baby, doesn't he? He's just 18. He looked... What I saw from Chelsea's wide players, and I've had this criticism of Chelsea when they're bringing players in, that sometimes I don't feel like there's been that much of an upgrade. it's almost like swapping for swapping's sake but listen he's still a young player he's obviously not the finished article but he does look like one of them where you're thinking I don't think it'll be too long before his first choice where he feels like he has to play and it almost felt like they had to bring him on at the weekend and he made a difference so I think he's probably got a decent chance of being involved on Friday night Potential superstar his first interview by the way he did speak to Natalie Jedra after the game on Sunday and you can see that on Sky Sports YouTube channel.