MNF Predictions: Can anyone stop Arsenal?

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0:34And it is indeed prediction time on Monday Night Football. But before we hear from Gary and Jamie on their picks, we're actually going to take you to what the fans think is likely for them this season. So remember, these are fans voting on their own clubs. And we've taken as an average where they see their finishing position. and only Arsenal fans think they will win the league. With Manchester City in second place, Liverpool, Man United and Chelsea fans all think their team is likely to finish third. With Villa fifth, Spurs fans feeling bullish. I should say that this was before the weekend that people were voting.

1:16So Spurs are sixth. 81 % think that. Brentford to build on last season with a seventh place finish. Borist climbing up to eighth. Bournemouth and Everton ninth. And Leeds into the top half in tenth. So what about the bottom? Well, the good news is that no one's getting relegated this season. But that was the same as last year. Nobody thought they were going down last year either. And unfortunately, three did. So whole fans think they will finish 17th. Coventry and Ipswich both have themselves at 16th with Sunderland, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham and Crystal Palace making up that bottom half. I'm surprised by Brighton, actually.

1:57I thought Brighton fans might be a bit more optimistic than that. But, but, um, Sunland and Newcastle tied in 11th. We will see. They'll be fighting for position all year, no doubt. So, Arsenal to be champions. Save the Arsenal fans. What do Jamie and Gary think? And we didn't make them vote before the weekend. We've let them watch all the football across the weekend to see if anything would change. So, let's start with the champions. Jamie, who are you going for? Yeah, I mean, a few weeks ago I thought City might have a chance, maybe, because I thought Arsenal might be thinking a lot about the Champions League and City would be desperate to get that trophy back.

2:37But it was all around Rodri. I think if Rodri stayed, I could maybe make a case for them. But without Rodri, I just can't see it.

2:44Gary Neville:Gary? 100 % Arsenal. I know when we say this, Arsenal fans think that we're somehow sort of applying pressure to them. but they're way out in front. They really are right now and the squad that they've sort of assembled, the signings of Konza and Gimeraj and Solis and maybe one more coming in the next week, what a squad they have. If they didn't get that one more, would you be hedging your bets a little bit? No, I think they're fine. I mean, they've got still loads of options in forward areas. I know that James makes a good point on Friday night about they haven't got the one with the Stardust but if they get the one with the Stardust then they're just going to be further ahead but I think with what they've got already now in defence and in midfield, with the sort of good attackers that they've got of a really good standard, then they're fine.

3:26All right, so who's finishing second, third and fourth? Who's getting closest to Arsenal? We've got a little bit of variation. So Jamie's gone City to be second with Chelsea and Liverpool. Gary's gone Chelsea second with City and guess who? United. So first of all, Gary, you think Chelsea are next best.

3:46Gary Neville:Why? Just purely because of the fact that they've got no European football. and I think that if it's a bit, if they keep Enzo and they can keep Enzo and Casado in midfield with that front three and they're only playing 45 games and they can play in the Carabao Cup, the rest of the squad players they're going to amass an enormous amount of points based upon the fact that they're going to have more free weeks, not going to have the injury pressures they're not going to have the travelling that comes with European football and the sort of mental fatigue that comes with that and I just think they'll just edge past Manchester City.

4:19I felt that you were tinkering between City and Chelsea as next best? I was. Listen, Man City are better than Chelsea. But as Gary said, the European factor can play a huge part. We saw Manchester United last season. You go back maybe 10, 15, I don't know how long it is now, where Brendan Rodgers is Liverpool almost won the league title. A lot of that was on the back of not having European football. So it gives them a big lift, Chelsea. I'm like that and just, I think, probably at the last moment, I haven't watched them tonight, even though they've won, I mean, the goalkeeper. But in some of the issues they had at the back as well, I'd say, yeah, yeah, I'd just pick up for Man City.

4:53Why do Manchester United have the advantage over Liverpool?

4:57Gary Neville:Look, do you want me to be honest? Yes. I can't separate United and Liverpool in fourth place. I genuinely have no idea. Birdie tells me you've changed the four times over the weekend. So after United played, he changed it to Liverpool. After Liverpool played, he changed it to United. A couple of weeks ago, I had United in third. I didn't have Chelsea where they were, but as you sort of get nearer to the season, you start to look at the squads and you start to think about it. You think about Chelsea and the fact they've got no European football. That'll give them a big edge. I think City are in a better position than United.

5:29Gary Neville:At the moment, I'm not convinced by United or Liverpool, really, but I do think they'll finish fourth and fifth. I've just gone United fourth just purely because I'm a United fan. Would that be success, do you think? I would take fourth place now and a cup. Did you think the Chiefs would? I think they would, yeah, because to cope with European football, the big question at the end of last season was, can Manchester United, can Michael Carrick do this when they've got European football? So to finish fourth with European football and maybe do well in a cup, that would be a fantastic season, I think.

6:00Gary Neville:And that's not being defeatist, that's just where we're at right now. You had lots more questions about Liverpool after your analysis earlier on, Jamie. Would fourth be reasonable for Andoni or Iola first time round? I think I think these want more but I think just looking at sort of the Chelsea situation Liverpool where they are right now the transfer window's got a week to go who knows what's going to happen in the next week he could maybe change the tune and maybe say could they sneak into the top three but I don't see any way they'd be in the top two and I don't see any way they can mount a title challenge so a little bit of what Gary's just said there if you said to me now as a Liverpool fan you'll have Champions League football or you know you've been in the top four or five and you could win a cup, I'd shake on that right now.

6:44How far have you got Liverpool ahead of Manchester United then?

6:50Gary Neville:One place. He's not that confident. One place, there we go.

6:58I mean, watching Liverpool on Sunday, I was worried watching it. I think Liverpool have got better. Watching Manchester United at Hull. Dave, if we're being honest,

7:06Gary Neville:the teams that are below Arsenal right now are of a standard that has been as low as we've seen probably in the last probably six, seven years. Let's be clear, if we're being honest. But do you think any of these teams are actually ready? I mean, post-World Cup, with the transfer window still open? We've had some of the best managers in the world in the last seven or eight, nine years in the Premier League managing these clubs. We've got a lot of new managers. Mikel Arteta's gone from being the apprentice in the last few years, lots of questions about him and doubts. Now he's the master. And obviously then there's old managers that are behind him in terms of sort of trying to prove themselves.

7:36Gary Neville:So we're in a position of transition with the managers that are in these clubs, with the squads that these clubs have had. And that's not the standard that we've seen in the last few years. But it makes it interesting. It makes it intriguing. They're all going to get beat. They're all going to beat each other. They're all going to lose points and drop points. And that's what we want in the Premier League. We don't want it to be perfect. I think a good point to make is the best players in the world, unfortunately, still don't come to the Premier League. We've had some great players and we've lost two absolute superstars in the last couple of years in Salah and Kevin De Bruyne.

8:03But in the main, we always know they go to Barcelona and Real Madrid. The worry is some of the top players now are at Bayern Munich. They're at Paris Saint-Germain. I go back to the World Cup semi-finals. If you think of all of those four teams, and they are the four top teams in the world, if you think of the attacking players for all of those teams, so Argentina, England, Spain and France, there was only Morgan Rodgers from the Premier League who started the semi-final. I thought that was a bit of a worry. But as Gary said, in the past, what's masked that is the managers. We haven't got those managers right now.

8:36and this is almost like going back to about 2015-16 when we had an influx of new managers but those managers were Pep, Conte, Klopp. Pochettino. Pochettino was around at that time. So a lot of teams have got new managers but they're not at the level of those yet. They might go on to do that but they're not big beasts. They're not sort of Champions League winners. We haven't got that. Who knows what Xabi Alonso, for example, is going to grow into but do you think the best attacking players perhaps, as you're saying, don't come here because the physicality that this league has got right now. It's the toughest league, arguably.

9:10Yeah, listen, I did a newspaper article about Florian Vert. I know we've analysed him tonight, but my point was at the weekend was that Liverpool are obviously desperate for him to succeed. But in some ways, the Premier League needs him to succeed. You know, we need those flair players. We need those attacking players. We don't want this league to be seen as probably it was a little bit last season of like power, set pieces, players like that can sort of come to fruition. in the Premier League. Listen, he's got to do that himself. But I think when you look at some of those players around Europe who are playing for Bayern Munich, who are playing for PSG, who are playing for Real Madrid and Barcelona, it's probably a lot easier to play in the Premier League.

9:47They have to be probably a lot less competitive and they're probably getting better numbers. Yeah. Right, so where have we got to? We've got to six. Remember what Spurs fans were saying. They are pretty confident they are finishing six. Jamie agrees. Gary doesn't. Go on, Gary. Yeah, I think this was a late change. Did you have Spurs there originally then?

10:10Gary Neville:No, I had Brighton 6th and I had Brighton as you've been in. It's been a long weekend, Dave. Even though they're in Europe, you're doing very well. Have you ever got that 7 o 'clock train from Newcastle to London? You're doing very well. Let me make it easy for you then. Why don't you think Spurs will finish top six? I don't trust them yet. I don't think that they're... Sometimes you look at that Spurs squad and you think, oh, they've spent a lot of money. And I was over the summer thinking, quite exciting for Spurs fans. they're finally splashing the cash but then I look at the team and I think where's it all gone?

10:39Gary Neville:And you know maybe they have to sign the players this week and I think that'll happen and that'll strengthen them Savino and Marmouche and that'll make them a lot better but I just don't know whether they'll pull it together and that's the question so I know Brighton are a good unit they're reliable they're consistent and I think Brentford and Brighton and I could have put Brentford in there as well by the way I think those two teams this season may just get in there because they're consistent and they know what they're doing and they've been well-drilled. And a well-organised, well-drilled team, I think, will beat a team of talented players who, to be fair, are still trying to find their way.

11:14Yeah, they could force their way into the Conference League. They're not quite there yet. Brighton, one to keep an eye on. European contenders. Gary has put Spurs in that category. Brentford, who missed out on goal difference last season, Jamie. I mean, I guess what this tells us is that you think they're here to stay effectively. Yeah, I've been really impressed with what Keith Andrews has done at Brentford last season. A lot of people say, and there may be something in it, that when you're managing a club like Brentford, which is so well run behind the scenes and the hierarchy, it makes it easier for the manager.

11:49Of course it does probably, it does make it easier. But, you know, watching them this weekend, watching them last season, all the talk this summer feels like Spurs have almost been, you know, the big name in town basically all summer. and to beat them the way they did. And of course, when you talk about other teams like Brighton, they have got European football this season. Brentford haven't. So I think that will be a big plus point for them. And that's why I went for Spurs in six, because it's not just not playing the games. Surely it means you're going to have a lot less injuries as well when you haven't got European football.

12:18So, you know, you can normally keep your team together solid week after week. Yeah, I really love watching them play. And for me, that was the best performance of the weekend, Brentford. but Aston Villa of course who are playing the Champions League this season nowhere to be seen in those predictions

12:34Gary Neville:what a shame I mean it's a mystery to me what is going on there look to that team yesterday the Unai Emery at the field and the substitutes bench and I've got a lot of love for Aston Villa and Unai Emery what's going on I remember they had a really slow start to last season as well they scored in the first five games this is very different Dave you know when you think about what's gone what's left Lujudinia Tielemans Rodgers Konza Konza maybe Olly Watkins that is that squad's been obliterated of its experience I'm talking about M. Martinez who's a massive personality by the way don't underestimate the value that he has and then how are they going to even think to compare look Unai Emery is an unbelievable coach he gets the best out of teams but I'm really worried for Villa I don't know what's going on the average age was also 29 for Aston Villa last year so did it need some surgery at some point Listen, there's always this talk isn't there around the PSR with Aston Villa and I know it frustrates the supporters and they get ripped apart and then they look at Spurs finishing 17 two years running and they're going to spend 100 million on Tenale so it must be a frustration for them and whether these rules in the future will be tweaked or changed or whatever it may be but it does feel like teams like I think probably even Newcastle in the last couple of years and Aston Villa they've got to a certain point and they just can't go any further there.

13:56Right, we're about relegation clubs, Gary. Do you see any of the promoted sides surviving?

14:03Gary Neville:I hope that one of them or two of them stay up. I've not got the faith that I had last season. The last season, if you remember, the first weekend of the season, we did Leeds game, didn't we, against Everton. It was really positive and then obviously Sunderland, we saw them beat West Ham and I just thought there's no way they're going down Sunderland. But I just, watch what I've seen this weekend I'm going to go for the three relegated sorry three promoted teams to go down but I do think I'm not going to go too early on my relegation risk but watching Fulham tonight that's that's a risk that's a big risk young players splitting your centre backs like that being open we'll know a little bit more after they go to Sunderland next weekend to see if they adapt but you've gone Sunderland down by the way wow yeah go on have a go at him for that I don't see that Well if you did you would have done it No but where's that come from Well the fact that they've got European football So they're going to be playing a lot of Pardon That's a positive Well we'll see Well they're going to be doing a lot of Thursday Sunday and I think I think I think Sunderland last season reminded me a little bit of Sheffield United under Chris Wilder where they came up and they had a really brilliant season finished high up the table but a lot of the games like Sunderland where you win by the odd I'm not saying to look but sometimes you just win by the odd goal I always think a team then if they start flipping the other way and you maybe lose it by the odd goal and there's very little in the performance and when you look at their underlying numbers last season their underlying numbers were pretty Adam not far away from relegation and I just think with the the European football I think that could be a problem for them Yeah and look it's unfair to judge Coventry on Friday night because they're playing against the best team by a mile and that was a horrific start for them in terms of a fixture So I wouldn't judge that.

15:52And likewise, Hull had just a massive experience

15:57Gary Neville:beating Manchester United. I won't pay too much attention to that. And the Ipswich win against Sunderland, so there's a long way to go. But I just, yeah, I couldn't get to any of the three teams. I think that Fulham and Palace are the ones that I think I'd be most worried about. I'm not that concerned about Sunderland right now, as I sit here, but... Go on then, let's have a look at relegation risks. And I had Fulham before this game. Oh, sorry, I read two. I forgot to nail it down. I think those two are the ones that I would have picked. And to be fair, I was moving between. I picked Fulham this morning before this game tonight.

16:25Gary Neville:That's not a late change. Obviously, a young manager, young forwards, lost all their goals. All the hallmarks of risk are there with Fulham. And Crystal Palace added to that mix. They haven't had a great pre-season. That hasn't gone particularly well for them. They lost the first game of Everton, which, to be fair, they were actually very unlucky when you actually look at the chances they had in the first half. They were over two, I think. Yeah, they probably should have got something from the game. They've still kept Adam Wharton, who's probably the best player. So he's not going anywhere. No, he's not going to go anywhere.

16:55But then I go back to the European football again. They're going to go into the Europa League as well. I know they've done Europe last season. But new manager, new in the Premier League. Lost a few players. Still in Europe. Yeah, I'd probably go Crystal Palace. He'd have a scare.

17:08Gary Neville:So you're going Crystal Palace? I'm going Crystal Palace. Take Fulham off. Thank you. OK. Top scorer. Let's see if there's any surprises. No. Well done, Erling. Congratulations. Do you like his new haircut? I love it. It's good, isn't it? My mum doesn't like it. What was he doing yesterday with that mischance? Did you not see it? Yeah, I did feel it was a bit of a chance. He didn't know where he was going to head at all. He's lost his power. I just thought it was one of them where he just goes, yeah, he's a stunning one, that. Impact signing.

17:36Jamie's gone Fernandes of Spurs, presumably. Yeah, I really liked him last season at West Ham. And I thought, to be honest, I thought there might be another few teams in for him, really, and if they've got a better team than Spurs, in terms of Spurs were 17th last season and probably looking to get top six. I thought maybe someone a little bit higher

17:53Gary Neville:would have taken him. They wanted him. I mean, I think United wanted both Tenali and Fernandes, but I think the money was rising at such a level and the wages were rising at such a level that they just bowed out. Similarly with Anderson, I think the fee was big also. I think he wanted to go to City. But I think United wanted all those three players, but they just decided that I think... So United can't afford the big boys no more? The problem with United was that because of... I mean, I'm not saying that they would have relied on Agati, but because Agati gets injured, they then end up in a situation where they've got one midfield player, so they need three.

18:19Gary Neville:So let's say you've got 150 million, 160 million for three. If you blow 95 million on one, you're not going to get the other two that you need. So I think United had to make a decision to sort of remove themselves from the Fernandes and Tenalics. I think they're good players, but they were massive fees. What do you think the impact of Bruno Guimaraes at Arsenal will be then? I think it's the best signing by a mile. Shame he wasn't playing Friday, wasn't it? Yeah, I think it's the best signing by a mile. The one risk that Arsenal have, if you take a player out of Arsenal's team anywhere, probably Raya's the other one but in the outfield parts of the pitch there isn't a drop off between the first and second choice anywhere apart from Declan Rice there's a massive drop when Declan Rice moves out of the team so if Declan Rice gets injured for three months that would be a risk to Arsenal the signing of him removes that risk he is a massive personality different player than Declan Rice but you talk about the personality and character on the pitch we talk about no leaders you know no players who have sort of massive personality he is a brilliant personality he believes he can win every single football match for his team he believes he can tackle he's aggressive he's somebody you'd want alongside you I think he's an amazing and by the way 75 million compared to some of the others that have gone for more is value I think in this market Is he getting a cut to the agency?

19:36Wow He's 28 It's interesting because I haven't spent money on a couple of 28 year olds He's 28 before he's 29. He's 28, but what do you say?

19:45Gary Neville:He's old. Is he's peaking it? I mean, what I'm saying, you're signing a player. You're not getting that money back, are you? But what I'm saying is we're not talking about, we're not talking about, we're talking about replacing Declan Rice here. You're not talking about a 21-year-old. We're talking about a player who can go into that team in the best, you don't want to win the Champions League in the Premier League. That's where Arsenal want to be. You can't bring a 21-year-old in or a 20-year-old in to replace Declan Rice. You've got to bring someone in who's ready. So, you know, Manchester United over the years, They signed some experienced players at times to be able to cope with the demands.