Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have offered their predictions for the 2026/27 Premier League season, including their choices for title winners, top-four finishers, and teams facing relegation. Both pundits agree on Arsenal as the likely champions, with Neville expressing strong confidence in their ability to secure the title.
Neville stated that Arsenal are “one hundred per cent” set to win the league, citing their strong defence, midfield, and attacking options. He believes their current squad standard is high. Carragher also picked Arsenal, noting that while he initially considered Manchester City, the absence of Rodri makes him doubt their title chances.
Title Contenders and Top Four
Neville believes Arsenal will win the league “by a street” after their opening weekend performance, which included a 3-0 victory over Coventry City. He also noted Manchester City‘s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield a week earlier. Neville suggests that Chelsea could be Arsenal‘s main rivals for the title, predicting they will finish second due to their lack of European football commitments, which could reduce injury pressures and mental fatigue.
Carragher’s top-four predictions include Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool alongside Arsenal. He acknowledged Manchester City‘s strength but highlighted the impact of European competition. Neville’s top four features Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United. He struggled to separate Manchester United and Liverpool for the fourth spot, ultimately placing them fifth and sixth respectively, with Brighton also making his top six.
Carragher, on the other hand, placed Manchester United and Spurs in fifth and sixth. He questioned Spurs‘ recent spending, suggesting that despite new signings like Savinho and Omar Marmoush, the team’s cohesion remains uncertain. He praised Brighton and Brentford for their consistency and organisation.
European Hopes and Relegation Battles
For a European contender outside the top six, Carragher selected Brentford, citing their strong management and absence of European football as advantages. Neville, however, chose Spurs as his European contender.
Regarding relegation, Carragher predicted Ipswich, Hull, and Sunderland would go down. He specifically mentioned Sunderland‘s European commitments as a potential factor, suggesting the Thursday-Sunday schedule could be challenging. Neville predicted that all three promoted teams—Coventry, Hull, and Ipswich—would be relegated, expressing less faith in their ability to stay up compared to the previous season.
Both pundits also identified teams at risk of relegation. Carragher named Crystal Palace, noting their difficult pre-season and the challenges of a new manager and European football. Neville pointed to Fulham as a relegation risk, based on their defensive vulnerabilities observed in a recent match against Chelsea.
Key Players and Managers
Both Carragher and Neville agreed that Erling Haaland would be the top scorer for the season. For impact signings, Carragher highlighted Mateus Fernandes at Spurs, while Neville named Bruno Guimaraes at Arsenal as the best signing, valuing his personality and ability to cover for Declan Rice.
Carragher’s player to watch is Jeremy Jacquet of Liverpool, noting his promising performances. Neville selected Morgan Rogers from Chelsea, acknowledging the pressure on the £120m player to deliver goals and assists. For managers to watch, Carragher picked Matthias Jaissle at Newcastle, describing him as a fiery character. Neville chose Xabi Alonso at Chelsea, suggesting he could be the next manager to win the league if he gets recruitment right and secures a high league finish.
Arsenal began their title defence with a 3-0 win against Coventry City.
Source: skysports.com