7 pundits who believe Man Utd will finish above Liverpool this season | OneFootball

Any sense of optimism at Manchester United was punctuated by their distinctly underwhelming 2-0 defeat away to Hull City on the opening weekend. But Liverpool fans might want to see how they fare before busting out the schadenfreude.

But it’s a marathon not a sprint and all that and it looks pretty open on who will finish higher this season, with pundits pretty split.

We’ve rounded up a few who believe that Manchester United will finish above Liverpool.

Gary Neville

Neville backing Manchester United to do better than Liverpool is one of our favourite parts of the summer calendar.

He and Jamie Carragher will presumably do their traditional seasons predictions on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, but he’s already given a hint of how he believes the season will shake out.

Arsenal will retain their title in Neville’s eyes – no controversy there – but he’s backed Chelsea and Manchester United to be their closest challengers.

“Manchester United, I would say next,” Neville said, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s opener against Coventry City on Friday night.

“And then Liverpool probably… I’m struggling a little bit with Liverpool at the moment. I’m not quite sure. They do need players.

“So, yeah, I think it would be Chelsea and United for me right now, if I was looking at it.

“They would be the strongest squads after City as well.

“But I’m really not convinced by anybody to challenge Arsenal. I’m not.”

Like clockwork.

Alan Shearer

The all-time top Premier League goalscorer predicted the entire league table in a new column for Betfair.

He’s backed Arsenal for the title, got United in fourth, Liverpool in fifth and his beloved Newcastle way down in 14th.

Nicky Butt

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Butt has backed his former club to finish runners-up to Arsenal.

“I’m only saying that because I think I think City will fall off from where they’ve been,” Butt said. “It’s impossible for them to be first or second or anywhere near close. So, and then obviously, my heart’s in the Man United team.

“So, I’d say that because I really like Tielemans. I think the midfield looks good with the ball. I think without the ball, we need more physicality in midfield.

“I just think it’d be a time that they can go on. I don’t think they get anywhere near winning it. I think Arsenal run away with it this year if I’m honest with you but I said that about Liverpool the year before.”

Lindsay Johnson

The former Lioness, who represented Liverpool as a player before a much longer stint with Everton, is not especially positive about either Liverpool or Manchester United.

But she’s backing the Red Devils to finish in the top four at Liverpool’s expense – with major concerns over whether they have the squad to play Andoni Iraola’s preferred high-intensity style.

“United’s defence needs work but they may sneak in fourth,” she says of United.

“Liverpool and Chelsea are in the same boat because both new managers will take time to settle in, and Liverpool probably don’t have a big enough squad to last a full season playing the football Andoni Iraola plays.

Nedum Onuoha

The former Man City defender believes that not playing in Europe will be a bit of a leveller for Chelsea and Tottenham, but he’s still backing United and Liverpool to finish ahead of them, behind Arsenal and City, in the top four.

“It’s a ridiculous anomaly for teams like Chelsea or Spurs to not be in Europe, and being able to focus on domestic football while they have both been spending such big money.”

Alongside Onuoha in the BBC Sport pundit predictions, Steph Houghton, Anita Asante, and Ellen White all went for the top four in exactly the same order – Arsenal champions, Manchester City runners-up, United in third and Liverpool fourth.

Steve Sidwell

Sidwell has stuck his neck out. He’s the only one of the BBC‘s 28 pundits who believes Manchester United will finish in the top two. He has Michael Carrick’s men as the runners-up behind Arsenal.

Meanwhile, he doesn’t have Liverpool in the top four at all, with City and Chelsea in fourth and fifth respectively.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any quotes from Sidwell explaining his hot takes.

Leon Osman

The former Everton stalwart believes that United will finish fourth this season, ahead of Liverpool.

“Liverpool are a work in progress,” Osman says.

“Older players leaving, new managers in. Some good signings at the back but will Iraola get them firing straight away? I’m not sure.”