^ ^ Sam Allardyce makes ‘flabbergasting’ Premier League title prediction after Arsenal thump Man City

Ex-Premier League manager Sam Allardyce (Picture: YouTube)

Sam Allardyce expects Arsenal to fail to retain the Premier League trophy this season despite a statement win over Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Mikel Arteta’s side underlined their status as Premier League title favourites with a dominant 3-0 win over Man City in the traditional curtain-raiser for the new season.

The Gunners clinched their first Premier League title since 2004 last season while they were a penalty shootout away from winning the Champions League for the first time.

Arsenal look by far the most settled team at the top-end of the Premier League, with many of their potential title rivals under new management going into the 2026-27 campaign.

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Enzo Maresca has replaced legendary Pep Guardiola at Man City, Andoni Iraola has taken over from Liverpool title-winner Arne Slot and Xabi Alonso is preparing for his first season at Chelsea.

The stability at Arsenal and uncertainty at other clubs has made Arsenal short favourites with the bookmakers to retain the Premier League trophy.

But Allardyce believes Arsenal will miss out on back-to-back league titles and has instead tipped Manchester City to regain their status as Premier League champions.

Mikel Arteta holding the Premier League trophy (Picture: Getty)

Asked to reveal his Premier League title prediction on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, Allardyce said: ‘Man City. I think Enzo Maresca is going to have a great first season. If he doesn’t he will be out.’

Reacting to Allardyce’s surprising prediction, Liverpool legend Phil Thompson said: ‘I wasn’t expecting that, it’s flabbergasting.

‘I’m going with Arsenal. I just think Arsenal because they’re more settled than the other possible title rivals.’

New Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca (Picture: PA)

Meanwhile, Allardyce revealed why he is ‘worried’ about Manchester United and Michael Carrick, who he wants to succeed at Old Trafford.

‘I’m still worried about Manchester United’, the former Premier League and England manager added. ‘Everyone will be looking to see if Michael Carrick can keep it up because he overachieved last year.

‘There’s a massive downside to that because you build expectations. They absolutely can’t be outside the top-four.

Arsenal thumped Man City in the Community Shield (Picture: Getty)

‘I want Michael Carrick to succeed just to show everyone you can be a failure and turn into a massive success.

‘What he did last season was force the Man United board to give him the job based on what he did on and off the field. Now he needs to be even stronger and manage the club, not coach it.’

Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence on Friday night when newly-promoted Coventry City visit the Emirates Stadium.

Premier League title odds

Arsenal 6/5

Manchester City 3/1

Liverpool 6/1

Chelsea 8/1

Manchester United 9/1

(Odds courtesy of Betfair)

Ex-England striker Michael Owen believes another Arsenal title win is ‘set in stone’ as there are ‘question marks’ over every other side.

‘Arsenal only have to stand still and they win the Premier League again,’ Owen said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast sponsored by Midnite.

‘I can’t see anyone jumping out of the pack and getting 85 points whereas Arsenal are pretty much guaranteed to hit that number again.

‘They’re such a steady team with such a good goalkeeper and defence, I just can’t see the wheels falling off.

‘They’re just guaranteed to post a number, it won’t be a number that Man City or Liverpool hit in the past but I just can’t see anyone matching them.

‘There’s too many questions over the others teams, there’s questions everywhere this season with all the new managers bar Arsenal. They will be steady and get mid to late 80s and I don’t think anyone can beat that. 

‘I think there’s more question marks over this season than ever before, which is why I think Arsenal are just set in stone to win the Premier League.

‘There’s question marks over every single team, big question marks, except for Arsenal.’

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^ ^ Wayne Rooney tells Manchester United to U-turn and sign £45m Arsenal star

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney (Picture: YouTube)

Wayne Rooney wants Manchester United to perform a transfer U-turn and sign Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly as well as three more players before the window shuts.

United and fellow Premier League club Chelsea were reportedly offered the chance to sign Arsenal academy graduate Lewis-Skelly.

The 19-year-old struggled for game-time for much of last season but broke into Mikel Arteta’s team towards the end of the campaign and played a crucial role as Arsenal clinched the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final.

Despite those performances, Arsenal are reportedly open to selling Lewis-Skelly this summer after bolstering Arteta’s midfield options with the £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.

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As a result intermediaries approached Manchester United and Chelsea to determine their interest in signing England international Lewis-Skelly.

Neither club were receptive to the offer, even though Arsenal reportedly only wanted a relatively modest fee of £45m, but Rooney wants his former club to perform a transfer U-turn.

Michael Carrick has expressed interest in signing a new left-back this summer to provide cover for Luke Shaw ahead of United’s return to the Champions League.

Arsenal offered Myles Lewis-Skelly to Man Utd (Picture: Getty)

Lewis Hall has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford but Newcastle United have told their Premier League rivals that he is not for sale.

Lewis-Skelly could therefore be an appealing option for Carrick, especially as he is just as comfortable in midfield, an area United have been looking to strengthen all summer.

‘I don’t think you can rely on Luke Shaw to be consistent for the whole season and that leads me to Myles Lewis-Skelly,’ Rooney said on Stick to United.

Michael Carrick has been urged to bolster his Man Utd squad (Picture: Getty)

‘We’re hearing that he could be available for not that much money, so I think that’s an absolute no-brainer.

‘If you can get a player in who can play left-back and centre-midfield, that’s an absolute no-brainer. He’s young and he’s got a massive future ahead of him.

‘I would like to see another centre back, another central midfielder and another centre forward so there’s still a lot of work to be done. But it’s really important that the players they bring in, the club do it right.

Rooney has concerns over Luke Shaw (Picture: Getty)

‘Arsenal have spent a lot over the last couple of years so selling Lewis-Skelly makes some sense as it would be pure profit. I don’t think it would be a great look but I can see why they might sell him.

‘If you’re United and he becomes available it’s a no-brainer, they definitely need to bring in a left-back, that’s a priority for United.

‘I would like to think there’s more players coming in before the window closes, every fan including me wants to see that. But it’s about getting the right players.

‘Looking at the money that has been spent over the last 10 years, it’s been an absolute disaster and the club are probably still recovering from that.’

Lewis-Skelly once again impressed in Arsenal’s midfield as the Gunners beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Arteta’s side begin their Premier League title defence against Coventry City on Friday night, while Manchester United face another newly-promoted side, Hull City, the following day.

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^ ^ Arsenal make Viktor Gyokeres transfer decision after Victor Osimhen approach

Viktor Gyokeres has been linked with a shock transfer to Barcelona (Picture: Shutterstock)

Arsenal have no plans to part company with Viktor Gyokeres amid mounting speculation that Barcelona are interested in the striker.

Hansi Flick is keen to bolster his forward line following the departure of Ferran Torres to Paris Saint-Germain.

Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, also wanted by Arsenal, has been Barcelona’s No.1 target all summer but their La Liga rivals have outright refused to do business with them.

As such, the Spanish champions have been forced to look elsewhere and are reported to have identified Gyokeres as an alternative target.

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The Sweden international scored 21 goals in all competitions for Arsenal last season in all competitions, but failed to fully adjust to the demands of Premier League football.

Indeed, once he returned to full fitness following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Kai Havertz won his place back in the team and was preferred from the start on Sunday as the Gunners began the new season with a 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield.

Barcelona are yet to make contact with Arsenal or the former Sporting Lisbon centre forward’s representatives, but are poised to do.

Viktor Gyokeres started on the Arsenal bench against Man City (Credits: Shutterstock)

Arsenal for their part, according to Fabrizio Romano, are at this juncture planning on keeping Gyokeres and believe he will improve in his second season.

Mikel Arteta is said to be happy with the 28-year-old’s performances and contribution to the team while he also believes a forward boasting his physical attributes represents an asset.

That said, Arsenal could still look to make at least one attacking signing before the window closes on September 1 with Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen the latest name to be linked with the north London club.

The Gunners are expected to be busy trimming their squad before the start of September with Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Jesus expected to depart.

West Ham are in talks to sign Nelson, while Vieira is hoping to return to Hamburg where he spent last season on loan.

Jesus, meanwhile, is of interest to Napoli but they are currently struggling to meet his salary expectations.

Atletico Madrid have told Barcelona they won’t sell Julian Alvarez to them (Picture: Getty)

The futures of Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli are also the subjects of much conjecture with speculation intensifying after they were left out of Sunday’s matchday squad.

Asked about their absences against City, Mikel Arteta told TNT Sports: ‘It’s really sad not to have their availability.

‘I’ve been fighting with the Premier League to extend and accommodate more players in the squad because they deserve to be in the squad, there’s no question.

‘Ethan [Nwaneri] and Marli [Salmon] as well, who has had the whole pre-season with us. Hopefully we can change that rule so players can enjoy on the pitch and can be an option to play and contribute to the team going forward.’

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^ ^ Paul Scholes urges Chelsea to sign former Arsenal star after £11m transfer falls through

Man Utd and England legend Paul Scholes (Picture: YouTube)

Paul Scholes has urged Chelsea to replace Robert Sanchez before the summer transfer window closes as he is a ‘problem’ for new boss Xabi Alonso.

Alonso is preparing for his first competitive game in charge of Chelsea, with the Blues facing west London rivals Fulham on Monday night.

Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders once again this summer, splashing out over £300m on more than ten new signings.

The Blues made England midfielder Morgan Rogers the most expensive British player of all time in a £117m deal from Aston Villa, and also spent bid on Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra.

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Chelsea were expected to dip into the transfer market for a new goalkeeper but Alonso appears content with his current options, with Sanchez still the No. 1 going into the new season.

A number of pundits have advised Chelsea to replace Sanchez, who has made a number of high-profile mistakes since his £25m from Brighton in 2023.

Manchester United legend Scholes also believes Sanchez will be a ‘problem’ for Alonso unless he is moved on and says Chelsea should launch a move for Emiliano Martinez before the transfer deadline.

Current Chelsea No. 1 Robert Sanchez (Picture: Getty)

The Aston Villa goalkeeper and former Arsenal star, 33, was expected to join Juventus but his move to Serie A has seemingly collapsed.

Juve were willing to pay 10m euros for Martinez – who has played in two World Cup finals, winning one of them – but Villa want at least £11m up front.

‘I think the goalkeeper is still a problem for Chelsea,’ Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez (Picture: Getty)

‘If I was them, I would have a look at the Aston Villa goalkeeper because his move to Juventus has just fallen through. I think he would be a good signing for Chelsea.’

Chelsea finished just 10th in the Premier League last season but are widely expected to improve under Alonso, the former Real Madrid and Liverpool midfielder.

In fact, Michael Owen has predicted Alonso’s side will finish second in the Premier League behind reigning champions Arsenal.

New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Reuters)

‘This could be way off the mark but they’ve got no Europe at all and you see how important that has been over the years,’ Owen said on the same YouTube channel.

‘It was brilliant for Manchester United last year. This manager [Alonso] did something similar with an unfancied team in Germany [Bayer Leverkusen], he’s going to change a lot, they’ve bought well.

‘I’m a huge Joao Pedro fan, I think he’s unbelievable. In fact, Manchester United should have bought him about four years ago when he was at Watford.

Chelsea's fixtures before first international break

Fulham vs Chelsea (August 24)

Chelsea vs Luton Town (August 27)

Chelsea vs Brighton (August 30)

Arsenal vs Chelsea (September 6)

Chelsea vs Hull City (September 12)

Brentford vs Chelsea (September 18)

‘United had nobody up front for years and I thought, “That Joao Pedro”, I love him.

‘Him, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer as a front three… strange signings in Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson obviously.’

Like Scholes, Owen also has concerns over Sanchez but still expects Chelsea to ‘catch fire’ this season.

‘There’s a big question mark over the goalkeeper, I hear that,’ the former England striker added.

‘But I just think that could catch fire that team. They’ve got no European football to concentrate on and there’s some good players there.

‘I think Chelsea could have a big season.’

Chelsea last won the Premier League in 2017 under Antonio Conte and finished nine places and 33 points behind Arsenal last season.

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^ ^ Victor Osimhen makes Arsenal transfer decision after Galatasaray warning

Arsenal have expressed interest in Victor Osimhen (Picture: Getty)

Victor Osimhen will readily approve a move to Arsenal if Galatasaray change their stance and agree a deal with the Premier League champions, according to reports in Turkey.

The Gunners are interested in signing a new striker before the end of the summer transfer window after Viktor Gyokeres’ mixed first season at the Emirates Stadium.

Gyokeres scored 21 goals in all competitions as Arsenal won a long-awaited Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, but the Sweden international nevertheless received criticism from fans and pundits.

Arsenal expressed interest in Julian Alvarez earlier in the summer but Atletico Madrid have already rebuffed several approaches for the Argentine World Cup finalist.

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The possibility of signing Osimhen was raised as Galatasaray approached Arsenal to discuss deals for Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri.

Osimhen has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Premier League throughout his career and came close to joining Chelsea two years ago.

Now Arsenal are considering bringing the Nigerian to England, with reports in Turkey claiming Mikel Arteta remains ‘determined’ to strike a deal.

Mikel Arteta wants to bring a new striker to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Osimhen refused to rule out a move away from Galatasaray last week but the Turkish club have so far ruled out a summer sale, even rejecting a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League.

But Arsenal are still believed to be pursuing Osimhen, who has scored an impressive 61 goals in 75 games in Turkey, and will try to make a breakthrough before the transfer deadline.

And the Gunners have been given fresh hope of a deal with Turkish journalist Serdar Ali Çelikler claiming on NEO Spor that there is ‘no chance’ Osimhen would reject Arsenal.

Current Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres (Picture: Getty)

In an exclusive interview with Metro last year, John Obi Mikel claimed Osimhen was keen to join a club capable of winning the Champions League and advised him against a move to the Saudi Pro League.

‘I think we want to see him in the Champions League so maybe Arsenal might be the destination. Maybe there is a door open there for Victor,’ said Obi Mikel, who was involved in Chelsea’s failed bid to sign Osimhen two years ago.

‘I’ve had a few conversations with him. I won’t say much about what those conversations were but he is working to make sure he ends up at a top, top European league where he can showcase his talent and compete to win the Champions League.’

Galatasaray do not want to sell Victor Osimhen (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal are hoping to retain their Premier League crown this season and go one better in the Champions League after a heartbreaking defeat in the final to PSG back in May.

Arteta’s side look primed to compete on both fronts, having enjoyed a productive transfer window and thumped Manchester City 3-0 in Sunday’s Community Shield.

Speaking after that impressive win, Arteta admitted Arsenal wanted to dip back into the transfer market before the deadline but said his focus was on defensive additions.

‘We know that there are certain areas that, through injuries, we are weaker and we need to strengthen,’ Arteta said.

‘We are trying to do that, we’ve been trying to do that for weeks so only the right opportunity and the club is available to do it, we will do it.’

Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence with a home match against newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night.

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