Steve McManaman believes Arsenal are still the ‘team to beat’ as he revealed his top-four prediction for this Premier League season.
Arsenal, who won their first league title since 2004 last season, bolstered their squad over the summer with the impressive signings of Bruno Guimaraes, Ezri Konsa and Christos Tzolis.
And the Gunners have made a bright start to their title defence, beating Coventry City on the opening weekend and Aston Villa on Monday night.
Mikel Arteta’s side face an early test of their title credentials this weekend when Xabi Alonso takes his exciting Chelsea side to the Emirates Stadium.
Exclusive Premier League previews
Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free.
But regardless of that result, former Liverpool winger McManaman believes that Arsenal still have the league’s strongest team and should be considered heavy favourites to retain their crown.
‘The standout side in the division is obviously Arsenal – I think the business they’ve done has been excellent,’ he told told Seven, powered by Ladbrokes.
‘They were strong last year, and to bring in Bruno Guimaraes, Christos Tzolis and Ezri Konsa has only strengthened them further. To have those three in the door is just great for them. Premier League experience is a really important thing to have in the dressing room nowadays.
‘They’re all hard games, no matter who you’re playing against, so if you’ve got a dressing room full of bodies who have all been there and done it, I think that’s brilliant.
‘We know now, football isn’t about getting a team together for the next 10 years… you’ll change your manager six times between now and then, unfortunately. So you’ve got to think about the here and now. And Arsenal have built a really strong team with that in mind.
‘If I’m looking at it and taking everything into consideration, then Arsenal are of course the ones to beat.’
Outside of north London, it was a summer of overhaul for several other big clubs, with Enzo Maresca, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola appointed at Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool, respectively.
And McManaman has been encouraged by Chelsea’s start to life under Alonso, insisting: ‘I think Chelsea have got an excellent opportunity; Xabi [Alonso] is a great manager, they’ve got a big squad and they play one game a week, so that will definitely help.
‘They finished 10th last season which is obviously incredibly bad for them, but they should be a hell of a lot better this year – they have to be.’
However, the former England international is not so confident about Manchester United under Michael Carrick as they embark on a campaign back in the Champions League.
‘As for the top four, I’d go Arsenal, I’d probably go with Man City, just because of the amount of players they’ve got, and then Liverpool and Chelsea.
‘I don’t think Man United will be anywhere near the top four.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
No comments:
Post a Comment