Michael Owen predicts where Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool will finish this season
Former Liverpool striker Michael Owen (Picture: Getty) Michael Owen believes Arsenal are favourites to retain their Premier League title this season as he revealed his top-six prediction. Following three successive second-place finishes, Mikel Arteta finally guided Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years last season. And with pre-season well underway, the Gunners will soon turn their attention to the challenge of defending their title. The early arrivals of Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier have been bolstered by the marquee arrival of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United. Get the latest transfer news every morning Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season. But the Gunners are still looking to strengthen on the left wing after missing out on Vinicius Junior, while a back injury to William Saliba has forced them to consider defensive reinforcements. Former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Owen believes Arsenal should be considered favourites to win the title again this season, but insists the Gunners will face a battle on their hands from the chasing pack. ‘I think there can be a few title challengers this season,’ Owen told Metro. Arsenal will look to defend their title (Picture: Getty) ‘You look at Arsenal’s points tally and it wasn’t in the nineties so they only have to drop a little and with Chelsea not in Europe, they can mount a challenge. ‘New managers at Liverpool and City could hit a good run of form early on and be in with a shout as well. Tottenham have signed well too. ‘So Arsenal are favourites for sure, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that they win it comfortably.’ It has been a busy off-season for virtually all of Arsenal’s potential title rivals, with a slew of managerial changes ahead of the new season. Andoni Iraola is the new man in the dugout on Merseyside (Picture: Getty) Enzo Maresca is back at Manchester City, while Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso have been tasked with improving the fortunes of Liverpool and Chelsea after their respective poor domestic campaigns last season. And Owen has faith that the Spaniards can do just that as he tipped Liverpool and Chelsea to be Arsenal’s closest rivals this season. ‘Last season at Liverpool wasn’t great, the style of play wasn’t as good as it had been and they conceded far too many goals,’ Owen said. ‘But Slot leaving and Iraola replacing him means a new style of play. He brings a lot of excitement from the way he played at Bournemouth, but Liverpool are a much bigger club and the pressure mounts up now. Xabi Alonso has taken over at Chelsea (Picture: Getty) ‘I do think Liverpool need more, but it looks like Barcola is the one they want and it will cost them a huge amount of money to get him in. But if they can do that and add more depth, more quality, then they can really challenge for the title.’ On Chelsea’s title hopes, Owen added: ‘Chelsea have once again spent big in the transfer window, but maybe this time, they have a manager who can control the dressing room and get the best out of the players, for them to play as a team and be consistent. ‘It is a big factor not having European football and should give them a chance to perform well during the season.’ Having come in midway through last season as an interim, Michael Carrick is also preparing for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford. Owen's predicted top-six for this season Arsenal Liverpool Chelsea Manchester City Manchester United Tottenham But Owen fears that the added demands of Champions League football will cost the Red Devils in the league this time around. ‘I don’t think the squad is there right now,’ he said. ‘They need to add a few more players to cope with the increased demands of all competitions, especially the Champions League. ‘I would think Man Utd are looking to strengthen more and I would be surprised if they didn’t. ‘So I am hoping they can add more quality, more dep
