Gary Neville has named Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool as the only true contenders for this season’s Premier League title, while casting doubt on Chelsea’s readiness to compete at the highest level.
Strong Starts for the Big Three
Following the opening weekend of the new Premier League season, former Manchester United captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville weighed in on who he believes will be battling for the title come May. According to Neville, only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool have the right combination of squad strength, experience, and tactical edge to go the distance.
All three clubs started their campaigns with victories, but it was reigning champions Manchester City who looked the most dominant, effortlessly sweeping aside Wolves. Despite the positive results for Arsenal and Liverpool, Neville noted that none of the trio have a clear edge at this early stage.
Neville’s Breakdown: No Clear Favourite
Speaking ahead of his appearance on Monday Night Football, Neville explained his rationale:
All three have legitimate claims. Liverpool, Arsenal, and City are neck and neck. There’s no team that’s clearly ahead.
Gary Neville
Neville admitted that he is leaning toward Arsenal—a team he has backed in previous seasons—because of the balance they’ve struck across the pitch. With summer additions like Viktor Gyökeres and Martin Zubimendi, he believes Mikel Arteta’s side may have filled the final gaps in their squad.
“Arsenal look like they’ve completed the puzzle. They’re solid at the back, aggressive in midfield, and have attacking firepower. They’ve turned into a team that’s very hard to beat,” Neville added.
Liverpool and City Still Strong
Neville was quick to highlight that Liverpool are also very much in the hunt—particularly if they can pull off a marquee signing like Alexander Isak, a move that could significantly elevate their title credentials.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, fresh off a treble-winning season, remain a juggernaut. With Rodri returning to midfield and potential new signings like Tijjani Reijnders, plus the relentless goalscoring of Erling Haaland, Neville warned that writing them off would be a mistake.
We might look back and wonder why we didn’t just stick with City. They’ve got the most complete squad, a winning mentality, and the best striker in the world.
Gary Neville
Why Chelsea, Newcastle, and Villa Miss the Cut
Neville was more skeptical about the chances of other would-be challengers. He flatly ruled out Newcastle United and Aston Villa, and while he was more nuanced about Chelsea, he made it clear they’re not ready to win the league.
Chelsea have some excellent young talent and a bright future, but they lack a title-winning spine. You look at their forwards and midfielders, and they just don’t measure up to what Arsenal or Liverpool have right now.
Gary Neville
Despite recent success—including a Club World Cup title and a Champions League finish—Neville believes Chelsea are still in a developmental phase under their current project.
Neville’s Verdict: Three-Team Race to Watch
As the Premier League season kicks off in earnest, Neville sees a tight and unpredictable title race ahead. While he believes Liverpool might have the slight edge depending on the transfer market, he insists there’s no outright favorite.
It’s going to be close. No one can be fully confident, but all three, City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, have every right to believe they can win it
Gary Neville concluded
