Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher issue title race predictions as Liverpool doubts raised | OneFootball

Rather unsurprisingly, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have disagreed in their verdicts as to who will win the Premier League this season.

Liverpool got their title defence off to a winning start as they defeated Bournemouth 4-2 on Friday night, although Manchester City and Arsenal replied in kind with away victories over Wolves (4-0) and Manchester United (1-0) respectively.

On the first Monday Night Football of the new campaign, the resident Sky Sports pundits were tasked with giving their predictions for 2025/26, and they had a difference of opinion when it came to calling the eventual title winner.

Neville and Carragher make title race predictions

Neville believes that Mikel Arteta’s team will finally get over the line, saying: “Arsenal have been consistent over the last three years, they’ve been second. I do feel they’ll get there at some point.

“Watching Liverpool on Friday night, I saw Carra’s point. The two full-backs have got to settle in. They look a little bit open. They’re going to be exhilarating to watch. They’re going to score a lot of goals.

“I couldn’t separate them so I went for the team I’ve been going for, for the last three years. They’re reliable and solid and consistent, which is important. They’re consistently getting high points total ans finishing second to great teams in Liverpool and Man City.

“Arsenal have got the right material. They just have to sort out that forward bit of the pitch and I think Viktor Gyokeres will.”

Image via Sky Sports Premier League

However, despite also having some doubts about the Reds, Carragher has kept faith in his former club to retain their title as he said: “What I saw in the Community Shield, I didn’t think I’d see on Friday night. That’s what worried me a little bit.

“I’m sure the manager has been speaking to the players in pre-season on the back of the Milan game and the Community Shield, and to see it in the three high-profile games up to this stage, that did worry me a little bit; but if Liverpool fix that, they have great firepower.”

Of course Neville wasn’t going to pick Liverpool!

Neville did admit that he found it tough to decide between last season’s top three when picking this term’s winner, but it doesn’t surprise us that he couldn’t bring himself to predict Arne Slot’s side to go back-to-back!

Where he and Carragher have understandable reservations, though, is about Liverpool’s defensive porosity in recent games, with the Reds already conceding as many goals in their opening league match of 2025/26 as they did in their first seven Premier League games of 2024/25.

However, if the champions can remedy that issue (the return of Ryan Gravenberch in midfield should help) while also remaining potent up front with the fearsome attack that they boast, it’d take a consistently top-class team to dethrone them by next May.

The Merseysiders have a chance to lay down an early marker in the title race when they welcome Arsenal to Anfield at the end of August, but before then there’s a fiendish Monday night visit to Newcastle which’ll be even spicier amid the Alexander Isak transfer saga.

If Liverpool can come through those fixtures with maximum points, it’d send a frightening message to the rest of the Premier League that they could take some stopping this season!