Michael Owen makes Premier League top-four prediction ahead of new season

Ex-Premier League striker Michael Owen (Picture: Getty)

Michael Owen has revealed his Premier League top-four prediction ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, tipping Manchester City to win a record-extending fifth consecutive title.

Pep Guardiola’s side became the first team to lift four Premier League trophies in a row last season, seeing off competition from Arsenal and Liverpool to retain the crown.

Ex-England striker Owen expects Arsenal and Liverpool to emerge as Man City’s biggest rivals again next season as Mikel Arteta and new boss Arne Slot look to end Guardiola’s stranglehold on the title.

The Gunners, who finished just two points behind Manchester City last season, have mounted back-to-back title challenges under Arteta, who is hoping to guide Arsenal to their first league title since 2004.

Liverpool’s last Premier League title came in 2020 but some pundits have suggested the Reds are set for a transitional season under Jurgen Klopp’s replacement Slot.

Aston Villa enjoyed a superb 2023-24 campaign to finish fourth, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time, and Owen believes Unai Emery’s side or Tottenham will finish fourth next term.

Spurs briefly threatened to challenge for the title last season under new boss Ange Postecoglou before falling away and eventually coming fifth, two points behind Villa.

Manchester City will go for a fifth consecutive league title (Picture: Getty)

Owen’s top-four prediction means he believes Manchester United and Chelsea will once again miss out on Champions League football after finishing eighth and sixth respectively last season.

United’s eighth-place finish was their worst ever performance across a Premier League campaign but the Old Trafford hierarchy have nevertheless decided to stick with Erik ten Hag after he won the FA Cup.

Chelsea, meanwhile, endured a miserable start to the 2024-25 campaign before a late surge saw them finish sixth. Despite the progress, Mauricio Pochettino left Stamford Bridge in May and was replaced by Enzo Maresca.

Asked for his top-four prediction ahead of the new season, Owen told Prime Casino: ‘Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and I don’t think there is a standout for fourth.

‘I don’t fancy Manchester United and Chelsea might be back to square one with a new manager so it might be Tottenham or even Aston Villa again.

‘It’s impossible to say if Pep [Guardiola] would have won less with Sir Alex Ferguson around, obviously it would’ve given him more competition than he has at the moment, but Manchester City have taken the game to a new level.

‘Probably the big question is how many titles Liverpool would have won over the last few years if Pep Guardiola wasn’t Man City manager.

‘For Liverpool to only win one title with that great team, that just shows you how good Manchester City have been. Let’s just say one or two less if Fergie was in charge at Manchester United, I’m sure.

‘But it won’t be long until Pep Guardiola leaves and that might change things in the Premier League once he leaves because he’s so bloody good, it’s hard to win anything with him in charge at the moment.’

The 2024-25 Premier League season starts on August 16 with Manchester United hosting Fulham.

Later that weekend Manchester City kick-start their title defence at home to Chelsea, while Arsenal host Wolves and Liverpool travel to newly-promoted Ipswich Town.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.