1 year ago
246 Gabriel Agbonlahor has backed Manchester City, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Chelsea to finish in the top four this season – but feels Liverpool and Manchester United will miss out.
Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Eddie Howe and Erik ten Hag all picked up wins in the opening weekend of Premier League action.
Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino were forced to settle for a point at Stamford Bridge after Liverpool held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw.
Newcastle were undoubtedly the standout performers of the weekend as they thrashed Aston Villa 5-1, while City comfortably beat Premier League new boys Burnley 3-0 at Turf Moor.
There were some encouraging signs for Pochettino as his Chelsea side arguably deserved to pick up all three points against Liverpool.
And as United struggled to a 1-0 win over Wolves while Klopp’s men looked below par at Chelsea, Agbonlahor believes both sides will miss out on a top-four finish based on their displays over the weekend.
Agbonlahor predicts top four
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Agbonlahor expressed concerns over Liverpool’s problems in midfield and shared his prediction for this season’s top four.
“The problem is, they had Gakpo playing as a central midfielder,” he said. “They needed one more in there. They needed a [Moises] Caicedo or [Romeo] Lavia playing as a sitter, then Szoboszlai and Mac Allister in front.
“So, they really need to sign a sitter and they bid for Caicedo and Lavia and Chelsea have signed them both. They must be so frustrated with Chelsea.
“But looking at Chelsea, I’m starting to think City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea are my top four.
“From that first game, if I’m choosing from first game performances I don’t see Liverpool and Man United in that top four.”
It’s still early days in terms of pondering how the season will pan out, but Liverpool and United looked far from convincing over the weekend.
Nevertheless, with two weeks left in the transfer window, both teams will have the opportunity to strengthen ahead of the remainder of the season.
The race for a top-four finish looks set to be an intriguing battle this season, with plenty of teams in with a shout of Champions League qualification.
Of course, fifth place will also qualify for Europe’s top competition this season too, meaning an extra spot is up for grabs.
Liverpool and United will undoubtedly improve on their displays over the weekend and in our view, it would be a surprise to see either team miss out on the top four.
The post ‘I’m starting to think’: Gabby Agbonlahor now predicts his PL top four this season, makes two shock exclusions appeared first on The Boot Room.
