Ex-Liverpool player names the team to stop Man City - but it's not the Reds
Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer believes Manchester City will NOT win the Premier League title this season - but doesn't believe his old team will be the ones to benefit
by David Anderson · The MirrorManchester City will finally relinquish their Premier League crown this season - and it won’t be Liverpool who depose them.
That’s according to former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer who can see beyond his love for his old club and feels Arsenal are the team to beat City. McAteer is hugely impressed by their progress under Mikel Arteta and feels this will be their season.
When asked who will win the league, McAteer told Gambling Zone: “If you’re looking for longevity in an answer, then Arsenal. I think at this moment in time, they’re really ready to win it.
“Last season and the season before, there was a question about mentality. Could they last the pace? Would injuries affect them? I think they’ve bought really well in the last three or four windows to bolster the squad with quality.
“Now if they lose players of quality, they’ve got players who can step in. The perfect example is Martin Odegaard’s injury and Leandro Trossard stepping in. Trossard isn’t of the same quality as Odegaard, but he’s a very good player.
“They also have their new signing Mikel Merino coming into the team after he picked up an injury and he will add a bit more to that Arsenal midfield. People question Arsenal’s firepower. A lot of pundits were clamouring for them to sign a striker like Ivan Toney or Victor Osimhen this summer, but they chose not to.
“Perhaps Arteta didn’t think that either of them would have been a good fit for the culture he’s building at Arsenal. Kai Havertz is having to step up to the plate, and he has done. When I look at their team and their development over the last few years, I feel they have the right mentality to go all the way.”
McAteer does expect Liverpool to make it a three-way title fight. “I’m expecting a three-way title race between Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool,” he said.
“Arsenal have made so much progress over the last couple of seasons. Liverpool did it under Jurgen Klopp. We got close to City a couple of times, but to get there took a lot of hard work on and off the pitch. It takes time to win a Premier League title when you’re competing with the quality and finances of Manchester City.”
McAteer is tipping Chelsea to finish fourth and he is impressed with the job coach Enzo Maresca is doing. “I think Chelsea will nab that last Champions League place,” he said.
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“I was really surprised with how well they’ve started the season because of all the behind-the-scenes problems with the Todd Boehly and his strategy to run his football club. Chelsea finished the season strongly, and when they pulled the chute, I was surprised. Marasca comes in and you’re thinking that Chelsea will be going back to square one, but that hasn’t been the case at all.
“You can see this is a team that’s starting to find its groove and I think they will only get better as the season progresses.”
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