Not many Premier League pundits predicted Liverpool's start to this season during the summer, and even fewer foresaw the struggles of Manchester City in the league
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Michael Owen
Michael Owen predicted the struggles of Manchester City before the season began
(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Manchester City's struggles have given weight to Michael Owen's bold pre-season Premier League prediction - which Liverpool will hope does not come true. Owen did not tip the defending champions to retain their title and did not believe the Reds would win the league either.
Pep Guardiola's team started the season as title favourites following their dominance over recent years. However, after their sixth league defeat of the season against Aston Villa, City could end Sunday 12 points adrift of the top spot.
Liverpool can extend their advantage over the reigning champions with a win over Tottenham Hotspur while still having a game in hand. Few foresaw City's struggles, but Owen was one of them before the season began.
During the summer, he said City "will struggle to make the top four this season". Owen predicted that they would ultimately finish fourth, behind Villa in third.
However, the pundit predicted that the Reds would not win the league, having them as runners-up to Arsenal. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, who will be in the top four on Christmas Day, did not feature.
City are four points behind the latter and could be as low as eighth if Bournemouth and Fulham win against Manchester United and Southampton, respectively, on Sunday.
Owen's prediction resurfaced on social media following City's defeat to Villa. He commented on the platform: "Glad you noticed," punctuating the post with a thumbs-up emoji.
While predicting City the finish outside the top three is looking a better call with every passing match, it is less clear how well choosing Arsenal over Liverpool ages. With a win over Spurs, the Reds would be six points clear of their north London rivals with a game in hand.
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Chelsea, instead, is their closest competitor and could go top of the league on Sunday with a win over Everton. However, there is a two-point gap before those matches, with Liverpool still having that game in hand, the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.