REUTERS/Peter Powell
Michael Owen has predicted the final 2026/27 Premier League top six with the new season on the horizon.
The new campaign kicks off on Friday, August 21, when reigning champions Arsenal welcome newly-promoted Coventry City to the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners will be looking to retain their Premier League title once more, but Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, all of which have new managers, will have title aspirations of their own.
Michael Carrick will be hoping to lead Manchester United to their first league title since 2013, while the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur will be dreaming of a top four finish.
Owen was recently asked by the Metro to predict his final top six in order, and, as things stand, he doesn't have high hopes for former side Man United.
Michael Owen Thinks the Title Race Will be Wide Open
REUTERS/Chris Radburn
Arsenal have been active in the transfer market, signing the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis to their already stacked squad. Owen has joined Peter Crouch in predicting Mikel Arteta's side will retain their crown, but thinks there will be multiple challengers.
He said: "I think there can be a few title challengers this season.
"So Arsenal are favourites for sure, but it’s not a foregone conclusion that they win it comfortably."
Michael Owen Thinks Man Utd Could Struggle as He Predicts Top Six
Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
United will think they have a real chance of winning the Premier League after finishing the 2025/26 campaign on fire. After being appointed in January 2026, Carrick won 12 of his 17 matches in charge to guide the Red Devils to a third-place finish.
However, Owen thinks they won't be as good this season. He said:
"I don’t think the squad is there right now. They need to add a few more players to cope with the increased demands of all competitions, especially the Champions League.
"I would think Man Utd are looking to strengthen more and I would be surprised if they didn’t. So I am hoping they can add more quality, more depth to the squad as it’s a long season and so many games, especially in forward areas, with just [Benjamin] Sesko as the main striker."
When asked to predict his top six in order, he replied:
Owen thinks Liverpool, Chelsea and City will all mount title challengers after appointing new managers this summer, but ultimately they will fall short.
He thinks United will slip to fifth, with Spurs just missing out on Champions League qualification. He doesn't think Unai Emery's Villa will crack the top six, while he also doesn't fancy Bournemouth's chances of replicating their sixth-place finish from 25/26.