Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville gave their predictions for the 2024/25 Premier League season in August and neither of the pundits called Manchester City's drop-off or Liverpool's success
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Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville gave their predictions in August
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville gave their predictions in August
(Image: PA)
Each team still has nine games left to play in the Premier League, but the title race is all but done. Liverpool sit 12 points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table and are nearly assured of lifting the trophy in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
Liverpool now have just one goal left, having lost the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle and been dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and the FA Cup by Plymouth. It is a time of disappointment for the Reds during the international break, yet there will also be some stock-taking, with the dream of a quadruple quashed.
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Those in power at Liverpool may well reflect on what will still be a wholly positive campaign. Back at the start of the season there was little expectation placed upon Slot after he took over from Jurgen Klopp and the club chose to stick, rather than twist, in the transfer window.
Data provider Opta gave Liverpool just a 5.1 per cent chance of winning the Premier League, predicting a fifth straight title for Manchester City, giving them a 82.2 per cent chance of success. After two runners-up finishes, Arsenal were judged at 12.2 per cent and the prevailing mood was summed up by Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
“Arsenal will be the closest challengers but Pep Guardiola, it doesn't matter what league he is in, more often than not he wins the league title,” Carragher said back in August. “The only people that have managed to stop him are Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid one season and Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool a few seasons ago in the Premier League.
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“That shows how tough it is and it has been tough on Arsenal with how close they have come in the last two season, but I know with Liverpool, Manchester City are a very difficult nut to crack.
“I think most neutrals will hope there's a different winner this time around and I think I'd say the same because you don't want the same team winning year after year, but you do have to take your hat off to City and Guardiola. With the job he has done and the team they have built, they are an extremely difficult team to beat.”
Pep Guardiola
Things haven't gone to plan for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City this season
Ex-Liverpool defender Carragher added: "Arsenal are extremely close to winning a major trophy. I have said I think Manchester City will win the league, but seeing what Arsenal have done over the last couple of seasons, it is a toss of a coin. Mikel Arteta's side are that close and that good. The job he has done at the club has been fantastic and it's been great to watch.”
Neville said: “I went with Arsenal to win the Premier League last year and I'm sticking with them this season. They are on an upward trajectory and they are getting better every single year.
“Obviously, they are up against one of the great sides this league has ever produced in Manchester City under Pep Guardiola so it is always going to be tough. However, I feel like Arsenal have stability with the manager Mikel Arteta and they have stability in a team that is still improving. You cannot write of Manchester City, but I am going for Arsenal again. They were so close last year and I think they will be able to make that extra step this time.”
Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring his first and Liverpool's second goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Southampton at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on March 8, 2025. (Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Liverpool have been by far the best team in the Premier League this season
Neville was “quietly optimistic” about Manchester United ’s chances of improving under Erik ten Hag. “The group of people they have now at the club, from owner down to sporting director, will not make the same mistakes the club have made in the last three or four seasons,” he said confidently.
Of course, United’s new owners, Ineos, sacked Ten Hag in October, and also got rid of sporting director Dan Ashworth. The improvements Neville predicted are yet to manifest themselves, with United languishing in 13th place under Ruben Amorim.
While Carragher did not predict the title for his old club, he was hopeful that Slot could build on Klopp’s foundations. “There is scope to improve for Slot,” he said. “He can certainly improve the way they play slightly and also get better defensively. They will also want to avoid the number of injuries they had last season this time around. There are areas for the new manager to target.”
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