Carragher Accuses Neville of Early-Season U-Turn on Predictions

Jamie Carragher has accused Gary Neville of performing an early-season U-turn on his predictions for Manchester United and Liverpool – after just one round of Premier League fixtures.

The new campaign is barely underway, but the opening weekend jolted a few pundits out of their pre-season certainty. United slumped to a dismal 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City, a result that immediately reignited doubts about Erik ten Hag’s side and their top-four credentials.

On Merseyside, the drama was of a different kind. Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League game in charge of Liverpool looked set to end in defeat, his team trailing Newcastle United 2-1 deep into stoppage time. Then came the lifeline: Dominik Szoboszlai buried a 99th-minute penalty to salvage a 2-2 draw and spare Iraola from opening-day embarrassment.

That chaos fed straight into the Sky Sports studio.

Carragher calls out Neville

On Monday Night Football, Neville admitted he was struggling to split the two old rivals when asked who would have the better season.

“Look, do you want me to be honest? Yes. I can't separate United and Liverpool in fourth place,” he said.

Carragher pounced.

“I've heard you've changed it four times over the weekend,” he snapped. “So after United played, he changed it to Liverpool. Liverpool played and he changed it to United.”

Neville didn’t deny the shifting sands, instead explaining how his view had evolved as the season approached and the first results landed.

“A couple of weeks ago, I had United in third. I didn't have Chelsea where they were, but as you sort of get nearer to the season, you start to look at the squads and you start to think about it,” he said.

“You think about Chelsea and the fact they've got no European football. That'll give them a big edge. I think City are in a better position than United. Look, at the moment, I'm not convinced by United or Liverpool, really, but I do think they'll finish fourth and fifth.”

Arsenal backed for the title

Pressed to commit to a full top-four, Neville finally laid his cards on the table. He backed Arsenal to win the Premier League title, with Chelsea as runners-up, ahead of Manchester City and United.

Carragher, for his part, also tipped Arsenal to lift the trophy, with City, Chelsea and Liverpool in behind.

Early evidence did little to undermine Neville’s bold call. Arsenal began their title defence with a controlled 2-0 win over Coventry City, Mikel Arteta’s side easing into the season with minimal fuss.

Chelsea, under Enzo Maresca’s former mentor in the opposition dugout, produced something far more breathless. They edged Fulham 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on Monday night, a frantic, see-saw contest that underlined both their attacking potential and lingering defensive questions.

Maresca himself, now at the helm of Manchester City, endured a nervier Premier League debut than the scoreline suggests. City needed late goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol to turn around a tricky encounter with Bournemouth and claim a 2-1 victory.

Those three – Arsenal, Chelsea and City – are among nine sides to open the new campaign with a win, an early cluster at the top that will quickly start to thin as the fixtures bite.

Next up, Chelsea stay at Stamford Bridge to face Brighton and Hove Albion, a test of whether they can back up their chaotic opener with something more controlled. City head to Selhurst Park for a Friday night meeting with Crystal Palace, always an awkward assignment. Arsenal must wait until Monday for their trip to Aston Villa, another stern examination of their title credentials.

By then, Neville may be tempted to reshuffle his predictions yet again. Carragher will be watching.