Former Manchester United defender, Gary Neville, has made an early prediction about who he believes will win the 2025/26 Premier League. Despite Liverpool's recent success under Arne Slot, Neville has not chosen them as his top pick. Instead, he is backing Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal to finally break their two-decade league title drought.
Neville is no stranger to making pre-season champion predictions. In the past two campaigns, he selected Arsenal as his top picks. However, on both occasions, the Gunners fell short and finished second. Liverpool claimed their 20th Premier League title last season while Manchester City completed a four-peat in the term prior.
Despite these misses in his previous predictions, Neville remains undeterred and has made another bold prediction for May 2026.
Third time's the charm
Speaking on the 'It's Called Soccer' podcast recently, Neville expressed confidence that it would be a case of third time’s charm for Arsenal. He believes that they are poised to end their long-awaited return to the summit of English football.
Gary Neville, Manchester United legend, said:
"I’ve got to go Arsenal again. I’ve got to double down, haven’t I? I’ve gone there the last two seasons and they finished second in the last three seasons, actually. I didn’t back them the first season, I backed City, but I backed them the last two and I’m going to stick with them."
For Arsenal to compete at the very top of table again, Arteta needs significant support from club owners in terms of player acquisitions. One key area identified by many pundits including Neville is signing a natural number nine - something which has been sorely missing from their squad. Kai Havertz often played in this role despite it not being his preferred position due to injuries suffered by Gabriel Jesus and Mikel Merino filling down middle roles.
Recent reports suggest potential reinforcements could come from RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi. These players could bolster the squad, especially in light of Jorginho’s impending departure and the uncertain future of Thomas Partey.
