Former Liverpool striker, Michael Owen, has made a bold prediction about the upcoming Premier League season. As Dutchman Arne Slot prepares for his debut campaign in charge of the Reds, Owen has shared his insights on how he believes the top four will shape up.
Arne Slot is stepping into big shoes as he takes over from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Fans are not expecting him to be a new Klopp, but they also don't expect the club's standards to drop dramatically under his leadership. The new coach will certainly be hoping to challenge for top honors in his first season.
However, according to Owen’s predictions, it seems that achieving this feat might prove challenging. He predicts that despite Slot’s efforts and ambitions, Liverpool may fall short of clinching the Premier League title.
Manchester City predicted to extend winning streak
Owen sees Manchester City winning the title for a record-extending fifth season in a row under Pep Guardiola’s leadership. This prediction places Arsenal back in contention once again as well.
The former England striker identifies Guardiola as one of the main obstacles standing between Slot and silverware success at Anfield. During Klopp's reign at Liverpool, Guardiola limited the amount of silverware that could be brought home to Anfield - and it appears that history may repeat itself during Slot’s tenure.
Former Liverpool striker, Michael Owen, said:
"Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool but I don’t think there is a standout for fourth, I don’t fancy Manchester United, Chelsea might be back to square one with a new manager, it might be Tottenham or even Aston Villa again."
The Pep Guardiola factor
As far as Owen is concerned, Pep Guardiola presents a significant challenge for any team aiming for top honors in English football - including Arne Slot's Liverpool side. His tactical acumen and ability to consistently deliver results have seen Manchester City dominate domestic competitions over recent years.
Guardiola was able to limit Klopp's successes during his time at Anfield; now it seems likely he could pose similar challenges for Slot. The new Liverpool coach will need to find a way to overcome the Guardiola factor if he hopes to bring home major silverware in his debut season.
Michael Owen added:
"It’s impossible to say if Pep would have won less with Sir Alex Ferguson around, obviously it would’ve given him more competition than he has at the moment, but Manchester City have taken the game to a new level,"
"Probably the big question is how many titles Liverpool would have won over the last few years if Pep Guardiola wasn't City manager. To win only one title with that great team, that just shows you how good Manchester City have been. Let's just say one or two less if Fergie was in charge at Manchester United, I'm sure.
"But it won't be long until Pep Guardiola leaves and that might change things in the Premier League once he leaves because he's so b****y good, it's hard to win anything with him in charge at the moment."
As Arne Slot prepares for his first season at Liverpool, he faces a challenging task ahead. Michael Owen's prediction suggests that the Dutchman will have to contend with formidable opponents and high expectations from fans and club alike. Whether or not Slot can overcome these challenges and lead Liverpool to Premier League glory remains to be seen, but one thing is certain - it promises to be an exciting season ahead for sports fans and sports betting enthusiasts alike.
