Pep Guardiola anticipates that Manchester United and Chelsea will compete with Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
There are major uncertainties surrounding United and Chelsea after their difficulties last season.
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Manchester United fell to eighth place, marking their worst-ever Premier League finish, and there were expectations that Erik ten Hag would be dismissed before he led his team to victory over Guardiola’s Man City in the FA Cup final.
Chelsea also failed to secure a Champions League spot, ending the season in sixth place due to a strong finish in the later stages of the campaign.
That late surge gave fans some much-needed hope for the 2024-25 season, but Chelsea then parted ways with manager Mauricio Pochettino, adding new doubts at the big-spending club.
Chelsea will begin the new season with a match against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. Speaking ahead of the game, Guardiola identified the Blues as one of the ‘six or seven teams’ that will compete for a top-four position.
Guardiola praised Chelsea’s new manager, Enzo Maresca, and the ‘quality’ of the squad at Stamford Bridge, while also asserting that Manchester United would ‘be there’ when the Champions League spots are decided.
United struggled to impress for much of their Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday night, but a late goal from summer signing Joshua Zirkzee proved to be the difference.
‘At the start of the season, the first objective is securing a place in the top four,’ Guardiola said of Man City’s goals. ‘And people say, “Ah, come on. What?” No. Top-four.
‘Newcastle – they’re not in European competition – will only play one game a week. And Newcastle, with one game a week, will resemble the Newcastle of two seasons ago.
‘And Arsenal, it’s not necessary to talk about them. Liverpool, it’s not necessary to talk about them. I’m aware of Manchester United’s signings, and eventually, they will find their rhythm and be there.
‘Tottenham, I’m confident in them as well. They’ve invested in young players and have a manager who knows them well.
‘So there are many, many teams – Chelsea, once again, with the number of players and the quality, I believe in the manager.
‘All six or seven teams are in the mix. If you drop even slightly, you’ll fall behind.
‘This is the reality I’ve felt since my first season here, and after that, yes, we’ve shown we can do it. And we’ll aim to do it again this season; it’s straightforward.’
While Guardiola claimed that Man City’s primary goal is to qualify for the Champions League, in truth, he is aiming to lead the team to an unprecedented fifth consecutive Premier League title.
However, several pundits, including former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, believe that Arsenal will prevent Manchester City from achieving this.
‘I think it’s hard to bet against City because of how dominant they’ve been over the last four seasons,’ said Ferdinand on TNT Sports. ‘They’ve set a new benchmark, a new record with four in a row.
‘But I just think Arsenal, with Calafiori coming in on the left-hand side, if he can solidify that area… I think he’s a fantastic player, played at Bologna under Thiago Motta, and he understands the type of football Arteta wants to play.
‘I think that was a slight weakness in the team, and he provides them with balance and stability in that area. So I might lean towards Arsenal winning it, but they need to have the hunger.’
