The Premier League title race could be open to Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City. Aston Villa are currently involved as well after a great start under manager Unai Emery.
As a former Chelsea boss, José Mourinho has several Premier League titles to his credit.
His predictions for this season’s competition have raised eyebrows, as he has disregarded Arsenal as potential contenders, despite the team currently leading the league. According to Mourinho, the real contest is between Manchester City and Liverpool.
After 17 games, Arsenal sit at the top of the league standings, one point ahead of Liverpool and Aston Villa.
However, reigning champions Manchester City trail by five points after a disappointing home game against Crystal Palace. Despite this setback, City are expected to bounce back with key players returning from injury in the upcoming weeks.
Mourinho has dismissed his previous team, Chelsea, as currently being ‘out of the question’ under Mauricio Pochettino. That is fair enough, but his skepticism also extends to Arsenal, who last claimed the title in the 2003-04 season. This was shortly before Mourinho’s inaugural stint in the Premier League.
When discussing his predictions on The Obi One podcast, Mourinho stated:
“I would say Man City 51 [per cent], and Liverpool 49 [per cent].” When asked about Arsenal’s chances, his response was a straightforward and brutal “Nah”.
Despite his rivalry with Arsenal, Mourinho expressed a desire for them to win. He clarified that Chelsea and Manchester United are out of contention for the title.
He stated his preference for Arsenal to win among the three contenders but emphasized that the odds favor Manchester City due to their depth of talent.
Arsenal currently hold a narrow lead over Liverpool following their win against Brighton. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz scored against the Seagulls while Liverpool missed an opportunity to reclaim the top spot after drawing with Manchester United at Anfield.
Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool’s manager, expressed dissatisfaction with the draw against Manchester United. Despite recognizing many positive aspects of the game, Klopp lamented the missed opportunities to secure a win. He praised the team’s counter-pressing approach but expressed disappointment with the final result.
