"It won't be Chelsea or Man United, I'll tell you that!" - Dimitar Berbatov names his favorites to win the PL this season
Former Bulgaria striker Dimitar Berbatov took a slight dig at Manchester United and Chelsea while naming his favorites to win the Premier League this season.
The title race in the English top flight has already seen many ups and downs halfway into the season. After 19 games, Liverpool lead the table, sitting two points above Arsenal, three above Aston Villa, and five above Manchester City.
Berbatov recently shared his predictions for the Premier League this season with Betting.Betfair and was asked who will win the title this season. He replied:
"It won't be Chelsea or Man United, I'll tell you that!
"Arsenal are in a great position to win the Premier League so if they don't screw it up again like last year then I think they'll win it. I also want to say that we could have another Leicester story with Aston Villa. That would be amazing."
Chelsea are 10th in the standings this season, having suffered eight defeats in 19 games, along with seven wins and four draws. They are closer to the relegation zone (10 points) than to the top four (12 points).
Manchester United, meanwhile, were looking to build on their third-placed finish last season. However, injuries and poor form see them in seventh place, 11 points behind Liverpool.
Mauricio Pochettino on Luton Town ahead of Chelsea's clash against the Hatters
The Blues are set to face Luton Town at the Kenilworth Road in the Premier League on Saturday, December 30.
The Hatters have impressed many with their performances this season, especially at home. They drew against Liverpool and pushed the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to their limits. Luton are currently on a two-game win streak, having beaten Newcastle United at home and Sheffield United away.
It certainly won't be an easy game for Chelsea and manager Mauricio Pochettino recognised the same, saying in his pre-match press conference (via Football.London):
"Of course. I think that game against Crystal Palace is a good example that we need to go there, to Luton, and to think it is going to be really tough. The stadium, the fans, it is a team that loves to fight, loves to work really, really hard."
He added:
"It is so difficult if you watch the last few games at their stadium, it's always tough for all of the opponents. If we want to get a good result, we need to be ready to of course play football, but we need to match their desire, the capacity to fight in every single goal.
"It's going to be a good test for us. It’s the challenge to be consistent. For us now, it's to go there and first of all to fight, be clever, be focused and then try to win the game."
Chelsea come into the game on the back of a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have won their last four games across competitions.