"It’s very open" - Ex-EPL star Shaun Wright-Phillips names his Premier League champions, omits Manchester United from top four
Former Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has made his prediction for the Premier League title and top-four race and it's bad news for Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag's Reds returned to the top four last season, finishing third and impressing in the Dutch coach's debut campaign. His side won 23 of 38 league games, losing nine.
However, the Red Devils have made a shaky start to the 2023-24 campaign, sitting sixth in the table. Ten Hag's men have already lost five of 12 games while winning seven.
Wright-Phillips thinks the race to finish in the top four is open but doesn't back Manchester United to do so. The ex-Cityzens star does expect his former club to win the title for the fourth season in a row. He told The Sport Review:
"It’s very open. I think City will still win the league. Not by a massive margin, it will be another tough one."
The former Chelsea winger hasn't named the west Londoners as a possible top-four candidate. He has suggested Aston Villa will spring a surprise and beat Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur to UEFA Champions League qualification. The Villains are joined by Liverpool and Arsenal in Wright-Phillips' prediction. The English pundit added:
"Spurs I think may just miss out on the top four, Man United too. I may put Aston Villa in there as a bit of a dark horse actually. So I’m going to go Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Aston Villa."
The last time Villa finished in the top four was way back in the 1995/96 season. But, Unai Emery is overseeing an incredible reign at Villa Park and his side are currently fifth in the league, a point behind fourth-placed Spurs.
Manchester United stars reportedly place blame on Erik ten Hag for poor start to the season
The Guardian reports that several of Manchester United's senior players feel they were overworked during pre-season by Ten Hag. The Red Devils' drop-off in form is being blamed on the Dutch tactician's intense training regime.
The Old Trafford outfit have dealt with several injuries this season, with the likes of Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka picking up injuries.
Several Manchester United players are said to have complained about tiredness behind the scenes but haven't made these issues clear to Ten Hag. His side's nosedive has surprised many as they haven't replicated their fine form last season.
The Red Devils face an uphill battle in trying to reach the UEFA Champions League knockout phase. They sit bottom of Group A, with just three points from four games.