Michael Owen snubs Man City in EPL top-five call after 3-0 win

Michael Owen has tipped Arsenal to retain the Premier League title while leaving Manchester City out of his predicted top five. His forecast came after Arsenal began the new campaign with a 3-0 victory over Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.

Owen placed Chelsea second, followed by Liverpool in third and Manchester United in fourth. Tottenham Hotspur completed his projected leading five, giving the north London club a much higher finish than last season.

He also named the three teams he expects to be relegated. Fulham were included alongside newly promoted Ipswich Town and Hull City, who Owen believes will go down at the end of the campaign.

The prediction places Chelsea in contention for a major improvement after their 10th-place finish in the previous season. Tottenham’s projected fifth-place finish would also represent a sharp turnaround after they ended the last campaign 17th and only narrowly avoided relegation.

Manchester City’s absence is the most notable part of Owen’s selection. The club will start the new season with Enzo Maresca in charge after Pep Guardiola’s departure at the end of the 2025-26 season. It will be City’s first campaign under a different manager since 2016.

Arsenal’s opening win gives the reigning champions an early advantage as they begin their title defence, but Owen’s choices point to a season in which Chelsea and Tottenham recover strongly. His list has Arsenal first, Chelsea second, Liverpool third, Manchester United fourth and Tottenham fifth, with Fulham, Ipswich Town and Hull City in the relegation places.