Gary Lineker says he is expecting a close battle between Manchester City and Liverpool but he has given Pep Guardiola’s side a slight edge in the race for the Premier League title.
The BBC presenter and former England international believes City’s rivals have failed to strengthen in the transfer market and that will give the Citizens the chance to catch up:
“I’m 50/50 over whether it will be City or Liverpool who lifts the trophy in May. But if I had to go one way I’d go with Pep Guardiola’s men — only just though… maybe 51/49!”
Although Lineker is predicting a two-horse race, he does believe that Chelsea and Manchester United will close the gap on the top two following some smart additions to their respective squads:
“I expect Chelsea and Manchester United to provide more of a challenge. The Blues have backed Frank Lampard in the transfer market with eye-catching signings like Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Thiago Silva. Of course, bringing in new faces doesn’t automatically make you better and Frank will have to work out what his best side is.”
“And I’m also not sure if they have the right goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge with Kepa Arrizabalaga and Willy Caballero to choose from. But they will push harder this time and at Old Trafford, I can see United continuing to make progress under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.”
Out of those who could potentially break into the top four this campaign, Lineker is favouring Arsenal ahead of Tottenham, mainly due to the performances of captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:
“Of the sides most likely to break into those Champions League places, I would go for Arsenal. The only money they’ve spent so far is on the Brazilian defender Gabriel. But keeping hold of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is bigger than any new signing. He has shown in the games at Wembley since the re-start what a top-class forward he is and it was crucial that the Gunners kept him. For me, they are more likely to trouble the top four than Tottenham.”
Lineker has certainly provided some interesting thoughts on how the 2020/21 campaign will play out, and it will be interesting to see whether his predictions are accurate as the season progresses.
