Ex-Manchester United captain Gary Neville thinks his former club will finish fourth this season, despite losing their opening game against Arsenal.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ Monday Night Football, Neville said he saw similarities between the Chelsea team that lost to Man City in their first Premier League fixture last year to United’s defeat on Sunday:

“It’s a late change [to my top four] but I think there’s a bit of science [behind it]. Last season, I remember watching Chelsea on the first game of the season and, at that point, no one had Chelsea finishing in the top four. I watched them against City and I thought: ‘They are not bad, that will do damage this season, that’s a good team’.”

“When I watched United [against Arsenal], I thought the performance was very good…I think they will surprise people. Last week I had them finishing sixth to eighth, but I thought the performance was really good and I genuinely liked it.”

“They were high energy… and it was a dominant performance against a top-three team. When United have beaten a top-three team in the last five, six, or seven years, it has been smash and grabs on the counterattack. Yesterday was a loss, but I value performances and if they perform like that, they will win a lot of football matches.”

Which clubs does Neville predict will finish in the top four?

The Sky Sports pundit went with Arsenal in top spot, Manchester City in second, and Liverpool in third, with the Red Devils taking up the final position.

Supporters may raise an eyebrow at this prediction, but they will be delighted if Neville is proven correct by May next year.

Man United did perform well versus Arsenal

Ruben Amorim‘s side did win the xG battle at the weekend, accruing 1.52 to Gunners’ 1.31 according to Opta. That is a positive sign in itself, demonstrating that the Red Devils were very unlucky to come away from the game without any points.

Of course, the key is consistency. If they can replicate that display in upcoming fixtures against the likes of Fulham and Burnley, they should pick up victories.

The absence of European football does have its benefits in terms of more preparation time for league matches as well, so a top four finish is not completely beyond the realms of possibility.

Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here