We can’t find a single pundit who tipped Liverpool to win the 2024-25 title
Liverpool are romping towards the Premier League title – but not a single headline pundit predicted their success this season.
The Reds have taken the division by storm under Arne Slot, going 16 points clear of second-placed Arsenal in early March.
We’ve trawled through the pre-season predictions of Britain’s most prominent pundits and couldn’t find a single one who backed Liverpool to win the title.
Gary Neville
“We have to go Arsenal and Manchester City because we all collectively agree. I do [agree about Manchester United getting in the top four]. I am not sure [on Liverpool getting top four],” began Neville.
Carragher then responded: “Do you think Manchester United will get in, but Liverpool won’t?” You say this every season without fail. Bookmark this.”
Neville replied: “Every season, yeah. I am quite often wrong as well. It gets played back during the season, it’s quite enjoyable – I am going to go Tottenham – the surprise of the season, it can be anything.
“Surprise: Liverpool don’t finish in the top six.” Yikes.
Jamie Carragher
“I don’t think they’ll tank [Liverpool], no,” Carragher began on Stick To Football, backing them to finish third without challenging the top two for the title.
“I think Liverpool overachieved last season in terms of being in the title race for so long, I don’t think anybody really expected that,” Carragher admitted.
“And if Liverpool had a similar sort of season, I’d be delighted.”
“I don’t think replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool is the impossible job for Arne Slot,” Carragher added on a separate appearance on Sky Sports.
“It was a great time for the club under Klopp but they didn’t win everything.
“They were very successful at one stage where they did hold every trophy under Klopp, but it wasn’t a case of them winning every year. Most times they were a very close second to Manchester City.
“There is scope to improve for Slot. He can certainly improve the way they play slightly and also get better defensively.
“They will also want to avoid the number of injuries they had last season this time around. There are areas for the new manager to target.”
It’s safe to say that Slot has definitely improved Liverpool this year.
Ian Wright
The Arsenal legend didn’t speak at great lengths about Liverpool, but he did tip them to finish in the top four ahead of Manchester United… alongside Aston Villa, but behind title challengers Arsenal and Manchester City.
Michael Owen
Owen gave some predictions to the official Premier League website and went with Liverpool in second place, with Arsenal winning the title and Aston Villa and Manchester City finishing in third and fourth respectively.
Bold. But much more accurate than others on this list.
Roy Keane
“Yes I think so [Liverpool miss out on top four], unless they get a couple of signings in the next few weeks,” said Keane on Stick To Football.
“I’m not convinced by them.”
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Rio Ferdinand
The former Manchester United defender didn’t elaborate on his thoughts on Liverpool when he gave his pre-season predictions to TNT Sports, but he did tip them to finish third… behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
Alan Shearer
The Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer believed Liverpool would finish in third place.
“Liverpool haven’t signed anyone yet but from what I’ve seen throughout pre-season, it’ll be difficult for Slot to go in there after Jurgen Klopp and what he did for Liverpool, but it is interesting to see the energy he looks to play with,” Shearer wrote in his BetFair column.
“Having said that, they’ve got the balance of a really good team already and with a couple of additions, I think Arne Slot will deliver Champions League football.”
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Phil McNulty
“Arne Slot is undertaking the seemingly impossible task of replacing Jurgen Klopp but the former Feyenoord coach benefits from inheriting an outstanding squad left behind by his predecessor,” wrote McNulty, the BBC’s chief sports writer.
“And while there is understandable anxiety from supporters about the lack of signings, this remains an exceptionally strong Liverpool squad.
“They will challenge for trophies and finish in the top four.”
Steve Sidwell
A list of 30 BBC pundits were asked to give their top-four predictions prior to the season, and Sidwell’s might have panned out as the worst.
He had Manchester City – currently fourth – winning the title for a fifth straight year, with Arsenal and Chelsea in third and fourth place.
The team in second? Manchester United. Crikey.
Pat Nevin
By no means as bad as Sidwell, Nevin was included on that same list, and he had Newcastle higher than most people did – in third.
Last season’s seventh-placed side find themselves fifth in the Premier League at the moment. They are within three points of third currently, so that shout could indeed come true.
Nevin’s first, second and fourth-placed sides were: Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea.
Leon Osman
A very similar side to Nevin’s, but with a twist, Osman had three of those same names – Arsenal, City and Newcastle – in that order, with the Gunners ahead of City, but with Tottenham in fourth.
Indeed, Ange Postecoglou’s struggling Spurs side, currently 12th in the league and 31 points below Liverpool, were tipped at the start of the season to beat them to a top-four spot.
Osman spent almost his entire career with Everton, to be fair.
Tim Sherwood
Former Tottenham manager Sherwood included Spurs in fourth place in his predictions, just being pipped for third place by… United. Grim.
His top two were Manchester City and Arsenal, and he said his ‘bold prediction’ was that Arsenal would finish second.
Predicting the team who finished second in the last two seasons to finish second isn’t bold, Tim.
Perhaps not sticking Liverpool in your top four should have been your call for bold prediction.
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