Arsenal will aim to maintain their four-point lead at the summit on Sunday when they take on Tottenham in the north London derby. ..Continue reading
Manchester City, currently second after beating Liverpool 3-0 before half-time, travel to Newcastle United.
Third-place Chelsea go to Burnley, while reigning champions Liverpool are keen to bounce back with a home match against Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United, meanwhile, wants to extend its unbeaten run to six games and welcome Everton to Old Trafford.
‘I’m not a big fan of Arsenal winning, so I don’t know. It is a difficult task,” ex-Premier League striker Saha told OLBG when asked about his top-four prediction.
“I will say that if you look at it now, Arsenal are certainly better equipped and they will get even better.
‘You can imagine that you always have the threat of having a good start to the season and then losing weight. But right now that seems unlikely.
‘You still feel like Chelsea, with all those young players getting more experience and confidence there. Who knows? They could surprise us and make a big run and finish second.
“You always think that Manchester City, wherever they are, and Liverpool will be there. I hope that is the goal, that Man United will be there to get into Europe.
‘I always feel that when you have these kind of players at Man United, if we click, we can go back to Europe.
**Louis Saha’s top six prediction**
Arsenal
Chelsea
Manchester city
Liverpool
Manchester United
Tottenham
‘Could they be title contenders? I don’t think so, but I can see them finishing in the top five.’
Elsewhere, Ruben Amorim has spoken about how Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘completely changed’ Manchester United’s season.
Amorim looked on the verge of sacking at Old Trafford after a disappointing start to the campaign.
His team had finished in 15th place the previous season and their hopes of making it through with a Europa League win were dashed by a last-gasp defeat to Tottenham.
A strong start to the new season was crucial, but United lost four of their first seven games.
As well as league losses to Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford, they also suffered a shock exit from the Carabao Cup to League Two side Grimsby Town.
There was speculation that Amorim could be sacked during the October international break if his side lost to Sunderland, but a 2-0 win eased the pressure.
United went on to deliver four encouraging results before the November break, including a rare Anfield win over Liverpool and a dominant performance against Brighton.
They also came from behind twice, drawing 2-2 against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham in their last two matches before returning to action against Everton on Monday evening.
This revival has reignited their Champions League hopes, with Amorim writing that Ratcliffe’s public support in October ‘completely changed’ the atmosphere at the club.
Speaking to The Times, Ratcliffe said it could take Amorim three years to fully implement his vision at the Theater of Dreams.
The comments helped ease scrutiny and had a ‘huge impact’ on the club, according to the former Sporting boss.
“If you remember when Jim gave the interview, it was very arranged within the club,” Amorim, who took over just over a year ago, told Stan Sport.
‘The noise around the club changed completely and that was very important for the team and it is very important for the team and me.
‘It had a huge impact – not on the way I do things – but on the way people see what we do. So it was huge for us.”
Amorim said he was not concerned about being fired, but acknowledged that Ratcliffe’s support made a meaningful difference.
“It is always very important, but it is more important that the fans understand that we have a clear path and we will continue to follow it,” he added.
‘Not much changes for me. I’m not afraid of losing my job. It’s good to hear, but it won’t change the way I behave. I know clearly which way to go.’
United’s clash with Everton on Monday marks exactly one year since Amorim’s debut in the dugout.
Reflecting on a challenging 12 months, he said: “It’s been a journey, I’ve learned a lot.
“Sometimes you think we’re too young and you’re just winning. Then you are faced with a different result, the way people look at your work, at what you do.
‘It is sometimes difficult, but you learn a lot from it. I think I am a better manager now and am ready for the future and the present.
‘A very tough journey, but I see that it was necessary and that we are in a better place because of it.’
If results go their way this weekend, Manchester United could rise to third in the Premier League standings.
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