Michael Owen has expressed his belief that only two clubs will be able to challenge Arsenal for the Premier League title next season. After a long wait, the Gunners finally secured their first Premier League title since the 2003/04 season. Their journey was not without its hurdles, as they faced a difficult run-in but managed to pull through with four consecutive wins following a 2-1 loss to Manchester City. The final piece of the puzzle came when Pep Guardiola’s side dropped points against Bournemouth, allowing Arsenal to clinch the trophy.
Owen believes that the competition for the title next season will come from the two Manchester-based teams—Manchester City and Manchester United. He highlighted that even though Guardiola is set to leave City, the club still has a strong foundation with young players who have shown promise. “Man City will be strong, even if Pep leaves,” he said. “They ran Arsenal very close this season and have a good group of young players who are likely to be in a title race next season.”
He also pointed out that Manchester United, under Michael Carrick, could emerge as serious contenders. “It’s been a while, but Manchester United can be a title contender under Michael Carrick,” Owen noted. Since Carrick took charge, the team has shown significant improvement, finishing third this season. “Given how long it’s been since Manchester United challenged for the title, they can be dark horses,” he added.
Liverpool, on the other hand, may not be ready to challenge just yet. “Liverpool will hope to challenge, but they need to get everything right to do so and I’m not sure they are there just yet,” Owen said.
Manchester City is expected to undergo a major transformation this summer. Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will leave the club, and Enzo Maresca is being heavily linked as his potential successor. Maresca is reportedly keen on bringing Enzo Fernandez to the Etihad Stadium as his first major signing. This move could further strengthen City’s squad as they prepare for the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Manchester United has officially appointed Michael Carrick as their permanent manager after his impressive performance since taking over from Ruben Amorim in January. Under Carrick, the Red Devils have collected more points than any other top-flight club during that period. Owen is confident that Carrick can lead the team to challenge for the title in the coming season.
“From finishing bottom half under Amorim last year, Michael Carrick has done an excellent job for Man Utd to finish third, so there is scope for them to improve further and mount a serious title challenge,” he said.
Owen, who currently serves as the UK ambassador for the online casino comparison site Casino.org, emphasized the potential for growth at both City and United. He also mentioned that the success of the current Arsenal team sets a high bar for the competition next season.
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