Gary Neville believes Liverpool will fall short of Man Utd

Gary Neville has predicted Liverpool’s final Premier League position after our 5-2 victory over West Ham United and believes Manchester United will finish above us.

The result at Anfield moved Arne Slot’s side onto 48 points and firmly into the Champions League race, yet the former England right-back still expects the table to end with United ahead.

The Sky Sports pundit was speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast on Sky Sports Premier League’s YouTube channel and offered a clear ranking.

“I think United will definitely finish third,” Neville said.

“I think Liverpool finish fourth and I think Chelsea will finish fifth.”

That assessment comes despite Liverpool’s attacking output improving and our performances stabilising after a difficult winter spell.

Neville explains why he favours Manchester United

Neville’s reasoning focused largely on momentum and squad availability rather than quality.

“They’ve got no distractions, something good is going on, all the momentum,” he continued.

He also pointed to returning players at Old Trafford while other top-four contenders are losing key options.

“Michael Carrick’s had Harry Maguire come back… Lisandro Martinez come back… Mbeumo and Amad come back from AFCON.”

The former Manchester United defender added that competing competitions could influence the race.

“Injuries will be a big factor. Other competitions will be a big factor.”

That is relevant to us because Liverpool remain involved in multiple tournaments, including the FA Cup and the Champions League.

Liverpool’s form still supports Champions League hopes

While Neville expects fourth place, that still represents qualification, and other pundits have backed us strongly.

Owen Hargreaves recently argued Liverpool will finish in the top five, citing experience and a favourable run-in compared with Chelsea.

The numbers also suggest our underlying performance level is high.

Liverpool have created 342 chances this Premier League season, the most in the division, which reflects consistent attacking pressure even during inconsistent results.

West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes also admitted opponents are now preparing specifically for our strengths, particularly set-pieces.

“We worked on stopping Van Dijk during the week… but we weren’t able to stop them scoring,” Fernandes said after the match.

That detail matters because it shows teams are adjusting to us rather than the other way around.

We currently sit fifth with 48 points, three behind fourth-placed Aston Villa and level with Manchester United, meaning the race is still extremely open.

The difference between third and fourth matters far less than securing Champions League football.

If we maintain recent performances, continue converting chances, and manage the schedule well, Neville’s prediction could still be challenged over the coming weeks.

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