Monday 24 September 2018 08:55, UK
Who will miss out on a top-four finish in the Premier League? Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness give their verdicts…
Two of the contenders for a top-four finish were in action on Renault Super Sunday with Chelsea dropping points at West Ham, while Arsenal collected a fourth straight league win against Everton.
Chelsea and Arsenal finished outside the Champions League places last season with Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United occupying the top four positions.
Can either side break into the top four this year? Carragher and Souness give their thoughts…
Graeme Souness: "Six games in, it's very difficult but I'd go Liverpool or Man City, then Chelsea, Man Utd or Tottenham and Arsenal sixth. I don't think Arsenal will get there."
Jamie Carragher: "On the evidence of what we've seen in these first six games, I'd say Arsenal and Manchester United. The others look a bit further ahead but it's really tight."
Souness: "I think Chelsea are the real deal, missing an out-and-out goalscorer. There's an overreliance on Eden Hazard, who's arguably the best player in the Premier League.
"I think that ultimately is where they'll come up short but with a proper striker, the title would be between three teams. Right now, it's between two in my opinion. If you go through the Chelsea team, there's no other obvious weakness."
Carra: "You think of the times when they have won titles - [Didier] Drogba and [Diego] Costa - they haven't got that right now. They're lacking that figurehead."
Souness: "Man Utd are a big football club… when they get on a roll; that makes them dangerous. They might not be the best team but if they get a run together, that snowball, come winter, could be a big one. I wouldn't rule them out."
Carra: "I think head-to-head between the top six will decide a lot. Liverpool haven't proven anything yet but they're the one team in the league who seem to have given Man City a problem and can get under their skin."