In a recent interview with Danish media outlet TVsporten, legendary English soccer scorer Michael Owen gave his thoughts on the competitive landscape of the new Premier League season. He stuck to his previous prediction that Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City will be in the top four of the Premier League this season. While Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are the consensus picks for most, Owen is particularly confident about Aston Villa. He admits that Villa will need to cope well with the challenges of Champions League matches and multiple fronts, but given the strength of the team and coach Emery's coaching ability, he believes that Villa will be able to play alongside the other three giants.
When it comes to Manchester United, Owen's attitude is more pessimistic. He believes that if United wants to really get on track, it must achieve a significant improvement this season, but considering the team's league points and Champions League performance last season, as well as the use of the same coach for two consecutive seasons and the lack of reinforcements, he is not optimistic that United will be able to enter the top four. Owen bluntly pointed out that United need a new coach to lead the team's recovery, and emphasized that despite United's victory in the opening game, the overall has not changed enough. He predicted that United's final ranking this season will be between eighth and fifth, which he believes is a relatively reasonable range.
In addition, Owen also expressed cautious optimism about newcomer Zylkiser's prospects at United, believing that he has the potential to become an important member of the team, but still needs more time to observe his performance for the time being. At the same time, he also recognized the return of Gündoğan to Manchester City, believing that the veteran's quick integration and rich experience will bring new vitality to the city. Finally, when it comes to Arsenal, Owen said they can win titles without a center forward, but Arteta would also consider bringing in the right man if one comes along.
