Dimitar Berbatov has made some wild predictions ahead of the upcoming Premier League season.
The former Manchester United striker named his old club as one of the primary contenders for the title, which means he is tipping Erik ten Hag to jump from third to first in just 12 months.
That seems like a stretch – even by our expectations ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. I know Man City have yet to strengthen but the gap is a big one. A title race, however, is expected.
More surprisingly, Berbatov picked Chelsea as the other likely winner. The same side that finished 12th last season.
The former Bulgaria international believes Pep Guardiola’s City side will fall short of a fourth consecutive title triumph.
“Retired players are always biased towards the clubs they used to play for, so I hope Manchester United get back to where they belong at the the top of the Premier League,” Berbatov told Betfair, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
“Manchester City are favourites again, I don’t want that to happen because they’ll be champions four years in a row, which has never happened before.
“Chelsea will be the big surprise, they’ve performed well under Mauricio Pochettino in pre-season. The new signings look confident, they look for the ball and aren’t afraid to make mistakes.
“Mykhailo Mudryk looks a lot more confident this season, Christopher Nkunku is a great player too, he can be a great signing, it’s unfortunate that he is starting the season with an injury. I can see Chelsea competing for the Premier League title too.”
Not only is Berbatov putting a lot of faith into Ten Hag, he is expecting a miracle from Pochettino.
“Arsenal will have a big task on their hands because they were comfortably leading the Premier League for months and still didn’t win the league,” Berbatov continued.
“That’s what the Premier League can do, it made them make mistakes and lose out on the title.
“Arsenal won’t admit it, but the title was theirs to win and clearly for the taking. This season will be tougher and more challenging for them.”
Let hope Berbatov is right… about United coming out on top next May!
Get the latest Manchester United news, opinion, interviews and exclusive features with the Stretty Newsletter – Ad Free! Kick off your afternoon with the Stretty News verdict on all matters Manchester United.
