Gary Neville predicts which clubs will finish in Premier League top five
Manchester United legend Gary Neville expects Nottingham Forest to drop out of the top five, despite hailing Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as the ‘story of the season’ in the Premier League.
Forest have surpassed expectations across a remarkable top-flight campaign – just two years after being promoted from the Championship – and currently sit third in the table, three points clear of champions Manchester City.
However, a pair of disappointing defeats have threatened to throw Forest off course in their fight for European football, with the club beaten 2-1 away to Fulham before falling to a 4-3 loss at the hands of Newcastle at St James’ Park.
And it doesn’t get any easier for Espirito Santo’s men, who play host to second-placed Arsenal at the City Ground on Wednesday night.
Both City and Newcastle could go level on points with Forest if results go their way over the coming days and former United and England right-back Neville fears for the Reds.
‘I think Nottingham Forest have been absolutely amazing, the story of the season. But I think they’ll find it hard to hang on,’ Neville told Sky Sports while predicting a top five of Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Newcastle and Villa.
‘I hope they hang on in there but my feeling is it’s going to be tough for them.
Neville believes Villa could sneak into the top five
‘I think City, Villa, Newcastle and Chelsea might just [pip Forest]. Yes, 12 games is a long way to go but I still feel like it could be a long 12 games for Nottingham Forest.
‘I hope that they do stay there because that would be amazing for the Premier League. We need to see clubs that have been at the bottom one season getting towards the top six and the top four. That’s what the league needs.
‘We’re worried at the moment about the fact that the three that come up go down quite a bit and we don’t want that familiarity and predictability in the league. We need it to be the most unpredictable league in the world.
‘There’s a long way to go. Chelsea, I’m 50-50. At the moment I’m saying City, Newcastle and Villa in the top five but it could easily be Forest and Chelsea. I think it’s really so close.’
Neville predicts a top five of Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Newcastle and Villa
Villa beat Chelsea to end a five-match winless streak in the Premier League this weekend and Neville is confident the victory could prove a turning point for Unai Emery’s side.
‘I said a few weeks ago that I fancied Villa to get into the top four just because of Unai Emery,’ he continued.
‘They’re still in competitions but I just feel like their options up front now with the fact they’ve got [Ollie] Watkins, they’ve got [Marco] Asensio, they’ve got [Leon] Bailey, they’ve got [Jacob] Ramsey, they’ve got [Marcus] Rashford, they’ve got [Morgan] Rogers…
‘They’ve got five or six players there that you think: okay, two or three will play and then obviously they’ve got such options off the bench. They’ve left themselves in a good position.
‘Defensively, they obviously need to make sure that they can keep some players fit but I think Villa could finish the season strong.’
On Bournemouth’s chances of securing a top-five finish, Neville added: ‘They have been amazing but I don’t think they will get into the top five, that’s my view.
‘But they have been absolutely incredible and worth mentioning in the same bracket as Forest as being the team of the season or the surprise of the season.’