John Barnes Predicts Premier League Top Six as Liverpool and Manchester United Miss Out on Top Two

Liverpool legend John Barnes does not expect his former club to challenge for the Premier League title during Andoni Iraola’s first season in charge. The former England international believes Arsenal and Manchester City will remain the leading contenders, while Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea could battle for the remaining Champions League places.

The new Premier League season is set to begin on Friday, August 21, when reigning champions Arsenal welcome newly promoted Coventry City. Liverpool will begin their campaign two days later, facing Newcastle United in what will be Iraola’s first competitive match as the club’s new head coach.

Iraola was appointed as the successor to Arne Slot and is expected to bring a more aggressive approach to Liverpool. His tactical philosophy is likely to feature an intense pressing game and a high defensive line, elements that will remind supporters of the style previously associated with Jurgen Klopp.

The return to a more energetic and attacking identity could help Liverpool regain some of the qualities that made them so successful under Klopp. However, Barnes believes it may take time before Iraola can transform those ideas into a team capable of competing consistently for the Premier League title.

According to Barnes, Arsenal and Manchester City should enter the new campaign as the two strongest candidates to finish at the top of the table. Liverpool, meanwhile, are likely to find themselves competing for a place in the Champions League rather than fighting for the championship.

Speaking to Mirror Football through 247Bet, Barnes outlined his predicted hierarchy for the season. He selected Arsenal and Manchester City as his two title favourites before placing Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea behind them.

Barnes admitted that he would love to see Liverpool either win the league or finish second, but he believes expectations should be realistic given the significant transition taking place at Anfield.

The former Liverpool winger suggested that a third-place finish would not necessarily represent disappointment. Instead, he believes securing Champions League qualification during Iraola’s first season would be a positive outcome and provide the foundations for a stronger title challenge in the future.

Liverpool have plenty of reasons to approach the upcoming season with caution. The club finished fifth in the previous campaign, meaning they will be looking to recover from a disappointing league position. At the same time, the arrival of a new manager means players will have to adapt to a different tactical system and potentially different demands.

Iraola will also face the difficult task of rebuilding confidence within the squad. While the Spanish coach is expected to implement an energetic style of football, translating that philosophy into consistent results in the Premier League could take time.

Barnes believes Liverpool should learn from Arsenal’s experience under Mikel Arteta. The Spanish manager did not immediately transform Arsenal into title contenders, but the club remained committed to his project despite several seasons in which the team fell short of expectations.

Arteta finished eighth in each of his first two full seasons before Arsenal improved to fifth. The club continued to support him, eventually allowing him to build a squad capable of challenging for major honours.

For Barnes, Liverpool should adopt a similar approach with Iraola. He believes the club should not consider dismissing the manager simply because Liverpool fail to win the Premier League during his first season.

The former England international argued that finishing third or fourth should be viewed in the context of a broader rebuilding process. If Iraola can guide Liverpool back into the Champions League places while establishing his tactical identity, Barnes believes that should be considered progress.

The prediction places Manchester United in the same group as Liverpool and Chelsea. United are expected to continue their development under Michael Carrick after ending the previous campaign strongly.

The Red Devils endured a difficult start to the season under Ruben Amorim, but Carrick helped stabilize the team and eventually guided them to a third-place finish. The challenge now will be maintaining that level of performance over an entire campaign.

United will hope their improved form under Carrick was not simply a short-term boost. If the manager can build on last season’s momentum, the club could challenge for another top-four or top-five finish.

Chelsea, meanwhile, enter the season with another new manager in the dugout. Xabi Alonso has taken charge of the London club, becoming their sixth permanent manager in only four years.

That remarkable level of managerial turnover highlights the instability Chelsea have experienced in recent seasons. Alonso will therefore have to deal with considerable pressure from the beginning of his tenure.

Chelsea finished only 10th in the 2025/26 Premier League season and will not participate in European competition this time around. While missing out on Europe is a disappointment, the reduced schedule could potentially provide Alonso with more time on the training ground and fewer distractions during the domestic campaign.

Barnes nevertheless expects Chelsea to improve significantly enough to challenge Liverpool and Manchester United for a position near the top of the table.

At the summit, however, his focus remains on Arsenal and Manchester City. Both clubs have established themselves as regular title contenders, and Barnes believes their consistency gives them an advantage over Liverpool during this transitional period.

Arsenal will enter the season with the confidence of being defending champions. Their continued progress under Arteta has transformed them from a team struggling to qualify for the Champions League into one of the Premier League’s most reliable title challengers.

Manchester City, meanwhile, have years of experience competing at the highest level. Their squad depth and winning mentality mean they remain difficult to overlook whenever the Premier League title is being discussed.

For Liverpool, the immediate priority may therefore be returning to the Champions League rather than demanding a title-winning campaign from their new manager.

Barnes’ prediction could be seen as cautious rather than pessimistic. His support for a third-place finish reflects an understanding that major changes often require time. Liverpool are entering a new managerial era, and Iraola will need an opportunity to establish his methods before being judged on trophies.

The club’s supporters will naturally expect more after a disappointing fifth-place finish, but Barnes believes patience could ultimately prove more valuable than unrealistic expectations.

The comparison with Arsenal is particularly relevant. Arteta needed several seasons to establish a competitive team, and Arsenal’s decision to remain committed to his project eventually paid off. Liverpool could now face a similar test of patience.

If Iraola can secure Champions League qualification, improve Liverpool’s performances and establish a clear tactical identity, Barnes believes the season should be viewed as a success even without silverware.

His projected top five is therefore Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, with the two Manchester and London clubs expected to compete closely behind the leading pair.

Liverpool will undoubtedly hope to prove Barnes wrong and mount a genuine title challenge. However, the former Reds star believes the club should focus on long-term development rather than judging Iraola solely by whether he wins the championship in his first year.

With the Premier League season approaching, the pressure will quickly begin to build. Arsenal and Manchester City appear to be Barnes’ favourites for the title, while Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are expected to fight for Champions League qualification.

For Liverpool, a return to the top four or top three could provide the platform for a much stronger challenge in the seasons ahead. Barnes’ message is clear: if Iraola needs time to rebuild the team, supporters and club officials should be prepared to give him that opportunity rather than expecting immediate silverware.