After Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, Gary Neville gave a surprising new prediction for his former side’s Premier League finish.
Michael Carrick’s impressive start at Manchester United continued on Sunday as his side came from behind to beat Crystal Palace, securing a sixth victory in their last seven matches.
Palace dominated much of the first half and took a deserved lead through an early header from Maxence Lacroix, sending the visitors into the break a goal to the good.
United looked revitalised after half-time and were handed a route back into the contest when Matheus Cunha was fouled in the penalty area by Lacroix, who was shown a red card for the challenge. Bruno Fernandes stepped up and calmly converted from the spot to restore parity.
Fernandes then played a decisive role again, delivering an excellent cross that Benjamin Šeško finished superbly to complete the turnaround and move United up to third in the table.
Attention now shifts to Wednesday’s demanding trip to Newcastle United, currently 13th, a ground where United have not tasted victory since October 2020.
Gary Neville’s latest Man Utd prediction
The win on Sunday took Manchester United to third in the Premier League, the first time that has happened since May 2023.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast after the game, the legendary United right-back gave his latest prediction on his former side’s league finish this season, expecting them to secure a third-place finish.
“I think United will definitely finish third. I can’t believe I’m saying that from where they were six weeks ago. But, they’ve got no distractions, something good is going on, all the momentum.
“I think Liverpool finish fourth and I think Chelsea will finish fifth. I hope Villa finish in the top five, I really do. I’ve said before that their manager is an experienced and wise guy. If they get some players back, midfield players being injured have cost them in the last few weeks.
“I just think it will be Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea. The only doubt will be Chelsea or Villa for fifth.
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A season of ‘What ifs’
Going into the season, INEOS’ main target was to qualify for European football after their dismal 15th-place finish last campaign.
While the competition wasn’t specified, Old Trafford is very likely to be hosting Champions League football for the first time since the 2023/24 season, where they were eliminated at the group stage after picking up just one win.
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While the Old Trafford faithful will be happy that their club are starting to get back on the right track, in hindsight, the argument could be made that if Ruben Amorim was sacked earlier, United could very well have been in a title race.
The Reds sit 13 points behind league leaders Arsenal, having played a game less than The Gunners, but the gap could and perhaps should have been much tighter if Amorim hadn’t gone on an awful run of form towards the end of his tenure.
The disappointing 1-0 loss to a ten-man Everton side, the last-minute equaliser from Tottenham, aswell as three back-to-back draws against Wolves, Leeds, and Burnley all stand out as games that should have ended differently.
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