Former Arsenal and Chelsea star makes bleak prediction for Man Utd and Liverpool | Football

Manchester United and Liverpool have ‘no hope this season,’ reckons sormer Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit, who expects both to struggle to return to the Champions League.

Manchester United have won just one of their first four Premier League matches this season, losing two after defeats to Hull City and Manchester City.

Liverpool are unbeaten under new manager Andoni Iraola, but three of their four matches have been drawn, including a goalless stalemate with Fulham on Saturday.

It is very early days for Iraola, who arrived from Bournemouth over the summer, while Michael Carrick is struggling for the first time since he took over at Old Trafford in January.

Petit does not see good things in the future for either club, though, saying the best they can hope for in the Premier League is battling it out for fourth place.

‘Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League odds, Petit said: ‘Liverpool and Manchester United have no hope this season.

‘They are conceding too many goals just like Chelsea but I was even less convinced about both clubs and what they did in the transfer market.

‘They are both missing players and it’s hard to see how they can be favoured to finish in the top four, especially together.

‘They may fight over that last place after Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, but that place may go to another team.’

Arsenal and Chelsea have both won all their league games so far, so few would argue with them competing at the top of the table all season, but Petit does appear to have confidence in Chelsea who have picked up just one more point than Liverpool so far.

The Frenchman thinks Manchester United made mistakes over the transfer window and failed to improve on the team that Carrick took to a third place finish last season.

‘I wasn’t happy with Manchester United’s business this summer at all in the transfer market,’ he said. ‘Every player they picked to sign, if you would ask me I would have said no. I would have wanted something different, and I would have brought in one or two defenders.

‘Has Michael Carrick been let down by Manchester United this summer? I don’t think so because I think he agreed with the players but sometimes the problem with Manchester United is that they splash big money on the wrong profile of players.’

Petit also took aim at two well-established Red Devils stars, who he does not believe have been stepping up to the plate enough: Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw.

‘These are two guys who should be the leaders of this team and in the dressing room, but I don’t recognise that from them,’ he said.

‘I think Luke Shaw has been a good left-back in the past but I can’t remember the last time I was amazed by him and his performances, so these guys need to show us something else to prove themselves because they have been at Manchester United for years now. They even had no World Cup football this summer so they should be fresh and sharp.

‘It was disappointing for Maguire not to go to the World Cup especially but at the same time you play for the most famous club in the world. You have to reach that standard. I can’t understand why you see these players stay at Manchester United for years and years otherwise if they’re not good enough to wear the shirt. I don’t get it.’

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