Tim Sherwood predicts where Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Liverpool finish this season

Former Premier League winner Tim Sherwood (Picture: Getty)

Tim Sherwood believes Arsenal are still the ‘team to beat’ as he revealed his predicted top-six for the upcoming Premier League season.

Following three successive second-place finishes, Mikel Arteta finally guided Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years last season .

And the Gunners have already laid down a marker ahead of the campaign with their emphatic victory over Manchester City in the Community Shield last weekend.

Summer signing Christos Tzolis showed his talent in wide areas, while Bruno Guimaraes made his first start for the club after his arrival from Newcastle United .

Arsenal are still looking for further reinforcements at centre back and left wing, but Sherwood believes the champions already have more than enough quality to retain their title this season.

‘I think Arsenal are still the team to beat,’ he told Metro via NetBet Sport .

‘What was missing over the last three years was them to actually get over the line and win it and have that swagger of knowing they’ve done it and not that pressure.

Mikel Arteta’s side are set to begin their title defence (Picture: Getty)

‘I think they’ve also got the manager in Arteta who’s learnt from the best. He saw how Pep dusted himself off after one season and said, “That’s gone; now we go again”. It is that drive to keep going again.

‘I think Mikel has learnt from the best to be able to drive his players to be able to achieve it again. If you’re ever going to strengthen, it’s when you’re the champions and I think they have taken advantage of that.’

It has been a busy off-season for virtually all of Arsenal’s potential title rivals, with a slew of managerial changes ahead of the new season.

Enzo Maresca is back at Manchester City , while Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso have been tasked with improving the fortunes of Liverpool and Chelsea after their respective poor domestic campaigns last season.

Manchester City were thumped by Arsenal in the Community Shield final (Picture: AFP)

And Sherwood thinks the pressure will be on Maresca straight away after Sunday’s dispiriting performance against Arsenal.

‘Maresca is going to have to fend off those questions,’ he added. ‘He’s not Pep Guardiola, but no one is.

‘It’s going to be difficult for him because he’s always going to be the man who took over from the great one. We saw how difficult that was after Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

‘I think he’s going to have every chance to be able to do it because of the finances that Man City have, but it’s a blow with Rodri leaving the club. Their best player in my opinion. I just think he’s the most important player they have.

‘I wouldn’t rule them out, but it was a huge confidence shift and a flag in the sand for Arsenal.’

Liverpool are set to begin life under Andoni Iraola (Picture: AP)

Sherwood, though, has less confidence in Liverpool’s title credentials after Andoni Iraola’s arrival, insisting: ‘Are they strong enough from the outside looking in? Probably not. I’d say they’ll be in and around the Champions League argument.

‘I looked at their squad last night and I was thinking, they haven’t done a lot of business, but they did a lot of business last year.

‘They were unlucky with injuries and circumstances. I think they still will do a couple [of deals], but they will also want players like Wirtz and Isak to emerge.

‘Iraola took time at Bournemouth. He ain’t got a magic wand. He can’t change it around overnight. But I think in the end, he’ll be a top-drawer manager at Liverpool Football Club.’

Having come in midway through last season as an interim, Michael Carrick is also preparing for his first full season in charge at Old Trafford.

But Sherwood fears that the added demands of Champions League football will cost the Red Devils in the league this time around.

Asked for his top-six prediction, he said: ‘I think Arsenal win it. I think Man City are still second, just on the history of what I’ve done previously.

‘I’ll go Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and then Man Utd just missing out on Champions League in sixth.’

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