Manchester United on the rise! Paul Merson praises Manchester United over Liverpool in the fight for UEFA Champions League qualification.
On 6 Feb 2026 GMT+7, Paul Merson believes Manchester United are the favorites to secure a UEFA Champions League spot next season, seeing the "Red Devils" as having a significant advantage over both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Arne Slot's team faces a tough battle chasing a top-four finish. Although they recently beat Newcastle, after winning five straight matches early in the season, Liverpool has struggled to maintain consistent form, winning only 6 of their last 19 league matches, causing them to fall out of the title defense race.
Currently, Liverpool sits 6th in the table, two points behind Manchester United and one point behind Chelsea in the race for a top-four spot.
Merson told Sportskeeda, “Right now, I see Manchester United as the favorites to finish in the top five. Their win over Fulham was very important.”
“Also, they play only one match per week, which is a huge advantage compared to Liverpool and Chelsea. So, I have to pick them as the favorites, even though the points are still close.”
However, Merson believes the top-four race will remain intense and expects all three teams to win this weekend.
The Sky Sports pundit predicts Manchester United and Chelsea will beat Spurs and Wolves 3-1 respectively, and he also expects Liverpool to defeat Manchester City by the same scoreline.
“I would be very shocked if Liverpool lose this game,” he said.
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