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Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes his former team will finish above Arsenal in the Premier League this season. He said that if the Red Devils make a few more signings, they could compete with the Gunners, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
United finished sixth in the league last season, accumulating their worst points tally (58) in 30 years. Meanwhile, the Gunners finished fifth, 11 points above the Red Devils. They were in pole position to finish fourth but missed out on in the last few weeks to arch-rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners have added five players to their squad this summer, including Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko. They have also won five of their six pre-season games.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have signed three players under new manager Erik ten Hag - Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez. They won three of their six pre-season friendlies.
However, Keane believes Ten Hag could inspire United to finish above Arsenal. When asked who'll finish higher between the two clubs in the 2022-23 Premier League, Keane told Sky Sports:
"United. Arsenal got a lot of plaudits last season with their young players and got themselves in a great position and blew it. They didn't get the job done. They couldn't back it up."
He added:
"There is something still amiss at United as well, but from a footballing point of view, my head is saying if United can tidy up that little mess over the next few weeks and get one or two players over the line, then they'll be pretty decent. United should be able to compete with Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs."
The Gunners will kick off their Premier League campaign against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Friday, August 5. Manchester United, meanwhile, will begin their campaign a day later against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.
"There’s still a softness to the group" - Manchester United legend Roy Keane on Arsenal's squad
In another interview, Roy Keane spoke about how the Gunners still have a 'softness', especially in the centre-back position. He said (via Metro):
"The way they finished last season was a big setback. Arsenal should be competing for a top-four, so to come up short and finish behind Tottenham was a hammer blow."
He added:
"There’s still a softness to the group. Okay, they’re young, and sometimes you need experienced lads to get you over the line in the big games. But there’s a softness to them, even the two centre-halves, they’re not convincing."
It'll be interesting to see if Mikel Arteta can inspire the Gunners to a top-four finish in the Premier League for the first time since 2016.
