Phil Neville expects Liverpool to pip Arsenal for fourth spot finish

Phil Neville believes that Arsenal will be the one to miss out on a Champions League spot this season, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City making up the final three spots behind Chelsea.

The Gunners are currently third in the table, one point behind second placed City and are the in-form team coming into the run-in, winning their last six games in the league.

The Gunners have also progressed into the semi-finals of the FA Cup at the expense of Manchester United, where they will play Reading at Wembley, in a bid to retain their Cup.

For Neville's prophecy to come true, it is imperative for Liverpool to beat the Gunners at the Emirates come the weekend, failing which there will be a nine-point gap between the two teams. With only seven games left following the fixture, it will be an extremely difficult task for Liverpool to come anywhere near the north London club with regards to points if they lose.

Neville also expects United to beat City for the second spot, with the two teams currently separated by only two points. They play each other in a Manchester derby next weekend at Old Trafford.

"For me Chelsea are going to win the league. I think they'll win it with three or four games to spare. I'm going for an outside bet of Manchester United finishing second and then I'm for City and Liverpool," Neville said.

Should Arsenal fail to secure a Champions League spot, it will be their first failure under Arsene Wenger in his 18 years in charge of the north London club. The French manager has an enviable record in qualifying for Europe's elite club competition despite never winning the competition.