A supercomputer has predicted that Manchester City have less than a 50 per cent chance of winning the Premier League this season, while Manchester United have been heavily tipped to finish in third position.
Prior to City's upcoming clash with the Gunners on Wednesday night, Opta's Premier League season prediction has the two teams within 0.01% chance of one another to win the 2022/23 Premier League title. Mikel Arteta's men currently have a three-point lead over Pep Guardiola's side, albeit with the London outfit having a game in hand over the Blues.
According to the predictions, City have a 48.89 per cent chance of finishing first in the table this term, while the Blues have a 42.6 per cent chance of finishing in second position. It appears unlikely that the reigning champions will finish in third (7.8 per cent) or fourth (0.5 per cent).
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United, meanwhile, are predicted to finish in third position in the Premier League table, with the Reds said to have a 62.5 per cent chance of comfortably securing Champions League football for next season. While Erik ten Hag's side are mathematically still part of the title race, the predictions give the club a 2.1 per cent chance of lifting the trophy. It suggests that United have a better chance of finishing fourth (15.1 per cent) than second (12.6 per cent).
For City, they will have a chance to leapfrog Arsenal in the table with a victory in midweek, and while the Gunners would still have a game in hand, Guardiola's men would be confident of retaining their crown. The title race is expected to go right down to the wire.
Ten Hag's side targeted a top-four finish at the start of the campaign, and it would mark a successful season if they achieved that. With the Reds still competing on all four fronts, a third-place finish would demonstrate a step in the right direction in the league.
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