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GARY NEVILLE and Jamie Carragher disagree on which team will win the Premier League this season.Arsenal currently lead the way, having picked up an astonishing 50 points from 19 matches thus far.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher made their mid-season predictionsCredit: PA
They sit five points above Manchester City with a game in hand.
With the two title rivals still to play each other twice, the Premier League crown remains up for grabs.
And the Sky Sports pundits picked different winners during their annual MNF mid-season predictions show last night.
Neville and Carragher also disagreed on who’d clinch a top-four spot.
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They even backed different teams to beat the drop.
However, they were in agreement over who the player and manager of the season should be.
Here, SunSport take a look at Neville and Carragher’s picks as we enter the second half of the campaign.
CHAMPIONS
Carragher: Arsenal
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Neville: Man City
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On the title race, Carra said: “I think the thing with Arsenal is not just the points gap, it’s their performance in big games.
“If you go back to the World Cup finishing, they obliterated Brighton, drew with Newcastle, the best defence in the league, although they only just got over the line (against Man Utd).
“We’re all expecting City to kick on, they will, but once they start getting to March and April I cant help but think those City players know that if they win the Champions League it won’t matter that they wont win the league.”
Neville, meanwhile, reasoned: “I get asked this every 10 minutes at the moment. Even Arsenal fans, they must get tired of asking these questions.
“It’s too far out to be thinking about the title. Going back to my own experience, I think City are still messing about, they haven’t really started this season yet, when they start to purr they will hunt Arsenal down.
“That doesn’t always work. Blackburn held us (Neville’s Man Utd) off, Newcastle didn’t. The run in doesn’t start until nine games in.”
Carra backs Arsenal to win the titleCredit: Getty

TOP FOUR
Carragher: Arsenal, Man City, Man Utd, Newcastle
Neville: Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal, Tottenham
Former Liverpool ace Carragher reckons his old club, as well as Tottenham and Chelsea, have given themselves too much to do to overhaul the current top four.
Citing two specific factors that will give Newcastle the edge over them, he reasoned: “They’re not involved in European football and they’re defensively the best team in the league.”
Neville went on to ask: “Have your ruled your own mob out then?”
And Carra responded: “No, I don’t think Liverpool will get in the top four.”
Tottenham are Neville’s pick to pip Newcastle to a place in next season’s Champions League – despite their poor run prior to last night’s 1-0 win at Fulham.
Antonio Conte’s side are currently three points behind Newcastle having played a game more.
Liverpool and Chelsea have both been tipped to miss out on the Champions LeagueCredit: Rex
STAYING UP
Carragher: Wolves
Neville: Everton
The former Man Utd ace has backed ex-Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa to keep Everton in the Premier League.
Bielsa, 67, is the Toffees’ first choice to replace Frank Lampard, and Neville claimed: “I think you can see Bielsa’s influence at Leeds now. He’d get the fans on side at Everton.”
Carragher, meanwhile, has been impressed by Wolves boss Julen Lopetegei, saying: “I just think the manager’s come in and done a really good job.
“Getting them a really tough team to beat. I think his experience in terms of managing Sevilla, Real Madrid and Spain – he’s a top manager.
“And I just think when you actually look at some of the quality, certainly in midfield with the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho…”
Neville then appeared to hedge his bets, adding: “I don’t think Wolves will go down either by the way for the matter, just to be clear.”
Julen Lopetegui has already impressed both punditsCredit: Getty
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carragher: Erling Haaland
Neville: Erling Haaland
The Norwegian striker has already scored 25 Premier League goals this season, and has bagged FOUR Man City hat-tricks.
Both Neville and Carragher picked him as their unanimous Player of the Year, although the latter had second thoughts.
Pointing to the league leaders, Carra said: “I think all the players will vote for Haaland, that’s what I’m trying to say.”
Urged by Neville to “have his own mind”, Carragher added: “I think Odegaard at Arsenal has been absolutely sensational, but I just know what players are like, I’ve been in the dressing room when they get the [ballot].
“Obviously Haaland’s scored so many goals, he’s been amazing and I totally get it, but I just think if Arsenal go on to win the title, the role of Odegaard… he’s been sensational, I think he’s brilliant.
“I think he’s the closest thing to Kevin De Bruyne. That player, every time he gets the ball you think something’s gonna happen, he was fantastic, he was unbelievable.”
Norwegian duo are tipped to be in the player of the year raceCredit: Getty
MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Carragher: Mikel Arteta
Neville: Mikel Arteta
The Arsenal boss is an easy choice as manager of the year this term.
Neville, 47, has consistently claimed in recent weeks that the Gunners won’t win the league… but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been impressed.
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He said of the Spaniard: “You talk about young managers breaking towards the ‘super-managers’ like Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte – league winners – it’s so tough.
“And Arteta has got an unbelievable chance. If you win the league with Arsenal you are into Barcelona and Real Madrid territory where you could achieve something magical.”
Mikel Arteta has guided Arsenal to the top of the PremCredit: EPA More

GARY NEVILLE joked he would be willing to sign a petition banning HIMSELF from commentating on Arsenal matches. The former Manchester United defender, 47, is one of the main men with the microphone for Sky Sports.
Arsenal fans are fed up with Gary Neville on commentary for their matchesCredit: Getty
The Gunners restored their lead at the top by beating his beloved Man UtdCredit: Getty

But with his connections to the Red Devils, some viewers reckon he can slip into being biased.
And during Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 win over Neville’s beloved United on Sunday, a Twitter account suggested the idea of a Neville embargo when the Premier League leaders play live on Sky.
The Arsenal Therapy Show tweeted: “Like this tweet if you would sign a petition to have @GNev2 banned from commentating on Arsenal games.”
The post has received more than 17,000 likes already.
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And it got further traction when Neville brilliantly retweeted it and quipped: “I will sign it 🙋🏻‍♂️!
“Thought I was fair yesterday as well 😂”
The tweet prompted a mix of comments in the replies below.
One said: “Thought Gary was very fair yesterday, had excitement in his voice for Arsenal’s goals which I found refreshing.”
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Another wrote: “A tricky job to pull off with your love and emotions towards United, Gary. In all honesty, you did alright and take the banter well. Credit to you.”
But a third added: “Honestly I don’t knock you, you are a true United fan but watching an important match with the commentator a passionate United fan came through badly, no matter how hard you tried.”
Neville understandably got excited when Marcus Rashford blasted in his smart opener before Arsenal hit back through Eddie Nketiah and Bukayo Saka’s stunner.
Lisandro Martinez levelled it up with a looping header but Nketiah grabbed a last-gasp winner to restore Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top if the table.
A video of Neville allegedly reacting to Nketiah’s flick in the 90th minute spread on social media – but the commentator confirmed the footage was from a different day.
But even after racking up a staggering 50 points by the halfway mark of the season, Neville still does not believe Arsenal will be lifting the Premier League trophy by the end of May.
He said: “I don’t see them going on to win the league.
“I think Manchester City will win the league because I just think they’ve got a special run in them.
“I think that at a point in the season Arsenal will lose one or two matches and City will be right on their shoulders and it will become very difficult for them.
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“But they could win the league. And to be honest with you, to say they could win the league… I thought they would be nowhere near winning the league, Arsenal, I can’t believe they’re in the chat.
“The fact they’re in the chat of winning the league is incredible so it’s not a negative thing for me to say I think City will win the league because that’s what we all said probably at the start of the season.” More

MIKEL ARTETA gave a hilarious response when he was asked about his yellow card during Arsenal’s 3-2 win over Man Utd.The Spaniard, 40, was cautioned during the first half on Sunday after furiously remonstrating when Bukayo Saka was fouled by Luke Shaw.
Mikel Arteta was in a jovial mood after his side’s win over Man UtdCredit: Sky Sports

His reaction to the question about his yellow card was loved by Arsenal fansCredit: Sky Sports
But after the game, when his team had restored their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, he appeared to see the funny side of the incident.
Sky Sports’ Geoff Shreeves asked the Arsenal boss: “Can you complain about the yellow card you received?”
To which he bluntly replied: “I don’t think so”.
Shreeves then pressed for a bit more, asking: “Need to learn a little bit from that?”
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Before Arteta responded: “You can always get better in life, innit?”
And the Arsenal faithful were loving their manager’s response to his touchline antics.
One said: “My man went from Spanish to London road within seconds”.
Another added: “I love his response 😂😂😂. Yes gaffer, we can always get better in life 😂😂 next question pls???”
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A third said: “My manager 🤣 can take him outta London but can’t ever take the London outta him. Class. COME. ON. YOU GUNNERS! 🔴⚪️👏🏻”.
And a fourth responded: “Following in the footsteps of Hector Bellerin. 😍 That Spanish/Cockney slang is something else. 😂😂😂 #MyManager”.
Arsenal’s five-point advantage over Man City comes as the Gunners reach the midway point of their season.
Arteta’s men also have a game in hand on the defending champions – who they host on February 15.
And Arsenal face Man City at the Etihad on Friday in the fourth-round of the FA Cup.
They also still have to travel to Pep Guardiola’s men in the Premier League – a fixture which is scheduled for April 26. More