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Neville makes Champions League prediction for Liverpool

Originally posted on Empire of the Kop
By Peter Kenny Jones | Last updated Apr 13, 2026 10:44 AM ET

Liverpool’s push for Champions League qualification has received a timely boost off the pitch, with Gary Neville suggesting that one of our key rivals could fall away at the crucial stage of the season.

After our 2-0 win over Fulham at Anfield, attention quickly turned to the race for the top five, and the latest comments from the Sky Sports pundit will certainly catch the eye of supporters.

Neville predicts Chelsea collapse in top-five race

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast via Sky Sports Premier League, the former England international outlined why he believes Chelsea are now set to miss out on Champions League football.

He said: “I think [Chelsea are] gonna have a difficult end to the season and it feels to me now like Chelsea will miss out on Champions League football.

“And a few weeks ago, I think they were in a spot whereby I thought Villa were in free fall and that Chelsea, Liverpool and United would get that third, fourth, fifth spot.

“I actually think now that Chelsea are going to miss out because of what’s happened in this last few weeks and where they’re at”

It’s a significant shift in opinion, particularly given how strong Chelsea looked just a few weeks ago, but their recent form has clearly changed the picture.

The London side have now lost five of their last six in all competitions, including a heavy 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, which has opened the door for us to build a cushion in the standings.

Liverpool in strong position despite tough run

From our perspective, the timing couldn’t be better, especially with Arne Slot’s side balancing domestic ambitions with a huge Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

As Virgil van Dijk explained this weekend, securing a top-five finish remains absolutely vital.

The Dutch captain said: “Every game is massive and especially if you look at the opponents we’ve got. We all know how important Champions League football is for the club in general, financially as well.”

That focus is clear, even as attention turns to Europe, where the likes of Rio Ngumoha could yet play a decisive role after impressing against Fulham, with Danny Murphy noting that “99.9% of Liverpool fans want to see him Tuesday night… he can make things happen.”

With Chelsea faltering and momentum slowly returning after a difficult spell, the path to Champions League qualification is starting to look clearer for us, even if there is still plenty of work to be done in the weeks ahead.

This article first appeared on Empire of the Kop and was syndicated with permission.

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