Former England star David James makes Premier League top four prediction with Chelsea and Man Utd long way off the pace

DAVID JAMES has given his predictions for which teams will make the top four of the Premier League.

James, 54, played the best part of 600 games in the Premier League between 1992 and 2010, starring for Liverpool, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth.

GettyDavid James has named the clubs he is backing to make the top four[/caption]

ReutersBut he has snubbed Man Utd, Chelsea and Tottenham in doing so[/caption]

GettyJames backed Newcastle or Aston Villa to take the final top four spot[/caption]

And the former England international reckons two of his former teams will be shoe-ins for a title race.

Speaking to SafestCasinoSites, James said: “Manchester City will expect to win the league, or at least that is my expectation from them. That is simply what City do.

“Arsenal will be up there. I expect Arsenal to mount another title challenge, and I think Liverpool will do the same thing.”

In terms of the top four, James has named Newcastle and Aston Villa as the teams he believes are most likely to make the top four, snubbing Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United.

James continued: “The final position is a little bit trickier to predict.

“I think Villa will be there, but sadly for them to do that, then they will likely have to sacrifice the domestic cup competitions, which is a shame, but that’s the reality of the standard in the Premier League these days.

“I think Newcastle could be there or thereabouts. I like the club’s start to the season, which has been achieved in less than harmonious circumstances.

“We’ve seen Eddie Howe do it before, so we know he has that in his locker.

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“Chelsea, they have some wonderful players, but consistency will be the main issue for them.

“I can’t see them being consistent enough to challenge for a place in the top four over a thirty-eight-game season.

“If I’m looking at the table as things stand, then I’m pretty sure the top four will come from the clubs that are currently sat in those positions, possibly even in the same order.

“It’s between Villa and Newcastle for the fourth-placed position.”

The current top five are the clubs James already mentioned, with Villa in fifth with third-place Newcastle and fourth-place Liverpool.

Man City and Arsenal make up the top two and face off at the Etihad this weekend.