The BIG Man United mistake that will help Chelsea rival Arsenal for Premier League title — Ex-Liverpool star reveals

Former England international and renowned pundit Michael Owen has backed Chelsea to mount a serious challenge for the 2026/27 Premier League title, pointing to the appointment of Xabi Alonso and a lethal attacking trio spearheaded by Brazilian star João Pedro.

While Mikel Arteta's Arsenal remain tipped as title favourites, Owen believes Chelsea's lack of European football and their dynamic frontline give them a distinct edge to spring a massive surprise this season.

Owen reserved his highest praise for 24-year-old forward João Pedro. Chelsea secured the Brazilian from Brighton for £60 million in the summer of 2025, and he has instantly become the focal point of their attack at Stamford Bridge.

However, Owen was quick to criticise his former club, Manchester United, for failing to identify Pedro's world-class potential during the forward's tenure at Watford between January 2020 and the summer of 2023.

"I’m a huge Pedro fan, I think he’s unbelievable," Owen stated on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. "In fact, Manchester United should have bought him about four years ago when he was at Watford. 

“United had nobody up front for years, and I thought, 'That Pedro', I love him. Him, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer as a front three… strange signings in Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson obviously."

Pedro's market value has skyrocketed following a stellar 2025/26 debut campaign in London. The Brazilian registered 15 goals and 5 assists across 35 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.

His form drew interest from Barcelona this summer. The Catalan giants reportedly submitted an audacious £86 million offer to make him their new number nine, but Chelsea's hierarchy unequivocally rejected the bid, declaring the forward an "untouchable" asset.

That faith is already paying dividends. Pedro is entering the new campaign in red-hot form, recently scoring twice in Chelsea's 3-1 pre-season victory over Real Sociedad on August 15, 2026, with fellow attacker Morgan Rogers netting the third.

Beyond their potent attacking trio of Pedro, Palmer, and Rogers, Owen highlighted two massive structural advantages for Chelsea: an empty midweek schedule and the tactical brilliance of new manager Xabi Alonso.

Following a disappointing 10th-place finish in 2025/26, Chelsea missed out on European qualification entirely. Owen sees this as a crucial blessing in disguise, granting Alonso unparalleled time on the training pitch to implement his philosophy.

"Chelsea. This could be way off the mark, but they’ve got no Europe at all, and you see how important that has been over the years," Owen explained. 

"This manager [Alonso] did something similar with an unfancied team in Germany, he’s going to change a lot, they’ve bought well."

Alonso arrives in London with a champion CV. During his managerial spell with Bayer Leverkusen, he historically transformed the club, leading them to an invincible domestic double by capturing the 2023/24 Bundesliga and the 2023/24 DFB-Pokal.

While acknowledging some defensive uncertainties in the current squad, Owen remains convinced by Chelsea's exceptionally high ceiling:

"There’s a big question mark over the goalkeeper, I hear that. But I just think that could catch fire that team. They’ve got no European football to concentrate on and there’s some good players there. I think Chelsea could have a big season."