Owen also shared his views on the Premier League title race, backing his former club Liverpool to defend the crown while naming Arsenal as the main challengers.
Mumbai: Former Liverpool and England striker Michael Owen was left pleasantly surprised by the turnout of Arsenal fans at a Premier League fan engagement event in Mumbai on Saturday. The event, held at the NESCO Centre, also saw Indian cricketer Sanju Samson revealing his admiration for Liverpool.
Owen, a Ballon d’Or winner, headlined the fan-park style screening and community activity. Speaking to ANI, the 45-year-old said that while he expected high excitement for football during his second visit to India, the sheer number of Arsenal supporters caught him off guard.
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"Yeah, I've loved the experience. I'm here for a week, so I'm really looking forward to it. I've obviously only been here two days now. So, managed to sample the weather. Very hot today. Trying to play a bit of football and a bit of cricket. Well, very passionate. I knew that before I came. I knew that India, despite India being a huge cricketing nation, they're a huge footballing nation as well," Owen said.
He added, "I know the fans love their Premier League football. I've seen so many different shirts. Surprised how many Arsenal fans there are. Everybody seems to be Arsenal fans at the moment, I see. But I'm sure I'll find some Liverpool, some Manchester United fans as well. And, yeah, just really pleased to see the passion for myself and not just hear about it or see it on television."
Owen also shared his views on the Premier League title race, backing his former club Liverpool to defend the crown while naming Arsenal as the main challengers. He expressed doubts about Manchester City’s chances due to a perceived lack of quality.
"Yeah, I said at the start of the season, I see only two teams that have a real big chance of winning the Premier League. I thought Liverpool had the biggest chance, and then maybe Arsenal. And I don't think I've changed my mind. Manchester City have had quite a good start to the season. But I don't think they're quite good enough to be able to beat Liverpool or Arsenal. So, I think it will be between those two. And I obviously hope it's going to be Liverpool."
Also present at the event, India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson expressed his deep love for football and shared fond memories of playing the game with his family during his childhood.
"Yeah, definitely a very big fan of football and the Premier League. So, I've been watching a lot of football since my young days. And more than watching, I think playing a lot of football with my family, with my brother, with my father. So, yes, football is really close to me. Yeah, a very big Liverpool fan. I really love the way they play. So, yes, supporting them all the way through," Samson said.
Published: 05 Oct 2025, 07:53 am IST
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