Sutton's predictions v Royal Blood drummer Ben Thatcher

BBC Sport’s football pundit Chris Sutton has entered his second‑week predictions for the Premier League, pitting his forecasts against those of Royal Blood drummer Ben Thatcher, BBC readers and an AI generated by Microsoft Copilot Chat. The showdown covers all 380 league fixtures, with points awarded for correctly picking win‑draw‑loss outcomes (10 points) and exact scores (40 points). Sutton, who is making predictions for every game of the season, faces Thatcher—a lifelong Brighton fan—who remains optimistic despite the departure of key players such as striker Danny Welbeck and defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Both guests were interviewed by BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan, and the AI’s weekend scores were produced by simply asking the tool to “predict this weekend’s Premier League scores.”

The discussion highlighted the broader context of each club’s recent form and transfer activity. Sutton warned that Aston Villa, after a slow start and the loss of several senior players, could be vulnerable to Arsenal’s anticipated dominance, describing the Gunners as “ominous for everybody else.” He also noted Brighton’s resilience, citing owner Tony Bloom’s track record of selling and nurturing talent, and expressed hope that the Seagulls would finish in the top ten and avoid slipping into the bottom half despite a congested Europa Conference League schedule. Further commentary touched on Manchester City’s potential challenges without Pep Guardiola, Crystal Palace’s shaky start away to Everton, and Liverpool’s need for striker Alexander Isak to find form after a troubled previous season.

Additional insights from the interview covered other clubs’ situations: Nottingham Forest’s managerial instability and the impact of new signing Liam Delap, Liverpool’s desire for a point against Newcastle, and Bournemouth’s narrow loss to Manchester City after taking an early lead. Everton’s early-season momentum under David Moyes, highlighted by victories over Palace and Preston North End in the EFL Cup, was also mentioned. The segment wrapped up by inviting fans to join BBC Sport’s new “Match of the Day” predictor game, which features six fixtures from domestic and European competitions each week, allowing readers to test their own forecasts against the experts and the AI.

⚡ Effects Interpreter