BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is once again offering his predictions for the Premier League season, this time facing off against former heavyweight boxing world champion Fabio Wardley, as well as BBC Sport readers and an AI. Wardley, a supporter of Ipswich Town, will also be looking to reclaim his WBO title when he meets Daniel Dubois in a rematch on Saturday.
Sutton expressed confidence in his previous encounters, stating, "I beat Fabio last time - he's from Ipswich so he doesn't stand a chance of beating me." He added, "But good luck to him on Saturday night and I hope he wins his rematch - he's got a better chance against Dubois than he has against me."
Wardley, who is currently in a strict training camp for his fight, has managed to attend some of Ipswich Town's recent matches. He noted the team's strong start to the season, with three wins from their first six games. "You only have to look at the start we've made to the season to answer the question of whether we look like we belong in the Premier League," Wardley told BBC Sport. He highlighted the team's resilience, particularly in matches that ended with last-gasp winners.
Premier League Predictions
Saturday, 17 October
Everton vs. Chelsea Sutton predicts a 1-1 draw, while Wardley and the AI both favor Chelsea with a 1-2 scoreline.
Brentford vs. Liverpool Sutton anticipates a 2-2 draw. Wardley predicts a 1-1 draw, and the AI forecasts a 1-2 win for Liverpool.
Fulham vs. Hull City Sutton foresees a 3-1 victory for Fulham. Wardley predicts a 0-2 win for Hull, and the AI agrees with a 2-0 scoreline.
Manchester City vs. Ipswich Town Sutton predicts a dominant 4-0 win for Manchester City. Wardley believes it will be a 1-1 draw, and the AI also predicts a 4-0 victory for City.
Newcastle United vs. Aston Villa Sutton expects a high-scoring game with a 2-3 prediction in favor of Aston Villa. Wardley predicts a 1-3 win for Villa, while the AI favors Newcastle with a 2-1 scoreline.
Sunday, 18th October
Sunderland vs. Bournemouth Sutton predicts a 1-1 draw. Wardley favors Bournemouth with a 2-0 scoreline, and the AI predicts a 2-1 win for Bournemouth.
Brighton & Hove Albion vs. Crystal Palace Sutton predicts a 2-1 win for Brighton. Wardley also favors Brighton with a 3-1 scoreline, and the AI predicts a 2-0 victory.
Leeds United vs. Manchester United Sutton controversially predicts a 5-0 win for Leeds. Wardley predicts a 2-0 win for Leeds, while the AI favors Manchester United with a 1-2 scoreline.
Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal Sutton predicts a 0-3 win for Arsenal. Wardley foresees a 1-1 draw, and the AI predicts a 1-2 victory for Arsenal.
Monday, 19 October
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Coventry City Sutton predicts a 2-1 win for Tottenham. Wardley anticipates a 2-2 draw, and the AI forecasts a 3-0 victory for Tottenham.
Previous Predictions
In the previous week's predictions, Chris Sutton was the only predictor to correctly anticipate Manchester City's win at Liverpool. He secured 40 points with four correct results. His guest, James Walsh, earned 20 points, while BBC readers scored 50 points. The AI emerged as the weekly winner with 80 points, including an exact score prediction for Aston Villa's draw with Brentford. The most common score prediction across all participants for Chelsea's match against Bournemouth was a 2-1 win for Chelsea, but only a handful of predictions matched the actual 5-1 scoreline.