Chris Sutton‘s Premier League score predictions for this weekend have been revealed and as always he’s joined by a guest.
The BBC pundit replaced Mark Lawrenson in trying to correctly pick the correct scores for every game against a variety of guests.
Nottingham born Chris Sutton played as a striker for the likes of Norwich, Blackburn, Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Wroxham and England, before managing Lincoln City.
For this week, he takes on Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones, who supports Leeds United. AI predictions are also generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat.
BOURNEMOUTH v FULHAM
I was at Fulham’s defeat at Aston Villa on Sunday – they had faded by the end but actually started the game really well and I was really impressed with Josh King.
He is only 18 but he already looks like one heck of a player. He has got wonderful awareness and he was outstanding before the break.
King was taken off in the second half when the game was getting away from Fulham, however, and Villa had carved them open a fair few times by the end.
Bournemouth only rescued a point against Leeds late on last time out – I was wrong to back the Cherries then but I am definitely going to back them at home against Fulham.
The Cherries edged this fixture 1-0 at the end of last season, and I am going with the same result and scoreline this time too.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-0
Rod’s prediction: We’ve played both these teams recently, and conceded costly late goals against both of them! I was going to go 2-1 to Bournemouth because they are at home and looked a bit more dangerous of the two, but they were also more organised at the back than I expected, so I don’t think Fulham will score. 2-0
AI’s prediction: 2-0
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
LEEDS v TOTTENHAM
Fair play to Leeds, they have really surprised and impressed me so far. There is a good balance to their team because they carry a threat and can dig in too.
Apart from a heavy defeat at Arsenal, they have been competitive in every game so far and their good start would have been even better but for late goals against Fulham and Bournemouth.
Even so, they have got more points than I expected at this stage and Daniel Farke deserves a lot of credit.
I think there were question marks over whether he could manage at this level because of his Premier League record with Norwich but, as I’ve said before, he never really had the squad there to be able to compete.
Tottenham have had a difficult week, having to fight back to rescue draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, and this is going to be another tricky game for them.
I can actually see it ending in another draw for Spurs. At least they played in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday night rather than Wednesday but a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday is still far from ideal, and this Champions League campaign is going to stretch their squad.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
Rod’s prediction: I asked in my Leeds WhatsApp group about how much can I say we will win by before I sound like a lunatic, and they were all like ‘6-0’ but that is not going to happen! I want to say 4-1 but it will be a lot closer than that too.
I do think we will win, though, because Spurs don’t look that coherent as a team yet. Also, Elland Road is a fortress and the home crowd will just about get us over the line. 2-1
Rod’s favourite Leeds players: Gary Speed was a real hero of mine. I am from a Welsh family so he was absolutely my favourite player when I was growing up. Gary McAllister and Gordon Strachan were fantastic too, and a certain Frenchman who was also part of our title-winning team that I can’t really talk about now.
Speed was the one, though, right up until Alan Smith came through – but then he ended up going to the wrong place as well!
AI’s prediction: 1-2
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
ARSENAL v WEST HAM
West Ham have won on their past two visits to Emirates Stadium but I don’t look at Arsenal at the moment and see a team that is going to drop points.
The Hammers grew into the game against Everton in Nuno Espirito Santo’s first match in charge but I am expecting the Gunners to be too strong for them.
Arsenal are a powerhouse at the moment and their squad depth is frightening. Defensively they are outstanding – they have conceded only three goals in six league games, the fewest in the Premier League – and this should be comfortable for them.
Sutton’s prediction: 3-0
Rod’s prediction: I was trying to be kind to West Ham here, but they have not looked brilliant so far. Arsenal are super dangerous and they gave us a real drubbing when we were still finding our feet. 3-0
AI’s prediction: 3-2
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
MAN UTD v SUNDERLAND
Sunderland fans should be thanking me, really, because I keep saying they will be beaten and Regis Le Bris’ side keep on proving me wrong.
So far I’ve said the Black Cats will lose five of their six games. The other one was against Burnley in week two, where I went for a draw… and they suffered their only defeat of the season.
I am going to do the dirty on them this week, and I am going to predict they will win – which obviously means they won’t – so apologies to all Sunderland supporters, because they must be absolutely furious with me for doing this.
I am not just backing them for the sake of it, clearly. They are extremely well organised and everything about them has been impressive.
Manchester United, on the other hand, are still a mess.
You can blame Ruben Amorim for that as much as you like but when your centre-half is running out and taking a chance on an offside on a long ball, like Harry Maguire did for Brentford’s first goal last week, then that is just terrible defending.
That’s where I feel for Amorim. Altay Bayindir should also have done better with Brentford’s second goal and the goalkeeping situation is perplexing too – they have brought Senne Lammens in, but where is he?
It is just all muddled thinking at United and Amorim is starting to look like a guy who wants to be put out of his misery.
They are just not improving under him, although he might actually get a result here off the back of me saying Sunderland will win.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-1
Rod’s prediction: I am going to sound a bit mean here but you wouldn’t expect anything less from a Leeds fan, would you!? I want United to do OK until we play them (in January) because I don’t want them to get rid of Amorim. Sunderland miffed me a little bit over the summer because they seemed to sign everyone we went for, but they have looked what I’d call ‘solid-plus’ so far and I feel like they will cause United some problems. 1-1
AI’s prediction: 1-0
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
CHELSEA v LIVERPOOL
Chelsea’s back-to-back league defeats by Manchester United and Brighton have been a classic case of them shooting themselves in the foot.
If they had kept 11 men on the pitch in both matches it would have had a huge impact.
So, that’s their first aim here and if it’s 11 v 11 then Chelsea can hurt Liverpool, even without Cole Palmer, because the Reds are at sixes and sevens at the back.
I am tempted to go with a draw but this is a big game and I want to be brave and pick a winner.
AI will probably go for a draw [Sutton does not know anyone else’s predictions when he makes his] to try to bore its way to its first win of the season.
I am going to stick my neck out and back my old team to make it a hat-trick of defeats for Arne Slot.
Sutton’s prediction: 2-1
Rod’s prediction: Liverpool did not look like themselves against Palace but I think they will come flying out of the gate here and bounce back. The quality they have in their squad is just wild. 1-2
AI’s prediction: 2-2
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
ASTON VILLA v BURNLEY
Villa took a while to get going against Fulham but it was great movement by Ollie Watkins for his goal, and he needed that.
That was their first league win of the season, but I am not convinced Unai Emery’s side will kick on from there. They play Feyenoord in the Europa League on Thursday and their squad is gong to be stretched.
The more I think about it, the more I quite fancy Burnley for a draw here.
To lose 5-1 last week was harsh on them, and they had frustrated Manchester City for a long time, the same as they did when they were beaten by Liverpool, and that is likely to be their gameplan here too.
My heart says Villa will win because of my time there – I almost reached double figures in appearances – but my head says Burnley… and, this time, I am going to listen.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
Rod’s prediction: Off the back of beating Fulham, Villa might get that bounce at home and just edge this. I can’t see it being a big score, anyway. 1-0
AI’s prediction: 1-0
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
EVERTON v CRYSTAL PALACE
This should be a good game, and a real test of whether Everton’s new ground is actually the ‘fortress’ my 606 co-host Roman Kemp describes it as.
Everton are still unbeaten there but they’ve drawn two out of three games so far and the handbrake is still on, isn’t it? Maybe’s Roman’s definition of a fortress is just different to most other people’s.
There will be no gung-ho tactics here, either, because this is going to be a really tight affair between two very clever managers. But after watching Palace last week I have to back them really.
Oliver Glasner’s side were quite direct against Liverpool and it will be a good battle if they do the same here.
I enjoy watching Everton and, in particular, Jack Grealish, but I worry about their firepower up front.
If they had a goalscorer I would probably say they would get something, but instead I am going with Palace to keep a clean sheet and to take home the points.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-1
Rod’s prediction: Palace are flying at the moment, but Everton are well organised and much improved from last season. It’s got draw written all over it. 1-1
AI’s prediction: 2-2
NEWCASTLE v NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Newcastle scored four goals in Belgium in midweek – the same number as they have managed in their first six league games.
Eddie Howe’s side are the joint lowest scorers in the Premier League, along with Villa and Wolves, so getting a big win like that will be important for them.
They have lost twice at home already, but that was to Arsenal and Liverpool, and on both occasions to late goals.
Yes, the Gunners were the better team on Sunday but Newcastle had lots of chances against Liverpool so they can definitely feel a bit hard done by.
I am expecting them to get more chances here, because I think this game will be really open with both teams going for it.
I am going to go with Newcastle to be wearing their shooting boots again, and keep Ange Postecoglou waiting for his first Premier League win.
Sutton’s prediction: 3-1
Rod’s prediction: I am very rarely a betting man but an idea popped into my head near the end of last season where I thought Forest didn’t have the squad to handle Europe but they are the kind of team that will go on a cup run, so I put a tenner on them to win a European competition of some sort, and get relegated.
I could sort of see it happening where they have too many games and it just falls apart in the league – it nearly happened with Spurs and United last year too. 2-0.
AI’s prediction: 1-0
WOLVES v BRIGHTON
Wolves gave it a good go against Tottenham last week and almost took all three points – maybe the effect of a new contract is kicking in for Vitor Pereira?
Being serious, they have lost their first three home league games this season and, with Sunderland and Leeds both doing better than expected, they cannot afford to lose four on the trot, so they need something here.
Brighton made the most of their numerical advantage against Chelsea last week, but it is hard to know what to expect from them off the back of that game where they were up against 10 men.
I don’t feel like I am doing very well with my Brighton predictions this season – in fact I’ve not got any of them right so far – so I am not too confident about calling this one.
This is probably going to end up as a draw but I am still being brave so I have picked another winner. I should probably get an award for being so bold with my predictions, even when I’m wrong.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
Rod’s prediction: Wolves looked pretty poor against us. When we played them, everyone was downbeat in the Leeds chat groups when we were losing – then suddenly we scored three goals and everything was rosy! 1-2
AI’s prediction: 0-1
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
BRENTFORD v MAN CITY
City were up against counter-attacking Monaco on Wednesday, and Brentford will be playing in exactly the same way.
I was at the Monaco game for 5 Live and I am not fully convinced by City, despite their current six-game unbeaten run.
On the up side for Pep Guardiola’s side, Phil Foden was excellent again and Erling Haaland’s finishing was ridiculously good – his header for City’s second goal was like watching me in the 1990s, and he looks unstoppable.
Foden looked sharp as anything, especially in the first half. Seeing him back in form is good for England boss Thomas Tuchel as well as for Guardiola, as opposed to last season when he was inconsistent and couldn’t find his level.
I still think City have got issues in a number of positions, however. In the centre of midfield Nico Gonzalez has been disappointing since he came in, and the whole of their right flank is a massive problem.
Bernardo Silva had such little effect on the game, and behind him there is a lack of trust in the right-back area as well.
Brentford will try to hit them on the break and there is a chance they could sucker City, but Foden and Haaland should be the difference between the two sides.
It will be close, but I don’t see the Bees beating another Manchester team after their win over United last week.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
Rod’s prediction: It feels like City have started to look like their old selves, with a couple of wobbles here and there. 1-2
AI’s prediction: 0-2
www.fanbanter.co.uk – Fan reaction to the latest football news, gossip & funnies
You must be logged in to post a comment Login