AI vs Humans: Premier League Predictions Showdown
The machines lead the humans 1-0. At least on paper.
Microsoft’s CoPilot walked into the BBC predictions league last season and won it at the first attempt. No bedding-in period, no learning curve. Just straight to the top.
Chris Sutton is still not quite over it.
“It was a final-day defeat for me, that is how close I came to the title,” he said. Then came the conspiracy line. “I keep reading how AI models are going rogue and attacking each other. So, was I hacked too? It sounds like cheating to me – if so, then last season should really go down as a victory for me.”
This year, Sutton, his guests and the BBC readers are all trying to claw one back for the human race. The AI is back too. Same rules: Microsoft Copilot Chat is simply asked to “predict this weekend’s Premier League results”. No tweaks. No coaching. Just cold, clinical calls.
Alongside Sutton this week is musician and Manchester United fan Liam Fray, who has plenty to say about his club, and about Marcus Rashford in particular.
Below are the key games, the mood around them – and the scorelines as Sutton, Liam and the machine see it.
Arsenal v Coventry – Emirates Stadium, 20:00 BST
Arsenal look ominous. Champions, deep squad, and fresh from dismantling Manchester City in the Community Shield in a way that felt far more significant than a glorified friendly usually does.
“Arsenal are the team to beat, and their squad just looks so strong,” Sutton said. He is not alone in that view.
Coventry, newly promoted, walk into a storm. Bruno Guimaraes is in for Arsenal, Christos Tzolis too – a player Daniel Farke once called one of the brightest young prospects in Europe when he brought him to Norwich in 2021. Tzolis never cracked it at Carrow Road, but he looks the part now. Bad timing for Frank Lampard and the Sky Blues.
Sutton still remembers Norwich getting thrashed at Liverpool on the opening day in 2019. This feels similar. A free hit, in theory. A nightmare in practice.
“If Coventry can somehow go to the Emirates and get a draw against the champions, that would provide such a huge boost,” he said. But he does not believe it will happen. Nor does Liam. Nor does the AI.
- Sutton’s prediction: 3-0
- Liam’s prediction: 3-0
- AI’s prediction: 3-0
Hull v Manchester United – MKM Stadium, 12:30
Hull’s assistant head coach Dean Holden has already set the tone. On the Monday Night Club he talked about being awkward, direct, “horrible to play against”. Hull are not here to be pretty. They are here to stay up.
They will need that edge. Last season they lost a third of their Championship games. The fairytale was Sergej Jakirovic dragging them from 21st into the play-offs and then up. Now comes the reality: can they survive?
Starting at home against Manchester United gives them a chance to ignite their season early. Holden, a United fan, knows exactly what this fixture means.
United arrive with expectation and a thin-looking transfer window. Youri Tielemans is the headline signing – “a safe signing, if there is such a thing,” Sutton called it, likening it to the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last year. Solid, sensible, not spectacular.
Liam, a United fan and a friend of Michael Carrick, is all-in on the manager.
“I am pretty excited,” he said. “Listen, we are not going to be challenging for the title because we are not at Arsenal or Manchester City’s level, but I think we will be up there – and I love Carrick. I was like ‘give him the job straight away’ when Ruben Amorim was sacked in January.
“I am biased because we play a bit of golf and we have had a few beers, but it means a lot when you see someone stood on the touchline who seems to care.”
He sees a connection between Carrick, the club and the fans that he felt was missing with Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag and Amorim, despite their coaching credentials.
United’s challenge is clear. Champions League football stretches a squad that already looked light. Sutton thinks Carrick over-achieved by finishing third last season and has left United out of his top four this time. The fixture list will bite.
They should still have too much for Hull, he says. Liam goes bigger.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
- Liam’s prediction: 0-3
- AI’s prediction: 1-3
On Rashford, Liam is hopeful but honest. “I love Marcus, and the fact he is one of ours, and I would love him to come back and be as good as he was for us,” he said. If anyone can unlock him, he believes, it is Carrick. “Every part of me wants that to happen, but I don’t know if it will.”
Ipswich v Sunderland – Portman Road, 15:00
There is a twist of East Anglian mischief in this one. Ipswich’s new boss O’Neil is a former Norwich player. Sutton cannot resist a dig.
“I must point out that Ipswich boss O’Neil is a former Norwich player, so where do his loyalties really lie? And has he gone to Ipswich to sabotage them?” he joked.
The jokes stop there. Sutton genuinely wants Ipswich to stay up and likes what they have done in the market. Daizen Maeda, signed from Celtic, stands out.
Maeda is relentless. “He will be the best pressing player in the Premier League bar none,” Sutton said. Perfect for a counter-attacking side that wants to run in behind.
Ipswich can look at Sunderland’s surge last season – and Leeds’ smart recruitment – for inspiration. But knitting a new group together quickly is the hard part. That is O’Neil’s task.
Sunderland arrive as the benchmark for a promoted side punching up. They bullied Arsenal at times last season. They faded late on, and Europe will test their depth now, but they still have Granit Xhaka in midfield and Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey up front. They know exactly how they want to hurt teams.
Sutton thinks that clarity edges it.
- Sutton’s prediction: 0-1
- Liam’s prediction: 2-2
- AI’s prediction: 2-1
Nottingham Forest v Leeds – City Ground, 15:00
Forest were chaos last season. Four managers, four styles, yet somehow they stayed up and went all the way to a Europa League semi-final. “Kneejerk Nottingham Forest,” as Sutton put it.
Now Oliver Glasner is in charge. Chris Wood is back fit, which matters – his goals and experience give Forest a focal point. Elliot Anderson has gone, but they have held on to Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi. Those are big wins.
Leeds, under Daniel Farke, surprised people last season by staying up. Sutton was “delighted” for him. This summer has brought more optimism: Harry Wilson, outstanding for Fulham, is in, and James Trafford looks an excellent addition in goal.
The tactical picture is murky. Glasner used a 3-4-3 at Crystal Palace but has said he works with what he has. Sutton, who is covering the game for Radio 5 Live, admits he has no idea how Forest will line up. That uncertainty is part of the intrigue – and part of the risk.
He cannot call a winner.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
- Liam’s prediction: 2-1
- AI’s prediction: 2-1
“Will he still be there in September?” Sutton asked of Glasner. That tells you everything about Forest’s recent history.
Brentford v Tottenham – Gtech Community Stadium, 17:30
Tottenham arrive with a buzz around them. New signings, a new edge, and a new level of expectation.
Sandro Tonali gives their midfield a touch of class and control. At the back, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke strengthen a defence that already includes Micky van de Ven, who has signed a new deal. Roberto de Zerbi’s first season in charge promises attacking football and a push for the top six, especially without European distractions.
Brentford, under Keith Andrews, had a “sensational” first season, in Sutton’s words. The big question now: do they double down on their counter-attacking identity or evolve?
Spurs will see plenty of the ball. That suits Brentford just fine. Igor Thiago was prolific last season, Kevin Schade is another threat, and this is still a side that can spring forward with pace and purpose.
Sutton sees a stalemate. Liam leans towards Spurs, pointing to the arrivals of Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Andy Robertson, plus a fully fit James Maddison. Four major pieces that were missing last year.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-2
Brighton v Aston Villa – Amex Stadium, 14:00
Aston Villa are back in the Champions League. That sounds glamorous. It also sounds exhausting.
Sutton thinks the extra games will drag them away from the top four. Morgan Rogers has gone, Tielemans too, and while Johan Manzambi arrives with talent, expecting him to replace Rogers immediately feels like a stretch.
Alejandro Garnacho is another puzzle. If anyone can coax consistency and discipline out of him, Sutton argues, it is Unai Emery. But that is still a big “if”.
Then there is the goalkeeper situation. Zion Suzuki has come in from Japan, full of energy and ambition. Emiliano Martinez looked set for Juventus until that move collapsed. Two big characters, one shirt.
“As I had to remind Mark Chapman on the Monday Night Club, you can’t play with two goalkeepers – they changed many of the laws of the game over the summer, but not that one,” Sutton quipped.
Brighton have lost key men of their own. Danny Welbeck and van Hecke formed much of the spine of last season’s side. Jack Hinshelwood, though, is expected to explode. Sutton calls him “phenomenal” and tips him for a big campaign.
Villa started last season slowly, taking six league games to win. Sutton expects a different beginning this time.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 2-2
Manchester City v Bournemouth – Etihad Stadium, 14:00
The knives were out early for Manchester City after their Community Shield defeat. Too early, in Sutton’s eyes.
He does not see them winning the title this time, but he is not buying the idea of a collapse. “They are not going to fall away to mid-table either – look at the players they have got – and I still think they will be right up there,” he said.
Bournemouth under Marco Rose should be fun. High line, high press, high risk. Rose’s teams at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg attacked first and asked questions later.
Will he really go to the Etihad and play that way? Sutton thinks he will. That means goals – but mostly for City.
- Sutton’s prediction: 4-1
- Liam’s prediction: 3-0
- AI’s prediction: 3-1
Pep Guardiola has gone, but the new expanded stand at the Etihad will be full for this one, and if City can get Phil Foden firing, they will still scare anyone.
Newcastle v Liverpool – St James’ Park, 16:30
Newcastle have been stripped of their core. Matthias Jaissle has impressed Sutton, but he has lost Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes – two “monsters” in midfield – as well as the influence of Anthony Gordon and the leadership of Kieran Trippier.
“It is sad to see,” Sutton admitted. The project has not vanished, but the ceiling feels lower. The fans know it.
Across the pitch, Liverpool are still adapting to Andoni Iraola. Pre-season exposed defensive frailties and fitness issues. “Hopefully they can run for more than half an hour now,” Sutton said dryly.
Up front, though, there is no concern. Alexander Isak, now in Liverpool red, will walk into a hostile reception from the home crowd. Sutton thinks he will thrive on it and shine across the season, starting here. Liam adds Florian Wirtz into that picture and believes Liverpool will be “a different beast” if both click.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-3
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-1
Liam feels for Newcastle supporters. “They had the takeover but it never really seems like it got going,” he said. How St James’ Park reacts in the first few weeks will tell its own story.
Fulham v Chelsea – Craven Cottage, 20:00
Craven Cottage has felt calm in recent years. Marco Silva brought stability, Harry Wilson brought creativity, Raul Jimenez led the line. All of that has changed.
Silva has gone. Wilson and Jimenez have gone. In their place is Alvaro Arbeloa and a bold youth-first rebuild: Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid, Swedish teenager Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich.
“If I am a Fulham fan, my concern would be that they always felt stable under Silva and I am not sure what this new approach will bring,” Sutton said. He expects a tougher season. Fulham “were never in trouble last season,” but that safety net has disappeared.
Chelsea are also starting again, but the mood is different. Xabi Alonso is in the dugout, Cole Palmer is established, and Morgan Rogers has arrived as an exciting signing. Sutton does not see a Conte-style leap from 10th to champions, but he does see a clear upward curve.
Alonso, he says, is “a breath of fresh air” and should start with three points.
- Sutton’s prediction: 0-2
- Liam’s prediction: 0-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-2
Liam, who has never been to Craven Cottage, already has his eye on a trip to see the much-talked-about riverside “infinity pool” stand. But his warning to Fulham fans is blunt: “Keep an eye on that line, above 18th place.”
The humans have made their calls. The machine has made its own. Last season, the AI walked away with the title. Now the question hangs over every weekend’s scores: can Sutton, his guests and millions of readers drag it back – or are we about to watch the machines pull away again?
