Brighton vs Manchester United: Premier League Predictions
Brighton has triumphed at Old Trafford in each of the last three seasons. Will Manchester United manage to turn the tide this Saturday?
BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton expressed skepticism about United's chances, stating, "People get angry whenever I don’t back United to win, but why should I trust them? They achieved a great result against Liverpool last time out, but it would be typical of them to follow that with a loss in this match."
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, competing against AI, BBC Sport readers, and various guests. For week nine, he faces Mark Collins , guitarist of The Charlatans and a Manchester United supporter.
The Charlatans' fourteenth album, We Are Love , is set to release on October 31, with a UK tour scheduled for December.
Do you agree with their predictions? You can submit your own scores below. The most popular scoreline selected for each match is reflected in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page. A correct result (win, draw, or loss) is worth 10 points, while an exact score earns 40 points.
Collins, a lifelong fan of United who has attended matches at Old Trafford since the 1970s, once provided guitar tips to Gary Neville before the former United defender joined The Charlatans on stage. "I saw Gary the other week, and he actually mentioned that, but I’m not sure there will be a repeat performance anytime soon," Collins told BBC Sport.
He reminisced about Neville’s request for a gig on the roof of Hotel Football, which opened in 2015. "We heard that he used to bring a guitar with him while with England, so we agreed to perform if he joined us on stage. I gave him a couple of lessons, and we practiced the tune he was going to play - Just When You’re Thinkin’ Things Over - going over some chords and moves for when he joined us."
So, was Gary any good on guitar? Could the Neville brothers rival the famous Gallagher siblings from Manchester? Collins humorously remarked, "He had a couple of chords he could play... but let’s just say I covered for him!"
Chris Sutton and Mark Collins were interviewed by BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat; we simply asked the tool to 'predict this weekend’s Premier League scores.'
Premier League Predictions
Friday, 24 October
At Elland Road, 20:00 BST, Nuno Espirito Santo was hired to keep West Ham up, but he is still seeking his first win after three games as manager. His team was fortunate to lose only 2-0 against Brentford on Monday. Watching a team perform as poorly as West Ham did that day raises doubts about how they will secure a win.
Leeds is also struggling, but they have shown competitiveness in their matches. While many might predict a draw, I believe Leeds could edge this one. I expect West Ham to score, as Jarrod Bowen is always a threat, but I doubt they can maintain a clean sheet, despite that being a priority for Nuno.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Mark's prediction: Neither team is in good form, so I expect a draw. 1-1
AI's prediction: 2-1
Saturday, 25 October
At Stamford Bridge, 15:00 BST, this fixture brings back unpleasant memories for me, as my Chelsea debut was against Sunderland in 1999. Despite my past, I'm predicting another Chelsea victory, even though Joao Pedro, who is in my Fantasy team, is not scoring.
Chelsea made several changes against Ajax on Wednesday but still secured a strong win. Enzo Maresca's team was not as convincing in their previous match against Forest, but they have now won four consecutive games across all competitions. Sunderland is well-organized, but I believe Chelsea will find a way to win.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
Mark's prediction: Chelsea will have too much for Sunderland. 2-0
AI's prediction: 2-1
At St James' Park, 15:00 BST, I generally support Newcastle to win at home, even after they play in the Champions League. Eddie Howe's side performed well against Benfica recently, and although Fulham is a well-organized team capable of winning at St James' Park, they are not in great form currently.
Sutton's prediction: 3-1
Mark's prediction: There's not much separating these two teams. Both lost last weekend, so I'm going for a draw. 1-1
AI's prediction: 2-1
At Old Trafford, 17:30 BST, United was fortunate with their first goal against Liverpool last week, as the game should have been stopped. Despite the significance of their win against Liverpool, it does not indicate they have turned a corner. They have managed back-to-back league wins for the first time since Ruben Amorim took charge, but I’m not convinced they will achieve a hat-trick on Saturday.
Brighton striker Danny Welbeck impressed me during the Monday Night Club, and I am backing his team here. Brighton is always bold under Fabian Hurzeler and will approach Old Trafford fearlessly. I predict Welbeck will score against his former club.
Sutton's prediction: 1-2
Mark's favorite United players: I loved the two wingers we had...