Chris Sutton's Premier League Predictions for 2024-25 Season

Chris Sutton's Premier League Predictions for 2024-25 Season

Chris Sutton's Premier League Predictions for 2024-25 Season

For the first time in a while, Chris Sutton, the BBC Sport football expert, did not celebrate a victory at the conclusion of last season.

Sutton competed against a guest and the collective predictions of thousands of BBC Sport readers throughout the 38 rounds of the 2024-25 Premier League season, aiming for his third consecutive predictions title.

Leading the table into the final week, Sutton ultimately faced defeat, resulting in a victory for his guest, while the BBC readers finished in third place.

Can you outdo him this time around?

Sutton will once again predict the outcomes of all 380 Premier League matches this season, facing off against various guests.

Readers are invited to submit their own score predictions and see which outcome garners the most support. These predictions will contribute to a points total that can be compared with Sutton and his guests.

This season introduces a new competitor: AI.

A correct result (predicting a win, draw, or loss) earns 10 points, while an exact score prediction is worth 40 points.

Sutton's guest for the opening round of matches is singer Tom Grennan.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat, simply asking the tool to 'predict this weekend's Premier League results.'

Grennan's new album, Everywhere I Went Led Me to Where I Didn't Want to Be , is set for release on Friday. His previous two albums both reached number one in the UK.

He will kick off his autumn UK and Ireland arena tour with an intimate gig at Coventry City's stadium exhibition hall at the end of August.

A passionate supporter of the Sky Blues, Grennan hopes the team can sustain their remarkable performance from last season and return to the Premier League for the first time since 2001.

Coventry was in 17th place in the Championship when Frank Lampard took over in November but finished fifth, narrowly losing their play-off semi-final to Sunderland in stoppage time of extra time.

"I attended as many games as possible, including the play-offs, but unfortunately, it didn't go our way," Grennan told BBC Sport. "It was a wild few months to be a Sky Blues fan, but that's the Championship for you."

"The goal now is to pick up where we left off and secure promotion. It will be challenging, and circumstances can change quickly, but I genuinely believe we can achieve it.

"Frank understands the Championship and knows the players we need. We have some excellent talent in the squad, and I hope they can maintain the winning mentality they had at the end of last season."

Chris Sutton and Tom Grennan were speaking to Chris Bevan from BBC Sport.

Premier League Predictions

Friday, 15 August

Anfield, 20:00 BST

We will need to see how all of Liverpool's new signings adapt, as well as the potential impact of the unfortunate loss of Diogo Jota on their squad—a difficult factor to quantify.

Bournemouth has sold several defenders, yet I believe they will manage well this season, thanks to their strong organization under Andoni Iraola.

Liverpool acquired one of those defenders, Milos Kerkez, but their manager Arne Slot appears concerned about his backline, given the goals conceded during pre-season.

Thus, I anticipate a high-scoring match, especially since Bournemouth tends to play an attacking style.

The Cherries will score at Anfield, but Liverpool will score more.

Having made some changes to their lineup, they remain the champions and will be at home. I expect them to prevail, with Mohamed Salah likely to get on the scoresheet, though I’m uncertain if he will make it onto my Fantasy Premier League team.

Sutton's prediction: 3-1

Tom's prediction: Liverpool is the team to beat and will start the season strong as well. 2-0

AI's prediction: 3-0

Saturday, 16 August

Villa Park, 12:30 BST

Newcastle's significant issue is Alexander Isak, who is unlikely to participate while his future is resolved.

This absence leaves them without one of the Premier League's top strikers, and Anthony Gordon may need to step in as a false nine, which isn't ideal.

Aston Villa faces its own challenges, particularly regarding compliance with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations, as rumors swirl about Ollie Watkins' potential departure this summer. They have signed another striker, Evann Guessand, but retaining Watkins is crucial.

This match is difficult to predict; despite the challenges surrounding Newcastle, they remain a strong and exciting team.

However, given Villa's home advantage and their dangerous play under Unai Emery, I am inclined to back them to secure a narrow victory, adding to Newcastle's woes.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Tom's prediction: Both teams aspire to reach the Champions League, making this a tightly contested match. 1-2

AI's prediction: 2-2

Amex Stadium, 15:00 BST

Last season, I struggled to predict Fulham's performance, as they were less consistent at home but managed to secure some unexpected away points.

They haven't significantly strengthened their squad this summer, yet under Marco Silva, they remain a competent team known for their attractive style of play.

I'm backing Brighton in this matchup, although I do wonder about the impact of Joao Pedro's departure on the Seagulls—who were thrilling in attack at times last season.

Brighton has signed a promising young Greek striker, Charalampos Kostoulas, who is only 18, so they will rely on experienced players like Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma as Kostoulas acclimatizes.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler spoke on this week’s Monday Night Club, sharing insights about management that were quite enlightening.

He mentioned that they had rejected bids for Mitoma in the past. While Brighton's model often involves selling players, Hurzeler clearly has ambitions, and with players like Mitoma in the squad, they are likely to remain in the top half of the table.

Initially considering a bold prediction for a significant Brighton win, I have opted for caution this time.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Tom's prediction: Brighton to edge this one. 1-0

AI's prediction: 2-1

Stadium of Light, 15:00 BST

Sunderland has undergone numerous changes, making them almost unrecognizable from the team that secured promotion last season.

While I admire their ambition, I'm uncertain if it will be enough to keep them in the Premier League. A strong start is crucial for promoted teams, but how quickly can they gel?

West Ham also faces uncertainties. They struggled at times under Graham Potter, who took over midway through last season. While he might argue that the team wasn't his, he cannot use that excuse this time around.

This season is pivotal for Potter, and I believe it will start...

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