WWE Champion Drew McIntyre Takes on Chris Sutton in Premier League Predictions

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is already busy trying to outsmart AI in predicting football matches, but now he faces a new challenge from WWE superstar Drew McIntyre.

The newly crowned WWE world champion and Rangers supporter has previously clashed with Sutton over their respective allegiances to Old Firm clubs.

While a wrestling match between the two would be exciting, they will first compete in predicting the outcomes of this weekend's ten Premier League matches.

Drew McIntyre will share his predictions on Friday, and readers can compare their own predictions with Sutton's. The most popular scoreline chosen for each game will contribute to the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of the page.

A correct prediction (win, draw, or loss) earns 10 points, while an exact score prediction awards 40 points.

McIntyre is currently in the UK for the WWE Live Road to Royal Rumble Tour, which will continue in Newcastle on Thursday, and fans can watch each event on Netflix.

Last week in Berlin, he captured the WWE world championship for the third time, although Sutton was not overly impressed. "Drew is getting on a bit now. Is he really world champion again at his age?" Sutton remarked. "Fair play to him for winning it, but if he wants to fight me while he’s over here, I’d probably give him a tougher test than the opponents he faced to earn his belt. Honestly, I reckon I could cause him some problems. He’s all dumbbells and muscles—I’ve got the greater all-round core strength... and more brains as well. But let’s face it, he has to win things himself because his football club doesn’t win a lot."

Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat, which was asked to 'predict this weekend's Premier League scores.'

Premier League Predictions

Saturday, 17 January

Old Trafford, 12:30 GMT

What is happening at Manchester United? It seems like they are making decisions without a clear plan.

It appears they might be waiting to appoint England boss Thomas Tuchel or U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino this summer. Meanwhile, United is treading water once again. If Darren Fletcher had won both games as manager, would he still be in charge?

We’ll see how caretaker manager Michael Carrick sets up the team, but I doubt it will make much difference against Manchester City.

I watched City comfortably defeat Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. Erling Haaland has only scored once in his last six games and is due for a goal against United, having netted eight times in six league encounters with them.

This is a tough start for Carrick. I’ll give United a goal for their fans, but City will likely take the points easily.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

AI's prediction: 1-2

Stamford Bridge, 15:00

Liam Rosenior's Chelsea showed some similarities to Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea against Arsenal, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez playing out from the back.

It seems they have a new manager who will continue the same style as the previous one. However, will Rosenior be as insistent on this approach as Maresca was?

The last match between these teams ended in a 2-2 draw, and I expect another close encounter.

Brentford is on a solid run, sitting fifth and three places above Chelsea, but I still favor the Blues at Stamford Bridge, despite their poor home form.

Rosenior was missing several players due to injury and suspension against Arsenal, but he hopes to have some back for this match.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

Elland Road, 15:00

Leeds suffered a strange stoppage-time own goal against Fulham in September, but they have improved significantly since then.

Fulham has also shown great form lately, with Harry Wilson consistently scoring, except when I included him in my Fantasy team. I expected them to struggle when some players went to the Africa Cup of Nations, but they have excelled.

Usually, I would back Leeds to win at home, but Fulham has proven capable of securing results on the road, so I’ll take a neutral stance.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

AI's prediction: 1-1

Anfield, 15:00

Burnley has managed three draws in their last five league games, showing they are still fighting against relegation, but they have gone 12 league games without a win.

It's hard to predict Liverpool's performance; they struggled to defeat Barnsley in the FA Cup, but I still support them here.

Liverpool needed a last-minute penalty from Mohamed Salah to win at Turf Moor in September, but I anticipate a more comfortable victory for Arne Slot’s side this time.

Burnley manager Scott Parker faced a heavy defeat at Anfield in 2022, and while I don’t expect a repeat of that scoreline, he will be under pressure until his team secures a win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

AI's prediction: 3-0

Stadium of Light, 15:00

Crystal Palace has not won any of their last nine games across all competitions, and their FA Cup defeat at Macclesfield was a significant embarrassment.

Manager Oliver Glasner made ineffective changes during that match, revealing a lack of squad depth to handle this busy period.

Sunderland has also struggled, going five league games without a win before their penalty shootout victory against Everton in the FA Cup.

Given both teams' recent forms, this match could be tightly contested.

WWE Champion Drew McIntyre Takes on Chris Sutton in Premier League Predictions

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