Premier League Predictions: Humans vs AI Showdown
The machines are one up on the humans. On paper, at least.
Microsoft’s CoPilot walked into the BBC predictions league last season and promptly won the thing at the first attempt. Chris Sutton took it to the wire, only to be beaten on the final day.
“It was a final-day defeat for me, that is how close I came to the title,” Sutton said. “But 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 BBC readers want their revenge. CoPilot is back, the humans are sharpening their pencils, and the Premier League is about to start swinging again.
The AI predictions were generated by asking Microsoft Copilot Chat to “predict this weekend’s Premier League results”. Here is how the opening round shapes up, with Sutton, guest predictor Liam Fray – frontman of The Courteeners and a Manchester United fan – and the machine all having their say.
Arsenal v Coventry City – Emirates Stadium, 20:00 BST
Arsenal look ominous. Champions, stacked with depth, and fresh from dismantling Manchester City in the Community Shield. Sutton is not getting carried away with August trophies, but he liked what he saw.
“I never read too much into the Community Shield but to beat Manchester City as comprehensively as they did was hugely impressive, and shows where they are at.”
Coventry’s big additions, Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, only add to that sense of power in north London. Tzolis flopped at Norwich, but Sutton remembers the hype when Daniel Farke signed him in 2021 and called him one of Europe’s brightest young prospects. The talent has finally caught up with the billing.
Bad timing, then, for Frank Lampard and newly promoted Coventry. Sutton still recalls Norwich being thrashed at Anfield on opening night in 2019. This, he says, is that kind of nightmare start.
- Sutton’s prediction: 3-0
- Liam’s prediction: 3-0
- AI’s prediction: 3-0
Fray is delighted Coventry are back in the top flight – he namechecks Roy Wegerle and Steve Ogrizovic from his childhood sticker album – but he thinks they “just need to take the hit here”.
Hull City 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 promised a side that will be awkward, direct when needed and, in Sutton’s words, “horrible to play against”.
The story behind their promotion is wild enough. Sergej Jakirovic dragged them from 21st in the Championship into the play-offs and then up. Now the job is survival.
Sutton has doubts. Hull lost a third of their league games last season. The Premier League is far less forgiving.
Manchester United, meanwhile, have kept their powder relatively dry in the market, but Sutton really likes one of the few moves they have made.
“Youri Tielemans is a really good signing – a safe signing, if there is such a thing,” he says, likening it to last summer’s additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo elsewhere.
United’s problem is not quality, it is capacity. Champions League football returns, the squad looks thin, and Sutton believes Michael Carrick over-achieved by steering them to third. He does not see them at Arsenal’s level and has left them out of his top four this time.
Even so, he expects them to start with a win.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
- Liam’s prediction: 0-3
- AI’s prediction: 1-3
Fray is bullish. A party atmosphere at Hull? Good. He thinks that suits United. “Hopefully we can start this season the way we finished the last one,” he says, bumping his own forecast up from 2-0 to 3-0 because “2-0 sounds conservative”.
On Marcus Rashford, his tone changes. “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 says. He trusts Carrick to understand what Rashford needs but is honest enough to admit he does not know if the revival will happen.
Ipswich Town v Sunderland – Portman Road, 15:00
Sutton cannot resist a dig. Ipswich boss O’Neil is a former Norwich player, so he jokes about whether he has gone to Portman Road “to sabotage them”.
The truth is different. Sutton wants Ipswich to stay up for the sake of East Anglia, and he likes what they have done.
He knows Daizen Maeda well from Celtic and calls him “a really good piece of business”. Maeda’s intensity and pressing, he says, will be unmatched in the Premier League. If Ipswich want to counter and run in behind, they have found the right man.
Sunderland’s example from last season – heavy recruitment after promotion, then a surge into Europe – offers a blueprint, as do Leeds’ smart signings. The trick now is chemistry. Knit the new faces quickly or suffer.
Sutton thinks Sunderland will remind everyone how good they were. He has not forgotten the way they bullied Arsenal last season, something he says no one else managed. They faded, and they will no longer surprise anyone, but with Granit Xhaka in midfield and Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey up front, he still sees serious threat.
- Sutton’s prediction: 0-1
- Liam’s prediction: 2-2
- AI’s prediction: 2-1
Fray expects goals, fuelled by Ipswich’s first game back in the big time and a fired-up home crowd.
Nottingham Forest v Leeds United – City Ground, 15:00
Nottingham Forest lived on chaos last season. Four managers, four different styles, and yet they survived and went all the way to a Europa League semi-final.
Now Oliver Glasner is in charge, Chris Wood is back fit, and there is at least the hint of stability. Wood’s experience and goals, Sutton says, will be “crucial”.
They will miss Elliot Anderson, but keeping Morgan Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi feels huge.
Leeds, under Daniel Farke, pulled off their own escape. Sutton was delighted to see Farke prove people wrong by keeping them up. This year, the expectations rise with the arrivals of Harry Wilson, excellent for Fulham, and goalkeeper James Trafford.
Sutton will be at the City Ground for Radio 5 Live and freely admits this is a nightmare to call. Glasner usually used a 3-4-3 at Crystal Palace but has said he adapts to what he has. No one quite knows what Forest will look like on day one.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
- Liam’s prediction: 2-1
- AI’s prediction: 2-1
Fray felt all three 3pm kick-offs were tight and did not want to back three draws, so he nudges Forest to edge it.
Sutton, half-joking, wonders aloud: will Glasner still be there in September?
Brentford v Tottenham – Gtech Community Stadium, 17:30
The buzz around Spurs is real. New signings, a new coach, and a sense that the club has reset.
Sandro Tonali strengthens midfield. Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke bolster the defence, and Micky van de Ven has signed a new deal. Sutton is eager to see how Roberto de Zerbi shapes it all without the distraction of Europe. Top six feels like the internal target.
On the other side, Keith Andrews is coming off a superb first season at Brentford. His side were organised, dangerous and ruthless on the break. Sutton wonders if it will be “counter-attack Keith” again.
He expects Spurs to dominate the ball, but he does not see Brentford short of goals. Igor Thiago had a “sensational” campaign last time and Kevin Schade is another serious outlet.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-1
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-2
Fray points to the sheer volume of quality Spurs have added: Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Andy Robertson, plus a fit-again James Maddison. Four big pieces that were not there last year. He is convinced they will be “a different beast”.
Brighton v Aston Villa – Amex Stadium, 14:00
Aston Villa’s reward for last season is a Champions League schedule that could stretch them to breaking point. Sutton does not see them making the top four again.
They have lost Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans. Johan Manzambi arrives with talent but a big burden – replacing Rogers immediately. Then there is Alejandro Garnacho, a puzzle for every coach he has had. Sutton thinks if anyone can unlock him, it might be Unai Emery.
The goalkeeper situation adds more intrigue. Zion Suzuki has arrived from Japan, buzzing to impress. Emiliano Martinez looked set for Juventus before that move collapsed. Only one can start.
“As I had to remind Mark Chapman on the Monday Night Club, you can’t play with two goalkeepers,” Sutton says. The law-makers have changed plenty this summer, but not that.
Brighton have taken their own hits. Danny Welbeck and Van Hecke, the spine of last season’s side, have gone. Sutton, though, expects Jack Hinshelwood to explode again after a phenomenal campaign.
Villa started dreadfully last year, needing six games to find a win. Sutton thinks they flip that script this time.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 2-2
Fray never quite knows what Villa will turn up. Losing Rogers to Chelsea is “a massive miss”, but he still leans towards them taking three points.
Manchester City v Bournemouth – Etihad Stadium, 14:00
The knives came out for Manchester City after their Community Shield display. Sutton is not joining in.
He does not think they will retain the title, but he laughs at the idea of them tumbling into mid-table. “Look at the players they have got,” he says. They will be “right up there”.
Bournemouth, under Marco Rose, should be fun. Rose’s RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg teams played on the front foot. Sutton expects the same intent here.
The question is whether Rose really goes toe-to-toe with City at the Etihad in his first game. Sutton thinks he might, and that the price will be goals – mostly in the wrong net for Bournemouth.
- Sutton’s prediction: 4-1
- Liam’s prediction: 3-0
- AI’s prediction: 3-1
City’s new stand opens for this one, turning the Etihad into a full house. Pep Guardiola has gone, but Fray believes that if they can get Phil Foden firing again, they will still be a “force to be reckoned with”.
Newcastle United v Liverpool – St James’ Park, 16:30
Matthias Jaissle has impressed Sutton. The problem is what he has lost.
Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, two “monsters” in midfield, are gone. So is Anthony Gordon’s spark and Kieran Trippier’s experience. The core of Newcastle’s recent rise has been ripped out.
“It is sad to see,” Sutton admits. He is not writing them off, but he thinks the fanbase understands this season will be different.
Liverpool are still learning under Andoni Iraola. Pre-season exposed defensive issues and fitness questions – they struggled to run for more than half an hour at times. The attack, though, does not worry Sutton.
Alexander Isak, now in Liverpool red, will get a venomous reception at St James’ Park. Sutton expects him to thrive in it and shine across the season, starting here.
- Sutton’s prediction: 1-3
- Liam’s prediction: 1-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-1
Fray feels for Newcastle supporters. The takeover promised a surge that never quite materialised. Big players have been sold, and he is fascinated to see how the mood in the stands shifts. When St James’ Park is bouncing, it is ferocious; when it sours, you can feel it just as clearly.
He thinks Isak and Florian Wirtz can turn Liverpool into something far more dangerous than last year.
Fulham v Chelsea – Craven Cottage, 20:00
Fulham step into a new era with more questions than answers. Marco Silva has gone. So have Harry Wilson’s creativity and Raul Jimenez’s presence up front.
Alvaro Arbeloa comes in to replace Silva and Fulham have gambled on youth in attack, signing Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios from Real Madrid and Swedish teenager Jonah Kusi-Asare from Bayern Munich.
Under Silva, Fulham always felt steady, rarely flirting with real trouble. Sutton is no longer sure. He expects a tougher season and wonders how the new approach will bed in.
Across west London, Chelsea are also starting again, but the mood is different. Xabi Alonso takes charge and Sutton senses a fresh, positive shift.
He does not see a repeat of the leap from 10th to champions that Antonio Conte managed a decade ago – that squad was stronger – but he likes the tools Alonso has. Cole Palmer remains, Morgan Rogers arrives as an exciting addition, and the whole project feels lighter.
- Sutton’s prediction: 0-2
- Liam’s prediction: 0-2
- AI’s prediction: 1-2
Fray has never been to Craven Cottage but wants to see the new “infinity pool” stand and jokes about asking fellow musician Felix White for tickets when United play there. He issues a quiet warning to Fulham fans: they “always seem to be safe”, but this might be the year they need to keep a close eye on that line just above 18th.
So the stage is set. Humans on one side, CoPilot on the other, the Premier League in the middle. The only question now is whether the numbers game tilts back towards the people holding the pens – or if the machines pull away again.
