Football Analyst Chris Sutton Faces Off Against Artist Olly Murs in Top Flight Predictions

Arsenal's 10-game winning run came to an end by the Black Cats prior to the international hiatus, but can the English top division frontrunners bounce back against north London rivals Spurs this Sunday?

"{I feel like Arsenal are light years ahead of Tottenham currently but Spurs manager Thomas Frank will have a plan for this match," stated football expert Chris Sutton.

"The Spurs manager will try to nullify Arsenal, who have not always been at their scintillating best this season - but Mikel Arteta's side usually still find a way to win."

The analyst is forecasting results for all 380 Premier League games this term, versus artificial intelligence, readers and a range of guests.

In week 12, he faces singer Olly Murs, who is a Manchester United fan.

The singer's latest record, the new release, is available on Friday.

Soccer and Parenting Experiences

Murs is a talented soccer player as well as a successful singer and has been a featured player of multiple Soccer Aid matches down the years - but he is not planning a serious return as a player.

"{I actually played in a charity match the other night for a mate of mine," he said. "The side was losing 3-1 when I was substituted in the second half, and they proceeded to win 4-3, so you can interpret that what you want!

"I still love football, but I hurt my joint a few years ago and it even now isn't where I want it to be. I hope I could play more but the uncertainty of the sport means it's too dangerous for me in my profession to do it seriously again.

"Plus I am 41 now, and we are not everyone is Cristiano Ronaldo, are we!? No, I am very happy not playing football and I am preparing for the moment that my child or boy chooses to play instead."

The singer and his spouse Amelia Tank have two children, Madison and their son, and he is prepared to emulate his dad by becoming their manager.

"I will not force football on our children but I've previously told my wife that if they happen to get the passion for it then I will have to go and get my coaching badges - and I will probably be coaching their weekend football side," he added.

"I watched my relatives play a lot, and I truly got into it, and I clearly owned a soccer team for a while too.

"My father coached with us when I was a child, which is likely where I inherited it. He coached our team for two or three seasons and had great fun with it. That could be the next step for me as well, and I am excited to it!"

Top Division Predictions

Saturday, 22 November

  • Turf Moor, 12:30 GMT

Chelsea might have to wait a bit longer for their star's return from fitness issues but their offense is now more potent with Joao Pedro and Liam Delap both back fit.

In my opinion this fixture will be fairly close, however. The Clarets are disciplined and their sole at Turf Moor losses so far have been against Liverpool and Arsenal.

This smells of a one-all tie to me, but I am in fact going to go with the London side to win narrowly for what would be their third league win in a row.

The expert's prediction: 1-2

Olly's prediction: Chelsea will be too strong. 1-3

AI's prediction: 0-2

  • Vitality Stadium, 15:00 GMT

Bournemouth have been defeated in their previous couple matches - albeit both of them were away - but they got absolutely spanked by Aston Villa last time out which surprised me.

In contrast, West Ham won two in a row before the international break and, although both of those fixtures were at home, they appear competitive again.

The Hammers' only on the road victory this campaign came at Nottingham Forest in August, when West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was still that team's manager.

So, what on earth do I predict here - can West Ham continuing their streak under Nuno, or Bournemouth responding?

I will go with Bournemouth, because I believe what occurred against Villa was a blip.

Sutton's forecast: 2-0

Olly's outlook: Bournemouth are doing well but the visitors have improved under Nuno. 2-2

AI's pick: 1-1

  • Amex Stadium, 15:00 GMT

The Bees were considered one of the frontrunners for the drop before the season started, but they have surprised a few observers under Keith Andrews and are in good form with three wins in their last four matches.

A family member advised me to select Brentford forward Thiago in my Fantasy Football squad a few weeks ago and, unfortunately, I didn't listen.

Thiago will likely score again on the weekend but I am nonetheless not going to select him or support Brentford at Amex Stadium.

They have not had much fortune on the travel this term, and Brighton are consistently strong at home. Brentford will try to hit them on the break but I think the home manager's side pose much more of a threat.

The analyst's prediction: 2-1

Olly's prediction: This could be one of those games where you think there is going to be a lot of scores but it actually turns out to be rather close. 1-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

  • Craven Cottage, 15:00 GMT

This is a huge game for Fulham, who have suffered defeat in five of their last six games.

Fulham have have lots of quality in their team but it still feels like they could be sucked into a drop zone fight.

Regarding the Black Cats, well they are the unexpected success of the Premier League season so far.

Their performance in the two-all tie with the Gunners last time out was excellent. We've not seen anyone else rough up the North London side like that this season, and Sunderland were fully competitive for them.

The sensible thing would be to support the visitors here, because they are clearly capable of roughing Fulham up too and, the last time they were in west London, they beat the Blues at the end of October.

But I am not going to do that. Rather, I really need to continue going against Sunderland with my forecasts. I am claiming a lot of credit for their good results because they clearly enjoy to prove me wrong.

Looking at the home side's home record, the sole side they have lost to is Arsenal. Their manager's team will be extremely desperate for a good outcome, so I am going to predict they will secure three points.

Sutton's forecast: 1-0

Olly's choice: I'm aware Sunderland are doing well and also that the hosts are on a poor run... but Fulham have still been decent at Craven Cottage this season. 2-0

The algorithm's prediction: 2-0

  • Anfield, 15:00 GMT

This is a tough fixture to call. The Reds have lost seven of their past 10 matches in all competitions, but could they be among the sides who benefit from the {international break|

Keith Meyer
Keith Meyer

Mira Thorne is a seasoned gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casino strategies and player psychology.