Archive December 5, 2025

The lone BBC reader who correctly predicted Manchester City’s 5-4 win over Fulham on Tuesday is a front-runner for a prediction of the season.

Just under 35, 000 of you submitted a score for that game, but only one person went for City to edge a nine-goal thriller.

Chris Sutton, a BBC Sport football expert, called it “unbelievable.” “Whoever got that right deserves an award. For doing that, they ought to be knighted or made a dame.

” Still, the most important predictions were mine – for Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest to both win 1-0 – because those exact scores meant I took the overall victory. “

Sutton is anticipating AI, BBC Sport readers, and a host of other guests for all 380 Premier League games this season.

For week 15, he takes on class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>DJ and producer Paige Tomlinson, who supports Liverpool.

In 2025, Tomlinson performed at numerous important festivals, including Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Liverpool and Glastonbury, Creamfields, and. Her new single, Listen 2 Me, is out now.

Do you concur with their evaluations? You can make your own predictions below.

The tables and scoreboards at the bottom of this page feature the most widely used scoreline for each game.

Tomlinson claims she had no choice in the matter because she has always been a Liverpool fan.

” My whole family are Reds, so as soon as I popped out of the womb I was going to be the same, “she told BBC Sport”. I’m glad I’m here as well. I wouldn’t really want to be a Blue!

“I was a huge Fernando Torres fan when I was younger.” I played a lot of football myself, and I played up front, so all through school I kind of fancied myself as a female Torres, really”.

Tomlinson is still scoring goals for her five-a-side team, The Liver Birds, and she continues to do so.

“I kind of stopped playing when I got to college and didn’t play for a few years, but last summer I started up my own women’s team”, she explained.

We play in a league on Sundays, and we are doing very well. We won both of our games last weekend, and I believe we are currently at the top of the league.

” It’s been really good to be part of starting something in the city to get women into playing football. I’m also active, once being a striker and always being one! Scoring goals just has a special feeling about it, and I couldn’t drop back. “

Chris Bevan spoke with BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton and Paige Tomlinson.

Aston Villa’s participation in the title race is not mentioned by anyone, is it? That will change if they win this game.

Villa struggled at the start of the season, but now they are on an incredible run, which puts Arsenal on a real test.

What was Gunners boss Mikel Arteta doing, leaving Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze out of Wednesday’s win over Brentford? This season, they have been my Fantasy team’s backbone.

Saka and Eze should be back on Saturday but Arteta has a history of being cautious in big games like this one – look at their draw at Stamford Bridge last week, for example.

I understand why that was a popular point, but as a former player, I would have walked away from the field disappointed with a draw after playing against 10 men for an hour.

Arteta’s mindset is different. Because it is working for them, they are not at all critical, but they are quite pragmatic.

I still think they will win the league, and I still believe they are the strongest team with depth in their squad to cope with the injuries they have got at the moment – but they could still end up looking back on that Chelsea game, or their defeat at Liverpool in August, and wish they had gone for it more.

The most likely outcome of that is a draw, which would be Arsenal’s third consecutive road draw, and I don’t think they will either at Villa Park.

But I don’t want to go for a draw because it is the biggest game of the weekend and, in any case, I do have a feeling Arsenal will sneak it for what would be a real statement win.

Villa will undoubtedly have a good time attacking them, but Arsenal will find a way to stop them and score.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-1

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: Despite my best wishes to see Arsenal lose, I believe they will win this one. They have a few injuries at the moment but it doesn’t seem to affect them much. As much as it kills me to say it, it seems like it will be their season. 1-2

I’ve been backing Bournemouth recently, but they’ve only won one point out of their previous five games. So, I suppose I should go back to the week when I promised they’d lose every week.

Given the Cherries are in such poor form, the obvious thing to say here is that Chelsea will bounce back from their midweek defeat at Leeds.

However, I’m unsure of what Enzo Maresca’s team will do. They need a response because they were insipid at Elland Road, when Leeds ran all over them, but if they are that meek again then they are in trouble.

I believe that eventually they will get a break or two before things turn around for Bournemouth.

It’s hard to feel confident about either side winning it, though, so let’s go with a draw.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-1.

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: This is a tough one to call but I am going to go with Chelsea. 1- 3

I don’t know what kind of reception Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche will get from Everton fans, but I’d like to think it will be a good one – based on how he dealt with the turmoil at the club when he was in charge there.

Dyche did a good job at Everton despite the circumstances, and I believe he will do the same at Forest as well.

Wednesday’s win at Wolves was another good result for him and it already feels like he has steadied the ship at Forest.

Because Dyche will be aware of the work he has to do, it already seems like they will be sleeping comfortably.

I don’t see Forest getting anything on Saturday, though. Everton’s future performance has been largely unknown, but I have a feeling they will win a close game.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-0

Paige’s prediction: I’m betting on Everton to win this one at home. 2-0

I’ve seen a lot of goals at both ends of Manchester City recently because I watched them win against Leeds and Fulham both.

Usually I’d be pretty confident they would win this one at home, but not so much now.

When Fulham were facing off against them in the second half, I was shocked at how passive Pep Guardiola’s side was at Craven Cottage. When it went from 5-1 to 5-3, I thought City would assert themselves again, but it just did not happen.

We know Sunderland will throw lots at City too, just like Leeds did not lie down last weekend when they came back from 2-0 to 2-2 at Etihad Stadium.

Sunderland are not just about fight and desire, either. They are organized, and they also have a goal threat, as we saw in their Wednesday game against Liverpool.

The Black Cats players were probably sitting in the Anfield dressing room at full-time feeling disappointed, so they will not be approaching this game with any fear whatsoever.

I’ll still choose City because they typically win at home, and Phil Foden seems to be performing at his best. I really enjoyed what I saw from him.

But, even if they go 2-0 up, we know the game won’t be over. City no longer seem to be able to kill a game.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-1

Anything could happen in this match, according to Paige’s prediction. You know what, I am actually going to go for Sunderland to get a draw, because they have had such a good start to the season. City can’t help scoring, but they can’t stop giving up either. 2-2

This one seems to make sense despite the fact that not many predictions are any longer.

Burnley have lost five games in a row and I don’t see things changing here. Their main issue is still that they don’t score enough goals, despite the fact that only Wolves have conceded more goals this year than them.

I always think Newcastle look so dangerous but they haven’t found any consistency this season, as we saw with their draw against Tottenham. They should feel surprisingly at ease here, even so.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-0

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: I don’t see Burnley creating many issues for Newcastle. 2-0

Arsenal faced Brentford on Wednesday in a friendly game, but they have now lost six of their seven away games this season.

That should be good news for Spurs, but right now it is impossible to back them at home. They don’t seem to have a functioning front line right now, which is why Cristian Romero was called upon to score a couple of goals for them at Newcastle.

Things are not right on the pitch and, off it, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not a happy place either – the fans are making their feelings pretty clear.

Wouldn’t it be typical for Thomas Frank’s former team to go there and clinch a victory, then?

It could end up being a war of attrition, because Bees boss Keith Andrews will try to play on the break and I can see his side getting something.

To persuade the Spurs fans, Frank seems to need more than just a win. He also needs a statement win and performance.

That’s unfair because he needs time, but that’s something Premier League managers don’t get.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-1.

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: Frank will need a win in this situation, which I believe he will. 1-2-1

When are Liverpool going to turn the corner? They still appear fragile despite having a chance to avoid losing to Sunderland at home in midweek.

The way Arne Slot’s side are playing, this is going to be another tough game for them. Leeds at home is typically a different animal than Leeds away, according to Chelsea’s discovery on Wednesday.

The biggest difference with Daniel Farke’s side in the past couple of games, however, has been down to Dominic Calvert-Lewin. In their attack, he changes the dynamic.

Calvert-Lewin came on at half-time against City and played 86 minutes against Chelsea, and his physical presence up front was a big factor in both games.

My only concern about Leeds is how much those two games have diminished their relationship, though I’m not sure how Liverpool will handle him.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-2

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: In this case, I’ll have a very positive outlook. It feels like we concede in almost every game at the moment, and Leeds will probably get the first goal and we will have to chase the game to get back into it, but we are beginning to get some confidence back so I think we will do it. 1- 3

Paige on Liverpool’s season: It’s been such a tough start. We are all experiencing genuine grief over losing Diogo Jota, in my opinion. I think any team would be the same, after losing someone so close to them.

If we are anything like the Liverpool I know, I believe we will return, even though it will probably be towards the end of the season when things start to work out and we work out our strengths as a team. It’s been a combination of that and having so many new signings that it’s been difficult for everyone to gel together.

I am still loving what Hugo Ekitike has been doing for us since he joined, though. And because there was so much hype and drama surrounding his signing and he has already started a few games, I was really pleased to see Alexander Isak hit the jackpot against West Ham last weekend.

West Ham got a big point at Old Trafford on Thursday. At the bottom of the table, they are having a little trouble, and you can tell that they are scraping a lot.

They have to, really. Everyone has criticized Wolves for obvious reasons, and Burnley seems to be losing ground as well, but Leeds’ victory in midweek just adds a little more pressure on the Hammers.

At least it looks like they are moving in the right direction under Nuno Espirito Santo, even if they haven’t won in three games.

However, they will have to make a difficult decision.

What a game that was between Brighton and Aston Villa on Wednesday. The Seagulls have a good chance of scoring goals, but I’m always expecting some leaks.

That was Brighton’s first home defeat of the season, but they should bounce back on Sunday.

Sutton’s 3-1 prediction

Paige’s prediction: West Ham are a little bit hit and miss at the moment, so I am backing Brighton here. 1-2-1

I saw nine goals at Craven Cottage on Tuesday but I am not expecting a high-scoring game here.

Fulham aren’t typically as prolific as Crystal Palace, and neither do they seem to score or concede that many goals.

I do love a 1-0 to Palace with my predictions but watching Josh King and Samuel Chukwueze tear Manchester City apart in midweek makes me think they can cause Oliver Glasner’s side some problems too.

I have two opinions about the Eagles, because there is no way they will be as open as City was.

I was tempted to go for a 1-1 draw, but let’s stick with a narrow Palace win.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-1

class=”ssrcss-1xjjfut-BoldText e5tfeyi3″>Paige’s prediction: It might be quite boring. 1-1

Wolves hasn’t hosted the Rob Edwards bounce, so it’s not surprising either. They are still the same group of players who struggled under Vitor Pereira.

Manchester United need to win this game in order for me to get a good result this year, but that will undoubtedly change this week.

I thought they would have too much firepower for West Ham on Thursday, but that was not the case.

Despite my best efforts, Ruben Amorim are never ever going to concede a lot of goals, despite their lack of realism in their opposition.

This should be a different story, which is why I am backing them to win – but I wouldn’t actually be that surprised if they went to Molineux and ended up getting another 1-1 draw.

I’m going with United to keep a clean sheet because Wolves haven’t even managed a goal in five games, let alone a point. This probably implies that they are scoring, but I’m going with them.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-1

Paige’s prediction: I’d love Wolves to win this, but I don’t think they will. 0 – 2

The BBC readers and AI both got four correct results, including one exact score, to end up on 70.

Joe Root insisted England worked as hard as they could to be ready for the day-night Ashes Test, despite missing five chances on the second day at the Gabba.

The tourists face an uphill task to stay in the match and the series after Australia closed on 378-6 – 44 runs ahead.

Four of the chances England missed came in the night session under the floodlights in Brisbane.

England rarely play pink-ball Tests – this is their eighth, compared to Australia’s 15th. Whereas Australia annually include a day-night Test in their schedule, England have played only one since their last visit to this country four years ago.

After losing the first Test inside two days, England opted not to send any of their XI from Perth to a day-night England Lions game against the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.

Ben Stokes’ side instead had five training session in Brisbane, two of which were under floodlights.

“We worked as hard as we could,” said England batter Root. “We did a huge amount of catching and making sure we utilised those two sessions under lights well.

“Sometimes the catches just don’t stick. You’ve got to keep applying yourself and wanting the ball so you’re ready when that next opportunity comes. That’s one of the nuances of the game and this pink-ball Test match.”

However, former England captain Michael Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast no amount of fielding drills can replicate match practice.

“I would have done things completely differently,” said Vaughan, who led England to victory in the 2005 Ashes. “What I saw today was a team that looked jaded.

“These fielding drills – they’re fantastic, but you know the ball is coming to you. In a game, you have no clue when it is coming to you and it is completely different.

“The art of taking chances is concentration. If you’re not out there on a regular basis practising for many hours, when that chance comes you have to be concentrating to take that opportunity. The only way you get good at that is by training the brain to do it.”

When this point was raised with Root, he countered: “It’s never going to be perfect. All you can do is give yourself the best possible chance and I think we’ve done that.

“In the lead-up to this game we’ve got used to conditions, we’ve got used to the heat, we got used to the surfaces. We’ve caught under lights, we’ve caught in daylight and tried to catch in twilight as well.

The drops were part of a ragged day for England at the Gabba, a ground where they have not won since 1986.

In England’s defence, Will Jacks held on to a stunning one-hander to dismiss Steve Smith.

As Smith pulled Carse, Jacks moved from backward square leg, dived to his right and clung on with one hand.

Vaughan called it “as good a catch as I’ve ever seen”.

Still, the drops further contributed to England’s awful catching record in day-night Tests.

In the evening session of day-night Tests – the session when the game is usually played under floodlights – England’s catching efficiency is 58% according to data analysts Cricviz. The efficiency for all other teams in the evening session of day-night Tests in 80%.

Catching data has been collected since 2006. In that period, England have only returned one worse performance in Australia than their five drops in Brisbane.

That was four years ago in Adelaide – another day-night Test – when they missed six chances.

“How often have an England team come to Australia and dropped catches?” said Vaughan.

“I said months ago that England have a great chance, but the one thing we don’t focus on in the UK – and they focus so much on it here in Australia – is catching and fielding.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has defended his failure to start any academy player in the Premier League this season and repeated his reasons for not giving Kobbie Mainoo an opportunity.

Amorim has stressed previously he feels the academy is doing a good job.

He has also said he will not break the proud record that dates back to 1937 of United having at least one homegrown player in the matchday squad.

United are paying a lot of attention to the academy. They hired Stephen Torpey from Brentford to lead it and, last night, 15-year-old star forward JJ Gabriel was in the directors’ box at Old Trafford to watch the 1-1 draw with West Ham.

Yet, actual playing time for the club’s academy players at first team level has been limited.

Mainoo and local-born defender Tyler Fredricson both started the EFL Cup defeat to League Two Grimsby in August.

Fredricson has not played another minute for the first team since, while Mainoo has featured for 171 minutes across nine substitute appearances in the Premier League. He came on in the final minute at Crystal Palace at the weekend and remained on the bench throughout the West Ham game, when Amorim used five substitutes.

When Mainoo was injured, Jack Fletcher, son of former United midfielder and current Under-18s coach Darren, was on the bench for the draw at Tottenham last month. For the last three games, England Under-20 forward Shea Lacey was an unused substitute.

Mainoo’s problem is that Amorim sees him in competition with skipper Bruno Fernandes, who has not been replaced since the win at Liverpool on 19 October six games ago.

The 20-year-old could have joined Napoli on deadline day in the summer, having told United he wanted a loan move in order to try and preserve his place in England’s World Cup squad.

That plan was blocked but it is understood Mainoo’s opinion remains the same and he feels he needs a loan move to help develop his career.

Amorim has shown signs of frustration at the regular questions about a player who in 2024 scored in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City and followed up by starting the Euro 2024 final with England.

Asked if he understood why Mainoo’s status as a homegrown English player made him of specific interest, Amorim said: “Of course I understand, and my job is to answer.

“But you always ask me the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie. He starts for England. But that doesn’t mean that I need to put Kobbie [in] when I feel that I shouldn’t put Kobbie [in]. It’s my decision.”

Amorim offered no guarantees the situation will change even when Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo leave for Africa Cup of Nations duty with Cameroon and Ivory Coast later this month.

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he said.

“It’s the same question. I don’t know what is going to happen. It depends. I’ve seen the training, if it’s the best thing for the team, I will put [him in], that is the only way I know how to respond to that.”

Amorim has opted not to give Lacey his senior debut even though United have failed to win two of the three games he was on the bench for and the Liverpool-born player was the only attacking option with Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha both missing games through injury.

The lack of involvement gives the impression Amorim doesn’t trust the academy to develop players to the standard he needs.

“Any players?” he said. “We have Kobbie Mainoo…”

When asked specifically about Lacey, he added: “So you are asking me why I don’t put Lacey (on) to play, when I have other guys that are internationals who are also on the bench.