Football Expert Sutton Faces Off Against Artist Olly Murs in Top Flight Forecasts

The Gunners' 10-game winning streak was ended by the Black Cats prior to the international hiatus, but will the Premier League leaders bounce back against north London rivals Spurs this weekend?

"{I believe like Arsenal are miles ahead of Tottenham at the moment but Spurs boss Thomas Frank will have a plan for this match," remarked football specialist Chris Sutton.

"Frank will try to neutralize Arsenal, who have not always been at their sparkling best this campaign - but Mikel Arteta's side typically still manage to win."

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League fixtures this season, against artificial intelligence, readers and a range of guests.

In the twelfth round, he takes on performer Olly Murs, who is a United fan.

Murs' new record, the new release, is out on the weekend.

Soccer and Family Experiences

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

"{I actually played in a charity match the other night for a friend of mine," he explained. "The side was losing 3-1 when I was substituted in the 60th minute, and they proceeded to win 4-3, so you can interpret that what you will!

"I still love football, but I injured my knee a few years ago and it even now isn't where I want it to be. I wish I could play more but the uncertainty of the game means it's too dangerous for me in my career to do it properly again.

"Plus I am forty-one now, and we are not all Cristiano Ronaldo, are we!? No, I am very happy not playing football and I am gearing up for the moment that my child or son decides to play instead."

The singer and his wife Amelia Tank have two children, Madison and Albert, and he is prepared to emulate his dad by taking on the role of their coach.

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

"I watched my nephews play a lot, and I really got into it, and I obviously was involved with a football club 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 years and had a wonderful time with it. That might be the next step for me as well, and I am looking forward to it!"

Top Division Forecasts

Weekend, 22 November

  • Turf Moor, 12:30 GMT

The Blues may have to wait a bit longer for their star's return from fitness issues but their attack is already stronger with Pedro and Liam Delap both returned to fitness.

I still think this fixture will be quite close, however. Burnley are disciplined and their sole at Turf Moor defeats so far have been against the Reds and Arsenal.

It smells of a one-all tie to me, but I am in fact going to choose the London side to edge it for what would be their third league win in a row.

The expert's forecast: 1-2

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

Artificial intelligence's prediction: 0-2

  • Vitality Stadium, 15:00 GMT

Bournemouth have been defeated in their past two games - although both of them were away - but they got absolutely spanked by Villa last time out which shocked me.

On the other hand, West Ham won back-to-back victories before the international break and, although both of those fixtures were at home, they do look competitive again.

West Ham's sole on the road win this season came at Forest in the summer, when West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo was still Forest manager.

So, what exactly do I predict here - will it be West Ham continuing their streak under Nuno, or Bournemouth responding?

I will go with Bournemouth, because I believe what happened against Aston Villa was a anomaly.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

The guest's prediction: The home team are performing strongly but West Ham have picked up under Nuno. 2-2

AI's pick: 1-1

  • Amex Stadium, 15:00 GMT

Brentford were considered one of the frontrunners for relegation before the campaign started, but they have surprised a few observers under their manager and are in good form with three in their past four games.

A family member told me to select Brentford striker Thiago in my fantasy soccer squad a few weeks back and, guess what, I didn't listen.

The forward will likely find the net again on the weekend but I am still not going to pick him or support Brentford at Amex Stadium.

The Bees have not had great success on the road this term, and Brighton are consistently decent at home. Brentford will attempt to hit them on the break but I feel Fabian Hurzeler's side pose much more of a threat.

The analyst's forecast: 2-1

Olly's prediction: This could be one of those games where you expect there is going to be a lot of goals but it in reality turns out to be quite close. 1-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

  • Craven Cottage, 15:00 GMT

It is a massive game for the Cottagers, who have lost five of their past six games.

Fulham have have plenty of talent in their team but it nonetheless seems like they could be sucked into a drop zone battle.

As for the Black Cats, indeed they are the unexpected success of the top flight campaign so far.

The away side's performance in the two-all tie with Arsenal last time out was superb. We have not seen anyone else rough up the North London side like that this term, and they were fully competitive for them.

The sensible thing would be to support the Black Cats here, because they are obviously capable of roughing Fulham up too and, the previous occasion they were in west London, they defeated Chelsea at the close of last month.

But I am not going to do that. Rather, I truly need to continue opposing the away team with my predictions. I am claiming a lot of responsibility for their good outcomes because they clearly love to prove me wrong.

Considering the home side's home form, the sole side they have been defeated by is Arsenal. Marco Silva's team will be absolutely eager for a good result, so I am going to predict they will pick up three points.

The expert's prediction: 1-0

Olly's choice: I'm aware Sunderland are doing well and additionally that the hosts are on a poor streak... but they have nonetheless been respectable at Craven Cottage this season. 2-0

AI's prediction: 2-0

  • Anfield, 15:00 GMT

It is a hard fixture to call. The Reds have lost seven of their last ten games in all competitions, but might they be among the teams who benefit from the {international break|

Anthony Sanchez
Anthony Sanchez

A seasoned casino analyst with over a decade of experience in gaming reviews and strategy development.

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