BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is back with his Premier League predictions for week eight, facing off against Waffle the Wonder Dog and actor James Merry. Sutton is forecasting all 380 matches of the campaign alongside guests, readers, and artificial intelligence.
Aston Villa vs Manchester City
Manchester City have won their opening seven league matches, but BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton questions whether their 100% record can survive a trip to an improving Aston Villa side. Sutton noted that Villa have won this exact fixture in each of the past three seasons under Unai Emery and are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run across all competitions.
Actor James Merry, a lifelong Villa fan who previously worked in the club’s catering department as a teenager, believes his side can take advantage of the contest. Merry predicted a 3-2 home victory, whereas Sutton opted for a 1-2 scoreline in favour of Manchester City.
Nottingham Forest vs Ipswich Town
In other weekend action, Sutton tackles the fixture between Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town at Portman Road. Sutton observed that Nottingham Forest struggle to score with only five goals in their first seven league games, while Ipswich have made a positive start with three victories under Gary O’Neil.
Sutton backed a 1-1 draw, while Waffle the Wonder Dog and James Merry both predicted a 1-2 win for Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot Chat generated an AI prediction of a 1-1 draw.
Recent Prediction Standings
Reflecting on week seven, Chris Sutton and BBC Sport readers each managed six correct results for 60 points, while guest boxer Fabio Wardley scored 70 points with four correct outcomes and one exact score. However, artificial intelligence claimed the weekly win for the third consecutive week by accumulating 110 points from eight correct results.
Waffle’s After School Club is currently available on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, featuring family adventures alongside Waffle and James Merry.
Source: BBC Sport
