Chris Sutton Challenges Race Across the World Host Alfie Watts, BBC Readers, and AI with Weekend Football Predictions

BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is taking on Race Across the World podcast host Alfie Watts, BBC readers and AI in a prediction challenge for this weekend’s Premier League and FA Cup fixtures.

The contest, featured on BBC Sport’s platform, sees Sutton make predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, with points awarded for correct results and exact scores. A correct result prediction (win, draw or defeat) earns 10 points, while predicting the exact score awards 40 points.

Alfie Watts, who won series four of Race Across the World last year and co-hosts the visual podcast Race Across the World: The Detour with Tyler West, is Sutton’s guest for all of this weekend’s games. Watts is also a qualified referee who officiates at step three and four of the football pyramid, specifically in the Isthmian League and the Southern League Premier Division.

The predictions cover midweek fixtures as well, including the Tuesday and Wednesday Premier League games that were moved forward due to clubs’ involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals. Sutton has previously commented on Manchester City’s prospects in these matches, noting their potential to top the Premier League for the first time since August if they beat Burnley.

In recent prediction columns, Sutton has analyzed Liverpool’s inconsistent form under Arne Slot, suggesting the team may emerge from their slump due to squad quality despite recent disappointments. He predicted a 2-2 draw for Liverpool’s match against Fulham, citing their previous encounter which ended in the same score.

Sutton has also expressed skepticism about Burnley’s relegation battle prospects, stating that while they are not mathematically down yet, he has not encountered anyone who believes they will avoid relegation. His comments come amid midweek fixtures that include Chelsea’s struggles, with Sutton referencing their poor form under Liam Rosenior.

The Race Across the World: The Detour podcast is available weekly on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds every Thursday at 21:00 BST, with episodes running until 21 May. Viewers can participate in the prediction challenge by making their own forecasts on the BBC Sport website.