Chris Sutton says Aston Villa will win 3-1 at Old Trafford on Sunday. Football Manager 27 has played the same match on its engine and has Manchester United winning 2-1. That split runs through this weekend’s BBC Sport predictions, in which Sutton and the game, released on 10 November, back different outcomes in seven of the 10 Premier League fixtures.
Sutton took 100 points last week, but BBC readers edged the round on 110. AI, using Microsoft Copilot Chat, scored 80, ending its four-week winning run, though it still leads the BBC’s season-long table. A correct result earns 10 points and an exact score earns 40.
A cautious computer against a confident pundit
The clearest difference is the number of goals. FM27’s 10 scorelines add up to 18, against 26 for Sutton and 29 for Copilot. Sports Interactive’s Miles Jacobson, who made his own picks alongside the game, came in at 25.
- Everton v Coventry: Sutton 2-0, FM27 2-0, Jacobson 2-1, AI 2-0
- Leeds v Tottenham: Sutton 1-1, FM27 2-1, Jacobson 1-1, AI 1-2
- Arsenal v Hull: Sutton 2-0, FM27 1-0, Jacobson 2-1, AI 3-0
- Fulham v Newcastle: Sutton 2-1, FM27 1-1, Jacobson 0-0, AI 1-1
- Nottingham Forest v Man City: Sutton 1-2, FM27 0-0, Jacobson 0-3, AI 1-2
- Brighton v Brentford: Sutton 2-1, FM27 0-1, Jacobson 2-2, AI 2-1
- Crystal Palace v Liverpool: Sutton 0-2, FM27 0-1, Jacobson 0-2, AI 1-3
- Ipswich v Bournemouth: Sutton 1-1, FM27 1-2, Jacobson 0-2, AI 1-1
- Sunderland v Chelsea: Sutton 1-2, FM27 1-1, Jacobson 1-2, AI 1-2
- Man Utd v Aston Villa: Sutton 1-3, FM27 2-1, Jacobson 1-2, AI 2-2
Only three matches bring all four forecasters together on the outcome: wins for Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool. FM27 stands alone in backing United, Leeds and Brentford to win, and in denying City. Friday night’s game at Hill Dickinson Stadium, where Frank Lampard returns to his former club with Coventry, is the only one where Sutton and the game share a scoreline.
Where the arguments sharpen
Old Trafford is the most contentious fixture. United came from 2-0 down to beat Roma 3-2 on Tuesday, ending a nine-game winless run, but Sutton is unmoved. “You still feel United are not far from another collapse,” he said, adding that Nicolas Jackson “will bag a couple”. He also said Unai Emery, linked with succeeding Michael Carrick, “is too good for United”.
Forest offer the game’s boldest call. They have six league goals from nine matches, the lowest total in the division, and lost to Brentford last time out. City arrive after back-to-back league defeats, with Sutton suggesting goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma “might even chuck one in”, yet he still expects City to create enough to win.
Arsenal, three points clear at the top after winning 1-0 at Anfield last Sunday, host a Hull side Jacobson says “play with no fear whatsoever”. He compared watching Arsenal, without the injured Bukayo Saka, to watching chess. Sutton’s view is blunter: “Arsenal are just monsters, aren’t they?”
At Craven Cottage, Sutton sees a “big” game for Newcastle’s Matthias Jaissle, whose side have lost three of their past four league games. “What are Newcastle? What type of team are they?” he asked, before backing Alvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham.
What the game adds to the contest
FM27 is a different kind of opponent from Sutton’s usual guests. It plays the fixtures out in a simulation, whereas Copilot was simply asked to “predict this weekend’s Premier League scores”.
Jacobson’s comments tie the game to the real thing. FM27’s new Tactical Effectiveness training system means squads need time to absorb a new manager’s ideas. “It reflects what happens in real life when a new manager comes into a club and does something different,” he said, pointing to Oliver Glasner’s demand after the Brentford defeat that his Forest players listen and follow instructions.
He also highlighted an option that represents wheelchair-using managers in the game for the first time. “For wheelchair users it is an absolutely massive thing to be able to be represented in the game that they love,” he said.
This is the last round before the international break, which gives the results extra weight for Jaissle, Glasner and Carrick. If the low-scoring FM27 beats Sutton and Copilot, it will be because tight games, rather than convincing wins, were the better bet.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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