Welcome to week 15 of The Athletic’s Premier League predictions challenge, where six-year-old Wilfred has blown the title race wide open.
For the third time in four rounds, the boy wonder has hit the highest score, landing spot-on predictions for Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers and the 1-1 draw between Liverpool and Sunderland, as well as another three correct results.
I’m writing this before Thursday’s match between Manchester United and West Ham United. But even with a game to spare, Wilfred is guaranteed to be this week’s top scorer again.
Each week, four of us — a guest subscriber, an algorithm, Wilfred and I — are predicting the Premier League results.
We’re awarding three points for a correct scoreline and one point for a correct result. There’s also a bonus point for any correct “unique” prediction, so whereas three got a mere three points apiece for tipping Arsenal to beat Brentford 2-0, Wilfred got four points for each of his two spot-on predictions because nobody else matched them.
After 11 rounds, Wilfred was well adrift at the bottom of the table, 16 points behind me.
Since then, my title challenge has disintegrated. I’ve picked up just 10 points and Wilfred has picked up a massive 26 to move level with the algorithm and me at the top of the table at the time of writing.
Wilfed is putting the rest of us to shame. And yes, that includes you, algorithm. Your recent form is almost as bad as mine.
Last week’s guest subscriber Ben picked up six points for the readers — again, before the Thursday night match is taken into account — but was frustrated, like Newcastle United, by Cristian Romero’s stoppage-time equaliser for Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park.
As a Wolves fan, who dared to predict his team would pick up a point at home to Crystal Palace, Ben knows what a cruel game football can be.
This week’s guest subscriber is Nick, a 39-year-old Arsenal supporter from Surrey.
Over to you, Nick.
Our subscriber’s match of the week
Tottenham vs Brentford, Saturday, 3pm UK/10am ET
Nick says: “Spurs’ injuries and lack of identity have put Thomas Frank under a lot of pressure. The visit of his ex-employer is coming at a terrible time. With Spurs’ home form and the onus on them to attack, I fancy Brentford to pick them off on the counter.”
Tottenham 0-2 Brentford
Oli says: “In 2024, Thomas Frank responded to questions about his career ambitions by suggesting by saying his life at Brentford was ‘perfect’ and that, even if there was a temptation to believe the grass looked greener elsewhere, there was the possibility that ‘you get in there, take a closer look and see there are a lot of weeds in the grass’. It’s almost as if he knew.”
Tottenham 1-2 Brentford
The rest of Oli’s predictions
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Arsenal have some tough games coming up — and they don’t come much tougher than an away game against a Villa side who have won eight of their last nine in the Premier League. I haven’t predicted an Arsenal defeat all season, but I’m going to be brave and do so here. I firmly believe they will win the league, but not without a few hiccups. In the continuing absence of the outstanding Gabriel, this might just be one of them.
Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal
Everton vs Nottingham Forest
For a David Moyes team, this season’s Everton are weirdly inconsistent. Their 4-1 home defeat against Newcastle last Saturday was horrible, but that was their only blemish in the last four games, which have brought wins at home against Fulham and away to Manchester United and Bournemouth. It’s hard to know what to make of them — or of Forest, who have also won three of their last four but also had a grim home defeat, in their case against Brighton & Hove Albion. I’ll fudge this one and call it a draw.
Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Newcastle vs Burnley
Burnley have given it a decent go at times this season, but they’re struggling. I thought they might get something at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday, but a fifth consecutive defeat leaves them right up against it. Hard to see them troubling Newcastle, who will have a point to prove after letting the lead slip twice at home against Tottenham.
Newcastle 2-0 Burnley
Manchester City vs Sunderland
One of the best performances I’ve seen from a central defender this season was from Sunderland’s Dan Ballard at Liverpool on Wednesday. His partner, Omar Alderete, was even better. Reinildo Mandava was brilliant at left-back too and several others stuck to their tasks superbly. What Sunderland are doing this season is spectacular. I’m less sure whether they can keep Manchester City — by which I primarily mean Erling Haaland — quiet, but they will give it a bloody good go.
Manchester City 2-1 Sunderland
Bournemouth vs Chelsea
Has the Bournemouth bubble burst? Victory over Nottingham Forest on October 26 took them up to second in the Premier League, but since then, it’s one point from five games. They have often been rather streaky, though, even dating back to Eddie Howe’s time in charge. They still have the ability to make life difficult for a Chelsea team who, after an impressive five weeks, reminded us of their frailties at Leeds United on Wednesday — and in particular the importance of Moises Caicedo, one of their few truly reliable performers. They’ll miss him again at Bournemouth.
Bournemouth 1-1 Chelsea
Leeds vs Liverpool
The scenes at the final whistle at Elland Road on Wednesday night were so joyous. This was a three-game run that threatened to be the end for Daniel Farke as Leeds coach, but their second-half performance at Manchester City brought hope and the 3-1 win against Chelsea will fuel their newfound belief. I’m not entirely convinced they can reach those heights again three days later, but Liverpool are accommodating opponents. As with Bournemouth-Chelsea above, I’ve oscillated wildly over this one before settling for a draw.
Leeds 2-2 Liverpool
Brighton vs West Ham
I’m making this prediction before West Ham’s match at Manchester United on Thursday evening, which I expected them to lose, so perhaps I’m coming at this from the wrong angle, but I expect Brighton to win this. Their players, in the main, look fitter, hungrier, more dynamic, better organised and… well, just… so much better than West Ham’s.
Brighton 2-1 West Ham
Fulham vs Crystal Palace
Palace aren’t hitting the same heights they did in the closing months of last season or the opening weeks of this campaign, but they still have an impressive knack of winning Premier League matches — which isn’t easy to do. I’m going for a Palace win in the belief that everyone else will go for a draw. I need bonus points.
Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Wolves vs Manchester United
How on earth did Wolves win six Premier League games in a row last spring? Maybe it was just a case of the fixtures falling nicely — Southampton, West Ham, Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Tottenham and Manchester United when the Europa League was preoccupying them. It wasn’t because of Matheus Cunha, who was suspended for much of that run. Whatever was behind it, they desperately need to find something similar if they are to give themselves even a remote chance of staying up. There have been brief flickers of promise, but nothing like enough.
Wolves 1-2 Manchester United
