soccer

Sutton's predictions v singer-songwriter & Chelsea fan Noah Kahan

[BBC]

Struggling Tottenham Hotspur have lost both games under Igor Tudor but can he get some much-needed points on the board when they face Crystal Palace on Thursday?

"Tudor is blaming everyone other than himself," said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. "He's blamed his players, and also the referee too.

"Now this is a massive game for him. He's a short-term specialist but so far he has played two, and lost two.

"Fulham battered Spurs on Sunday and I wonder if Tudor is still 100% confident that his team will stay up, which is what he said in his first media conference after taking charge."

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

His guest for week 29 is Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who supports Chelsea.

The American's fourth studio album, The Great Divide, is out on 24 April. It takes its name from its lead single, which is out now.

Do you agree with their scores? You can pick your own below.

The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of this page.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.

Noah Kahan singing and playing a guitar
Kahan has sold almost 12 million albums worldwide. His third album, Stick Season, topped the UK charts in 2023 and has gone four times platinum. His breakout single of the same name also reached number one in the UK and went eight times platinum. [Getty Images]

Kahan has supported Chelsea since he was a child growing up in Vermont - he started watching games with his English neighbours, who were Blues fans who knew Frank Lampard - and says he still feels the same connection with the club.

"Chelsea are still part of my identity," he told BBC Sport. "I still watch every game, and I still get the same feeling I got when I was a kid when we lose - and when we win.

"I think when you're a kid, you have your team - the first team you get into - and the first game you see them win, they kind of become immortalised in your head, and you never really quite reach that same place again, emotionally.

"For me, that moment was watching Didier Drogba, Lampard and John Terry in 2009.

"That was just when I really fell in love with the team and I feel like I've been chasing that same kind of admiration since. I guess it was just because I was a little kid and I thought they were superheroes and not people.

"Chelsea became an obsession for me. In my life, it was my first obsession with anything. For me and my family, it was this kind of obsession which felt very like it was our own - we were in America, we liked this thing that was overseas and it was our own little thing that belonged to us.

"I still love them now - I am just constantly frustrated by them, you know how it is!"

Chris Sutton and Noah Kahan were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

The AI predictions were generated using Microsoft Copilot Chat - we simply asked the tool to 'predict this week's Premier League scores'.

Noah Kahan at Stamford Bridge before Chelsea played Manchester City in 2024
Kahan still watches every Chelsea game when he is in the United States though has not made it to Stamford Bridge since the start of the 2024-25 season, when he was in London to play the O2 Arena [Getty Images]

Premier League predictions

Tuesday, 3 March

  • Vitality Stadium, 19:30 GMT

Brentford's late win at Burnley means they have won five of their past six away league games.

They have already won at Bournemouth once this season, in the Carabao Cup, and also hammered them 4-1 when they met after Christmas.

But that was when Bournemouth were in the middle of their bad run, and they have picked up a lot since then - they are unbeaten in their past eight league games.

I was wrong when I said the Cherries would beat Sunderland on Saturday, but I am still backing them this time - and I am tempted to go 2-1 every game this week after what happened on Sunday [when all four games finished with that scoreline].

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Noah's prediction: I feel like Bournemouth have been better than people think this season. 1-0

AI's prediction: 2-1

  • Hill Dickinson Stadium, 19:30

You have to feel for Burnley after their brave comeback against Brentford ended in a dramatic late defeat. They have shown plenty of fight recently but that might have knocked the stuffing out of them a bit.

Everton could really do with a positive result at home after picking up two points from their past six games at their new stadium.

The Toffees got such a brilliant win at Newcastle on Saturday, when every time Newcastle got back in it, Everton scored again.

If they play like that again, they will win.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Noah's prediction: Everton have been pretty bad at home so I am going for a draw - maybe we will see another late Burnley equaliser like the one they got against us. 1-1

AI's prediction: 2-0

  • Elland Road, 19:30

This is a big game for Leeds, who are six points above the relegation zone with 10 games to go, but have still got work to do.

I've been impressed by Daniel Farke's side recently, but they still rely a lot on their home form - they have picked up 22 points from 14 games at Elland Road compared to nine from 14 on the road - so it feels like they need to win this.

Sunderland have not won in four league games but I'm not reading too much into that - Granit Xhaka's return from injury made a difference against Bournemouth on Saturday, and a draw was a good result for them.

This is going to be close but Leeds like playing under the lights - they pushed Manchester City all the way on Saturday evening, and this time I think it is them who will edge it.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Noah's prediction: Sunderland haven't been great in the past five or six games but they still have quality - enough to win this game. 0-1

AI's prediction: 2-1

  • Molineux, 20:15

Liverpool have won their past three league games and are right in the race for the top four.

It feels like Arne Slot's side have turned a corner but Wolves have really picked up under Rob Edwards in recent weeks too.

I am not sure about this one. Everyone else will go for a Liverpool win, and I am going to have to do the same - but it will be closer than you think.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Noah's prediction: Liverpool will win comfortably. 0-3

AI's prediction: 1-3

Wednesday, 4 March

  • Villa Park, 19:30

Aston Villa are on a terrible run and are going to fall out of the top four at this rate.

Chelsea are not exactly flying at the moment either, but their biggest problem is that they can't keep 11 players on the pitch - they probably would have got something against Arsenal on Sunday if not for Pedro Neto's silly red card.

It's hard to back either team to get the win, so I am going to sit on the fence here.

Sutton's prediction: 1-1

Noah on his favourite current Chelsea player: Enzo Fernandez has been a really cool revelation. I've always loved those kind of feisty guys that, if they played for anyone else, you'd hate them. Like Antonio Rudiger - you'd be so annoyed playing against him, but having him on your team, he's exactly what you want.

Enzo is the same. He's always in the middle of any scraps going on but he embodies consistency and he is also a really vocal leader, which we need because we have such a young team. If things go wrong, he is always there, he always wants to win and he is always trying to move the ball forward.

At the moment he's not close to Lampard or Drogba, not yet anyway, but if he stays with us for a few years then we will really have a legend in the making.

Noah's prediction: This is a huge game - we have got a lot of huge ones coming up. I've asked my little brother Simon what will happen and he says Morgan Rogers will lose his steam and we will win. 0-2

AI's prediction: 1-2

  • Amex Stadium, 19:30

Arsenal are not playing fluently at all, but look at the depth they have in their squad.

At the moment it feels like they have got players who can come off the bench and impact games if they need it.

This game won't be easy - Declan Rice is an injury doubt for the Gunners and Brighton have just picked up back-to-back wins, with Danny Welbeck scoring in both - but I still think Arsenal will find a way to win it.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Noah's prediction: Arsenal just chip away at teams, don't they? It is really awful to watch. I know some Arsenal fans - there is one in my band and a bunch of my friends too - and I tell them, "I don't know how you guys are enjoying this, this is horrible". I haven't seen a team that's been so good, so badly, before. That being said, they will probably win this. 1-3

AI's prediction: 1-3

  • Craven Cottage, 19:30

West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo was very upbeat about his side's performance at Anfield on Saturday, but they lost 5-2.

The only consolation for the Hammers is that the teams immediately above them all lost too.

They lost at home to Fulham in December and I don't see them getting anything on Wednesday, either.

Marco Silva's side played really well in their win against Tottenham on Sunday and Harry Wilson is on fire - my advice is to get him in your Fantasy Premier League team, now.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Noah's prediction: This is a tough one to call. 0-2

AI's prediction: 1-1

  • Etihad Stadium, 19:30

Nottingham Forest boss Vitor Pereira was brought in to keep them up, but he has a 0% winning ratio in the Premier League this season after 10 games in charge of Wolves and now two defeats with Forest.

It's hard to see that changing at Etihad Stadium - City are going to win comfortably, whether or not Erling Haaland is back from injury to lead their attack.

Pereira was moaning about the way Forest pressed in their defeat by Brighton at the weekend, but if you keep bringing in different managers and changing the way you play, then it is going to end up biting you on the backside.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Noah's prediction: Forest are struggling but they have got some really good players. I want City to win, but it will be tight. 1-0

AI's prediction: 3-0

  • St James' Park, 20:15

Newcastle United's inconsistency struck again in Saturday's home defeat by Everton, and who knows which team will turn up here.

Manchester United were not great against Crystal Palace either, when they needed a penalty and Maxence Lacroix's red card to really change the game, but they still found a way to win it.

Benjamin Sesko suddenly looks like a handful for Michael Carrick's side - he is big and physical and scored a brilliant header against Palace - so Newcastle will have to deal with him.

It is hard to call this one but there have been so many great games between these two sides down the years, and this could be another classic.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Noah's prediction: I like Newcastle - every time I watch them play, they are two or three missed chances away from being in every game, whoever it is against. I can see this being a tie. 1-1

AI's prediction: 1-2

Thursday, 5 March

  • Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, 20:15

Tottenham's home record is wretched - Wolves are the only top-flight team to have picked up fewer points than them on their own turf so far.

The atmosphere there has been toxic all season anyway, and we are into territory where, if Tudor loses this, things could get even worse.

I am not sure about Crystal Palace either, mind you. After a difficult few weeks, they actually looked good against Manchester United on Sunday but they will miss the suspended Maxence Lacroix here, who is important for them at the back.

It would be against the odds, but I am going to back Spurs here. Their last league win came against Palace, at the end of 2025 - maybe they will get their first league win of 2026 against the same opposition.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Noah's prediction: Another London derby. Spurs were really dire the other day against Arsenal - really bad. I don't know what is going on over there but they can't be as bad again this time. Palace have picked up a bit but I actually see Spurs winning this. 2-0

AI's prediction: 2-1

How did Sutton do last week?

The winner of week 28 was not decided until the final game - Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday.

AI wrongly went for a 2-2 draw, while Chris got a correct result by going for a 2-0 home victory - but it was the collective efforts of the readers that proved to be spot on.

From almost 30,000 predictions, the most popular scoreline saw 26% of you pick a 2-1 Arsenal win and that exact score meant you took the overall victory.

You ended up with seven correct results, including three exact scores, for a winning tally of 160 points.

AI was next, with six correct results and two exact scores, for a total of 120 points.

Chris managed seven correct results with one exact score, leaving him on 100 points.

His guest, Oli Fox from indie band Good Neighbours, got three correct results with no exact scores, giving him 30 points.

Read full story at Yahoo Sport →