premier league
Sutton's predictions v Crookhaven stars Amari Bacchus & Genesis Lynea
Two of the teams fighting relegation meet on Sunday when Tottenham host Nottingham Forest, but are there more than just points at stake? If we do get a winner here, it is a huge boost for that team psychologically going into the international break, said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. But, for the losing manager, it could mean the sack. That applies to Forest's Vitor Pereira as well as Igor Tudor at Spurs - this is a classic game where triumph or disaster awaits both clubs. Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. His guests for week 31 are Amari Bacchus and Genesis Lynea, stars of new CBBC drama series Crookhaven. Crookhaven begins with a double bill on Sunday, 22 March at 15:05 GMT on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, and at 17:25 on CBBC. The full series will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from this date.
'Ridiculous amount of games' - has Haaland played too much football?
'Ridiculous amount of games' - has Haaland played too much football? The robot is malfunctioning and in need of a reset. Erling Haaland made a blistering start to the season but that prolific run of form has suffered a glitch. Though the Manchester City and Norway striker has scored a remarkable 39 goals in just 36 games for club and country this season, he has hit a sticky patch of form with only one goal in his past eight games. This has coincided with Pep Guardiola's men falling off the pace in the Premier League title race and suffering a monumental shock at Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League.
Is AI taking the fun out of fantasy football?
Is AI taking the fun out of fantasy football? For years, fantasy football has given every armchair manager the space to back up claims they could do a better job than the real thing. Whether you're competing against workmates, family members or strangers, the ability to pull together your own dream team is irresistible to millions of football fans. The competitive pastime has spawned a whole industry of content creators offering weekly tips for anyone looking to gain an edge as they sift through stats and manage transfers. Recently, more players have been turning to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for advice - but not everyone agrees they have a place in the virtual dugout.
Sutton's predictions v Zambian rapper Sampa the Great
Aston Villa have won nine games in a row in all competitions, but can they reach double figures by beating Manchester United on Sunday? Villa have gone behind in three of those games and haven't kept a clean sheet in their past four matches, said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. But they have been so attacking and Morgan Rogers is absolutely flying. They just never seem to lie down. Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. For week 17, he takes on Zambian musician and rapper Sampa the Great. Sampa the Great's new single, Can't Hold Us, is out now and is included in the EAFC 26 video game. Do you agree with their scores?
Sutton's predictions v singer Olly Murs
Arsenal's 10-game winning run was ended by Sunderland before the international break, but will the Premier League leaders bounce back against north London rivals Tottenham on Sunday? I feel like Arsenal are miles ahead of Tottenham at the moment but Spurs boss Thomas Frank will have a plan for this game, said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. Frank will try to nullify Arsenal, who have not always been at their scintillating best this season - but Mikel Arteta's side usually still find a way to win. Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. For week 12, he takes on singer Olly Murs, who is a Manchester United fan . Murs' new album, Knees Up, is out on Friday.
Are Online Sports Fan Communities Becoming More Offensive? A Quantitative Review of Topics, Trends, and Toxicity of r/PremierLeague
Mazhar, Muhammad Zeeshan, Buz, Tolga, Su, Yiran
Online communities for sports fans have surged in popularity, with Reddit's r/PremierLeague emerging as a focal point for fans of one of the globe's most celebrated sports leagues. This boom has helped the Premier League make significant inroads into the US market, increasing viewership and sparking greater interest in its matches. Despite the league's broad appeal, there's still a notable gap in understanding its online fan community. Therefore, we analyzed a substantial dataset of over 1.1 million comments posted from 2013-2022 on r/PremierLeague. Our study delves into the sentiment, topics, and toxicity of these discussions, tracking trends over time, aiming to map out the conversation landscape. The rapid expansion has brought more diverse discussions, but also a worrying rise in negative sentiment and toxicity. Additionally, the subreddit has become a venue for users to voice frustrations about broader societal issues like racism, the COVID-19 pandemic, and political tensions.
'He lives for the goals' - robot Haaland returns from malfunction
'He lives for the goals' - robot Haaland returns from malfunction Is Erling Haaland a big fan of Peter Crouch - or is he actually programmed like a robot? That may - or not be - a question posed after Manchester City's impressive Premier League victory over in-form Bournemouth on Sunday. The Norway striker malfunctioned for only the second time this season when he failed to score in last weekend's loss at Aston Villa, but he was back to being a goal machine with a ruthlessly efficient first-half double against the Cherries. If he is hiding any nuts and bolts under those blonde locks of his, Haaland did prove he was still human by missing a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick. But his scary statistics this season have left many in awe of the 25-year-old's prowess in front of goal, prompting a robot dance to mark his opener in the win that took his side up to second place.
Sutton's predictions v Football Manager, the game
Is this the beginning of the rise of the machines? Last week saw AI triumph outright for the first time in our Premier League predictions battle, although BBC Sport's own expert human, Chris Sutton, points out he is still top of the overall league this season. This time, as well as AI, Sutton faces a different hi-tech challenger. His guest opponent for this weekend's fixtures is a computer game: Football Manager 26, the latest edition of the long-running management simulation series. The FM26 game engine has played out this weekend's matches and you can see its results, including goalscorers and red cards, below. Miles Jacobson, the studio director of Sports Interactive, the company behind Football Manager, also joined in.
Sutton's predictions v Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones & AI
Liverpool have lost two straight games in the Premier League and Champions League, but is this a wobble or something more serious? Arne Slot's side look so vulnerable defensively, said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton. I covered their defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend and Palace could have gone 4-0 up, no word of a lie. Alisson went off injured against Galatasaray, and if he is missing it is not going to help. We know Liverpool can hurt Chelsea on Saturday but it is the other end they have to worry about. Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests. For week six, he takes on Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones, who supports Leeds United.
Nuno set to take over at West Ham after Potter sacking
Image caption, Nuno Espirito Santo (right) is expected to succeed Graham Potter and could take charge for Monday's match at Everton West Ham are set to appoint former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo after sacking head coach Graham Potter. Portuguese Nuno is expected to be in place before Monday's match against Everton, saying he has had positive talks with the West Ham board. Potter was dismissed on Saturday morning after just eight months, with the club struggling in 19th place in the Premier League. The Hammers picked up only three points from their opening five Premier League games under the Englishman. The east London club said they believe that a change is necessary in order to help improve the team's position in the Premier League as soon as possible.