Premier League predictions: Chris Sutton faces A Town Called Malice star and West Ham fan Jack Rowan

Chelsea and Leicester both sacked their managers on Sunday, but will they see an instant improvement in results when they return to action in midweek?

"I don't really understand the timing by both clubs," said BBC Sport's football expert Chris Sutton. "They have both been on a poor run for a while and have had plenty of time to make a change - why do it now, not during the international break?

"It's like the owners were saying 'we trust you, we trust you' and then suddenly, one game later, that changed because they lost."

Sutton is making predictions for every Premier League game this season against a variety of guests.

For the midweek fixtures on Tuesday and Wednesday, he is up against actor and West Ham fan Jack Rowan, who is starring in new Sky crime drama A Town Called Malice.

Rowan's Hammers heroes as a boy were Jermain Defoe, Joe Cole and Paolo di Canio. "That was when I was really young but in the sort of prime era, the time when West Ham was everything to me. My favourite ever player was Bobby Zamora, who scored some really important goals for us," Rowan said. "Later on, it was Scott Parker and right now I love Jarrod Bowen."

Rowan was at the Hammers' 1-0 vital win over Southampton on Sunday and told BBC Sport: "It wasn't an easy watch but I didn't care about the performance, all that mattered was getting the three points.

"If we'd lost, then it would have felt like we had one foot in the Championship but right now I still have faith that we can get out of trouble. We just need to finish 17th, and I don't care how.

"It's been a really frustrating season after doing so well for the past couple of years, and finishing sixth and seventh.

"I didn't expect us to get back into Europe again but I wanted us to have some consistency in the Premier League so we could really have a go at winning the Europa Conference League.

"We are still in Europe, in the quarter-finals, but it would be nice to be able to enjoy it if we were just sitting in mid-table now, rather than worrying about the drop.

"It feels like we should be doing much better with the players we've got, but we can't really think about that at the moment. They might thrive under different circumstances, say when we're not fighting the drop, but now we just have to pick up enough points to get through this.

"We've seen all the other clubs at the bottom change their manager but I want it to work for David Moyes, I really do. I would rather it work for him than just getting someone else in now.

"As a kid growing up, the identity I got from West Ham was that while we might not win every week, we were a team that was hard to beat and left it all on the pitch. That is the sort of team I want to watch, and in the first couple of years under Moyes we were really hard to beat.

"I don't know what has happened this season. I go to all our home games with my dad and every one since the start of the year it has felt like, if we lose, Moyes might go. But every time he has got the result that he needs - as long as that continues, we will be OK."

Rowan plays Gene Lord in crime thriller A Town Called Malice which is set on the Costa del Sol. He was an amateur boxer as a teenager after taking up the sport at a young age, and that curtailed his football ambitions. "I was competing a lot, so I was worried about getting injured playing other sports."

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

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SUTTON'S PREDICTIONS

TUESDAY, 4 APRIL

Bournemouth 0-2 Brighton

Bournemouth were one of the teams I said would be relegated when I was asked at the start of the season, but I wouldn't write them off now. I really admire the way they are scrapping for everything.

I had them down to draw against Fulham on Saturday but they ended up doing even better than that, and coming from behind to win.

They will give everything again against Brighton but picking up more points is going to be a much bigger ask.

I love watching the Seagulls because I see a side who only know one way to play, and that's to attack.

Brentford exploited the space they left at the back a bit at the weekend to get a draw, but Roberto de Zerbi's side didn't care - they were fearless. I still think they could have scored more goals, and they were the ones who felt like they had dropped points.

So, with apologies to Bournemouth because I never back them to win, I am tipping the Seagulls to edge this one and continue their push for a European place.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Jack's prediction: Bournemouth are one of our many relegation rivals so we need them to lose but I think it will happen anyway. They won't roll over, but I am a big fan of what Brighton are doing and they are playing so well at the moment. 1-2

Match report

Leeds 2-1 Nottingham Forest

This is a huge game for both clubs, but particularly Nottingham Forest - they have not won since they beat Leeds at the City Ground on 5 February, seven games ago.

I've mentioned my relegation 'worryometer' before and Forest still worry me, a lot. I can't put my finger on why their away form is so bad, but it really is terrible. They have the worst record in the top flight, with one win and six points in total from 13 games on the road.

It's a blow for Leeds to be without Willy Gnonto and Tyler Adams, who are both injured, but the home crowd will be really up for this and I fear for Forest at Elland Road.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Jack's prediction: This is massive for both clubs and in an ideal world, it will end up as a draw - that's the result I want from West Ham's point of view. But I am going for Leeds - they are at home and will go for it, while Forest are on a poor run of results and don't score many goals. 2-1

Match report

Leicester City 1-2 Aston Villa

Whoever takes charge of Leicester now has two home games this week, against Aston Villa on Tuesday and then Bournemouth on Saturday, and how they do is going to be crucial in deciding whether they stay up.

Crystal Palace were better than the Foxes on Saturday but would Brendan Rodgers have been sacked if Palace had not scored a last-minute winner? I'm not sure, but it is very tight at the bottom and it just shows you how much clubs panic when they drop into the bottom three.

No-one is adrift - even Southampton ran West Ham close at the weekend. The Hammers would have been bottom if they had lost, but their victory meant they leapt from 19th to 14th.

A Leicester win would see them do similar - they could actually go as high as 13th - but the issue I always have with them is that I don't think they are strong enough defensively.

I covered their game on Saturday and Palace, who were the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League, had 20 shots against them in the first half.

Leicester have to go for the win here and the home crowd will be right behind them which will definitely help, but it doesn't change the fact that the Foxes are too easy to get at.

Villa are still doing very well under Unai Emery, especially away from home, and they will have enough nous to open them up.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Jack's prediction: I was in the pub with my dad after the West Ham game when we heard Rodgers had been sacked and it was a bit of a surprise. I had already made my mind up about what will happen in this game, though, and I am going to stick with it. When we played Villa a few weeks ago, we ended up drawing 1-1 but I cannot remember watching a more frustrating side, and I mean that as a compliment. They sat back and passed it around and really sucked the energy out of us and I can see them doing the same at King Power Stadium, no matter how lively the Leicester players and fans are to begin with. They are a horrible team to face when you are desperate. 0-2

Match report

Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool

Saturday's defeat at Manchester City was as poor a performance as I can remember from Liverpool. It was a completely one-sided game.

The most astonishing thing about seeing that happen is that we know City can do it to most teams in the Premier League, but Liverpool have been their greatest rivals in the past five seasons. Not any more, because there is a tremendous gulf between the two teams.

Defensively and in midfield, Jurgen Klopp's side were an absolute shambles so how can I back them to win at Stamford Bridge?

Equally, though, why would I back Chelsea to beat anyone at the moment? I made that mistake again at the weekend, when they huffed and puffed against Villa in Graham Potter's final game as manager.

I do think the Blues are better when Ben Chilwell is in the team, but they still don't take their chances.

This has got a draw written all over it but I am going to resist the temptation to say 1-1 and pick a winner. I am going to go for Chelsea, reluctantly, on the basis that Liverpool are so bad in midfield.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Jack's prediction: Chelsea and Liverpool always seem to cancel each other out, even when they are both doing well - which they obviously aren't at the moment. They are both really in need of a good result or at least something to spark their seasons, but I think this is going to be another stalemate. 0-0

Match report

WEDNESDAY

Man Utd v Brentford (20:00 BST)

I called Newcastle's win over Manchester United on Sunday correctly, and I do think Erik ten Hag's side are fading.

They are still without suspended midfielder Casemiro for another two games including this one, and they really miss him.

Brentford smashed United at the start of the season and they still carry a goal threat now.

I think the Bees will score again this time too, but United are usually better when they are at Old Trafford and I am going with them to edge it.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Jack's prediction: Out of all the games I am predicting, I found this one the hardest. I waited until United had played Newcastle to make my mind up because I wanted to base my prediction on what happened there. Basically, Newcastle were all over them - I thought that from watching the game and then the stats really underlined how much they had outplayed them. Brentford are another team who have really impressed me this season but, as much as I love them, I am going with United because of their amazing home form - they have not lost there since September - and how much they need a good performance and result after Sunday's defeat. 3-1

West Ham v Newcastle (20:00 BST)

It is so tight at the bottom that one win makes a massive difference - look at West Ham, who were second bottom before they beat Southampton on Sunday.

If the Hammers had lost, then there's a good chance David Moyes would have been sacked but they just about got over the line.

Newcastle are a much better team than the Saints are, though, and I am really impressed with the way they are playing at the moment.

The fact they can bring Callum Wilson off the bench shows the quality of their squad and having him and Alexander Isak fighting for their place up front is bringing the best out of them.

I can see this being a tight affair but will West Ham score? I am going to say no, they won't. I don't see them taking the game to Newcastle, so there might be a few grumbles from the home fans if they do lose this one.

Sutton's prediction: 0-1

Jack's prediction: This is the big one! Newcastle and West Ham kind of cancel each other out a lot of the time, and our games always seem to be close. We probably deserved to beat them at St James' Park earlier in the season and I'd obviously love us to win this one but this screams a draw at me. It won't be a high-scoring game and I think we will have it in us to make it ugly and get a point. 1-1

Jack on why he supports West Ham: There is no long line of West Ham fans in my family tree but my dad chose them when he came over from Ireland because they were the team he connected with - and the rules are you support who your dad supports, right? Seriously though, it was never forced on me but it was never going to be any different because I went to games with him from a very young age and still do the same now, he was at Sunday's game with me too. West Ham have always been in my life, and I never watched much other football on TV when I was a kid. The only football I ever saw was live at West Ham so my only memories of football are of going to Upton Park. My dad would always buy me the shirt and I would wear it every Saturday. Life could have been a lot easier if I had grown up following a different club but I don't like the idea of supporting anyone else.

Chris Sutton and Jack Rowan were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

How did Sutton do last time?

From last weekend's Premier League fixtures, Sutton and his guest, DMA'S frontman Tommy O'Dell, both got three correct results from 10 matches, with no exact scores, for a total of 30 points.

How did you get on?

You got four results right, but it was almost five. The close call came in Nottingham Forest's draw with Wolves, where 34% of you went for the correct outcome but 35% voted for a Forest win - a difference of just 258 from exactly 40,000 votes.

*Win, draw, loss prediction based on highest % of vote for each match.

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