Sutton's predictions v Make Me a Mixtape hosts Clara & Jordan
- Published
Aston Villa beat Arsenal home and away last season, but will they derail the Gunners' title bid this time?
"I can't wait for this one," said BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton.
"Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal last season. But Mikel Arteta is using all his innovations, including hiring pickpockets to make sure his team are alert.
"It would have been interesting had one of his players caught the pickpockets taking their stuff..."
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
"I got smashed last week. Liam Fray from the Courteeners did really well, but the first week is always tricky," added Sutton.
For week two, he takes on Make Me a Mixtape hosts Clara Amfo and Jordan Stephens.
Do you agree with their forecasts? You can make your own predictions, below.
Make Me a Mixtape is a new weekly music show, exclusive to BBC Sounds, where Clara and Jordan battle it out to build the ultimate mixtape for listeners or celebrity guests.
Long-time friends and musical experts Amfo and Stephens compete each week in Make Me a Mixtape - but it turns out they agree on which team they support... well, kind of.
Amfo: Full disclosure: I am a fair weather football fan. I've always enjoyed it through a pop culture lens as opposed to the lens of the sport itself. It's things like World Cups, the Euros and Africa Cup of Nations where I really get interested.
I still follow the Premier League, though. I've got four brothers who all support different teams - two of them are Liverpool fans, one supports Chelsea and the other Manchester United.
Stephens: That is a ridiculous mix of teams!
Amfo: It's the Amfo way, babe. It's just who we are!
Stephens: I am an Arsenal fan, born close to Highbury... Whittington Hospital, Archway, thank you very much! Arsenal through and through!
Amfo: I actually think as an adult I am inclined towards supporting Arsenal.
Stephens: As you should be!
They are also both big fans of Gunners star Bukayo Saka, who starred for England at Euro 2024.
Stephens: Saka is my hero, and he is 10 years younger than me.
Amfo: He is incredible. When I see him in interviews, he is so poised and level-headed, but he still seems like he is having fun. Considering the levels of disgusting abuse he was subjected to after missing a penalty at Euro 2020, that is pretty incredible. I fully rate him.
Stephens: He was picked to take the last penalty in a shootout in the final of his first major tournament, and then got horrendous abuse.
This time? He put the ball on the spot in the semis... and went 'Boom!' He is not just my favourite player, he is my actual hero.
Saturday, 24 August
Brighton 2-1 Manchester United
Getting off to a winning start in the Premier League was important for Erik ten Hag, albeit Manchester United didn't hit the heights they are maybe capable of.
Lisandro Martinez is going to be the key for them this season. I know everybody talks about attacking players, but they missed him for large parts of last season and he gives them a bit of steel at the back.
I predicted Brighton to lose at Everton and they won easily in the end. They like a left-field appointment and Fabian Hurzeler has made a really good start.
It's always important to get that first win under your belt as a new manager to get that belief that your message is getting across.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
Clara's prediction: 1-3
Jordan's prediction: Are you just guessing these? If so, that's quite a good one. I've gone for a draw because I don't know what to make of Brighton yet, but you could get me on this one. 2-2
Crystal Palace played very well against Brentford and ended up losing. It is a totally different Palace under Oliver Glasner, but Joachim Andersen has left for Fulham and will be a big loss for them.
It is a new dawn for Julen Lopetegui at West Ham and he will want to get his first win under the belt.
Sutton's prediction: 2-2
Clara's prediction: 2-2
Jordan's prediction: Another good shout. Oddly I've gone for 1-3, because I feel like West Ham are going to go for it.
Fulham were competitive against Manchester United last week and probably felt hard done by they didn't come away with a point.
Leicester got absolutely trounced in the first half against Tottenham. But in fairness, they were resilient, got the goal and carried a threat.
It was great to see Jamie Vardy back in the Premier League and getting a goal from Leicester's perspective, too.
But I think Fulham at home, this will be a 2-0 win.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
Clara's prediction: 2-1
Jordan's prediction: The fact you are guessing these is hilarious because your scores are all reasonable, while I have gone for hopeful... with lots of goals. 4-0
I really like the work Ipswich have done in the transfer market. They are signing Armando Broja and also got Sammie Szmodics, Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson in, so they are giving it a go.
For the first hour against Liverpool, I thought they really pushed them and played with great intensity. I feel really sorry for them the fixtures have fallen as they have done.
Manchester City got a pretty routine win against Chelsea last week and that is them fairly half-cooked and nowhere near up to speed, so that is ominous for Arsenal, Liverpool and everybody else. At home, it will be business as usual for City.
Sutton's prediction: 4-0
Clara's prediction: 2-1
Jordan's prediction: I feel like Ipswich will get one, just because City always start pretty slow. 4-1
Southampton 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Southampton were brilliant at Newcastle. If there was a criticism of them it was they didn't really create enough when Newcastle went down to 10 men. Southampton's performance deserved something.
Forest had the horrendous injury to Danilo, which is a big blow to them. But I am going to go for Forest.
Sutton's prediction: 0-1
Clara's prediction: 2-0
Jordan's prediction: That is your first one I'd say is controversial. I feel like Southampton will have some of that post-promotion buzz in their first home game, but it will only be enough to get them a point. 1-1
Spurs could have been eight up at half-time against Leicester but didn't take the chances and that will have been a bit of a sickener, it will have felt like a defeat.
There are high hopes for Ange Postecoglou in his second season and they made great progress last year.
Everton played well for the first 20 minutes against Brighton and are a team who will sit and frustrate the life out of Tottenham and then counter.
They ran Tottenham close last season but I will say Spurs at home, in front of their own fans, need to be more clinical and will be.
Sutton's prediction: 3-1
Clara's prediction: 2-1
Jordan's prediction: I want to say 17-0 to Everton but I've gone for a Tottenham win, which makes me feel a bit sick. I do think Dominic Solanke is a really good signing for them though. 3-0
Villa Park, 17:30
Arsenal really had control over Wolves last week and VIlla are at home after a big win against West Ham.
It smells of a draw but I am going to say Arteta's Arsenal will pickpocket Aston Villa and edge it.
Sutton's prediction: 1-2
Clara's prediction: 2-2
Jordan's prediction: Aston Villa are literally the reason we lost the title last season so surely Mikel Arteta has looked closely at what went wrong there. 0-2
Jordan on whether Arsenal will win the league this season? I think we can do it, yeah. Just looking at it logically, by how close we came last time, then yes we can take that step, but we need Kai Havertz to be in the form he was in at the end of last season. I loved seeing him playing so well because, even when people were against him, I believed in him and I was like 'that is my guy'.
I also have this feeling that something will click for Gabriel Jesus, too. There's that slight frustration that he has everything apart from an end product, but I just feel like this year might be the year where he might do it, and hit 20 goals... maybe! If he does that, we win the Premier League.
Clara: I love this passion!
Jordan: This is my Beyonce. Arsenal v City is basically like watching Renaissance.
Clara: I get it!
Sunday, 25 August
Vitality Stadium, 14:00
The Eddie Howe Derby. It will be interesting to see if Evanilson plays for Bournemouth, they have spent £40.2m on him.
Newcastle huffed and puffed and found a way last week at home against Southampton and Bournemouth drew at Forest, they probably will feel they should have won the game.
Based on last week, I would err towards Bournemouth but I am a big fan of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak and I think boss Eddie Howe will return to his old club and win it.
Sutton's prediction: 1-2
Clara's prediction: 1-2
Jordan's prediction: Newcastle are another reason we did not win the league last year. There were three refereeing errors for their winning goal at St James' Park. That's not the reason I'm going with Bournemouth to beat them, though. 3-2
Molineux, 14:00
It will be interesting to see the Chelsea team, Enzo Maresca has a big squad to pick from. But there will be no Raheem Sterling, he's taken the number seven off him.
Chelsea also play in the Conference League on Thursday night and I thought they were well beaten by Manchester City, but it has to click at some stage for them.
Wolves had their moments against Arsenal and this one has draw all over it.
Sutton's prediction: 1-1
Clara's prediction: 0-2
Jordan's prediction: Chelsea will probably smash them but I have gone for Wolves to get a draw. 2-2
Anfield, 16:30
Brentford have got a goal in them and Ivan Toney is back in training. There is talk of him going to Saudi Arabia, what a tragedy that would be at his age - he has plenty of time left to do that.
It was a really good win for Arne Slot's Liverpool at Ipswich, they had to work for it and he showed his ruthless side taking defender Jarell Quansah off at half-time and putting Ibrahima Konate on.
Mo Salah looked good, he is ripped and looks fitter than ever. I think Liverpool's attack will be too strong for the Brentford backline but Brentford have a goal in them and I really like Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo.
Sutton's prediction: 3-1
Clara's prediction: 2-1
Jordan's prediction: I have gone for some goals here - well, I have done that with every game really. I'm hoping for some good games, but there is a good chance that so many of these will be goalless. 4-2
How did Sutton do last time?
From the opening round of 10 Premier League games, Sutton got four correct results, including one exact score, giving him 70 points.
His guest, Courteeners frontman Liam Fray, got six correct results, with three exact scores, for a total of 150 points.
But the first win of the season goes to... you. Using the most popular scorelines from the predictions you made, you got seven correct results, with three exact scores, for an impressive total of 160 points.
Total scores after week one:
You: 160
Guests: 150
Chris: 70