As Aston Villa prepare to face Brighton in pursuit of their fourth consecutive Premier League victory, BBC Sport's Chris Sutton has dismissed concerns about the sustainability of their goal-scoring methods. "The xG debate surrounding Villa's long-range strikes is absurd," Sutton declared. "Why would you discourage skilled players from shooting just because of expected goals metrics?"
Prediction Showdown
Sutton's weekly forecasting challenge now features an intriguing trio: himself, Tailenders podcast co-host Felix White, and AI predictions generated through Microsoft Copilot. The format awards 10 points for correct results and 40 for exact scorelines.
White, guitarist for The Maccabees and author of new football memoir 'Whatever will be, will be: A Matter of Life and Football', shared how grassroots football inspired his literary journey. "Watching Penrith play reignited my love for the game," he revealed, describing an impromptu match attendance that led to a transformative conversation with the club's chairman.
Midweek Match Forecasts
Bournemouth vs Everton- Sutton: 2-1 home win
- White: 1-1 draw
- AI: 2-1 Bournemouth
Sutton expects City to extend their remarkable 18-game winning streak against Fulham, predicting a 0-2 outcome. White, however, foresees a dramatic 3-2 upset for his beloved Cottagers, drawing parallels to their April victory over Liverpool.
"The table's so compressed that a couple of results can swing perceptions from relegation fears to European hopes," White noted about Fulham's fluctuating season.
As the Premier League drama unfolds, fans can participate by submitting their own predictions through BBC Sport's interactive platform. With human intuition, fandom passion, and machine learning all contributing forecasts, the midweek fixtures promise compelling narratives both on and off the pitch.
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