Premier League predictions: Chris Sutton faces FEET bassist and West Ham fan Oli Shasha

Liverpool’s season continues to go from bad to worse but can they stop their slump in form in Monday’s Merseyside derby?

“I won last week’s predictions, but it would have been by a greater margin if I hadn’t changed my mind after initially going for Wolves to beat Liverpool and put it down as a 0-0 draw.

“I wish I hadn’t bottled it because their performances just aren’t there, in any department, which is a massive worry for them.

“Reds boss Jurgen Klopp looks pretty broken in the dugout at this moment in time and I don’t think he has the answers to his side’s problems.”

Sutton is making predictions for every top-flight game this season, against a variety of guests.

For this weekend’s fixtures, he is up against Oli Shasha, bassist with indie band FEET and a West Ham fan.

FEET’s new single, Changing My Mind Again, is released on Friday. They start a tour of the UK, supporting Inhaler, next week.

Oli is a West Ham fan because of his dad and told BBC Sport: “They were his team – he grew up on one of the roads opposite Upton Park and when he was younger he played for their youth team.

“He started taking me when I was younger and that was it really – so it was quite a conventional route for how they became my team too.

“Bobby Zamora was my first hero – the first season I really followed West Ham was when we won promotion to the Premier League in 2005, when he scored the winner in the play-off final.

“We reached the FA Cup final the following year and then the season after that we had Carlos Tevez, which was quite a fun season too… but we’ve had a series of much worse strikers pretty much ever since.”

The Hammers finished seventh last season but are struggling at the moment, sitting just a point above the relegation zone after a run of one win in their past nine league games.

“As a team we are so temperamental,” Oli added. “If you think back to what we were like before the World Cup, some of our performances were horrific.

“Back then there didn’t seem to be any enthusiasm from the players, but all of a sudden it changes. We had a really good result against Everton a couple of weeks ago and you feel like things are going to turn around.

“We’ve got a good squad and when they are not performing it is easy to think it is down to the manager because, if the players have proven they are good players, it is his fault things are not working in his system, right?

“I am happy with David Moyes, though. Things are a lot better now and there are lots of factors why we didn’t start the season well.

“Qualifying for Europe was great but it affects the harmony of the team because you have to evolve the squad to cope with the extra games, and then deal with the travelling that comes with it.

“Injuries have affected us too. Nayef Aguerd signed in the summer and hardly played for us before the World Cup, but he has really impressed me now he is fit and players like him will change the course of our season.

“He saved us a goal against Newcastle last weekend when he chased back and slid in at the last minute to deny Callum Wilson, and I can honestly say I haven’t seen a West Ham defender do that for about 10 years.”

	Result	Sutton	Oli
SATURDAY, 11 FEB
West Ham v Chelsea	x-x	1-1	2-1
Arsenal v Brentford	x-x	2-1	2-1
Crystal Palace v Brighton	x-x	1-1	0-3
Fulham v Nott’m Forest	x-x	2-1	1-0
Leicester v Tottenham	x-x	1-2	0-2
Southampton v Wolves	x-x	0-1	0-0
Bournemouth v Newcastle	x-x	0-2	0-1
SUNDAY, 12 FEB
Leeds Utd v Man Utd	x-x	2-1	0-4
Man City v Aston Villa	x-x	2-0	2-1
MONDAY, 13 FEB
Liverpool v Everton	x-x	1-2	3-2

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

SUTTON’S PREDICTIONS

Games kick off at 15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated

SATURDAY, 11 FEBRUARY

West Ham v Chelsea (12:30)

Chelsea have kept clean sheets in their past three games but they also don’t score many – they have only found the net once in that time.

West Ham are hardly free-scoring either, so I doubt the goals will be flying in at Saturday lunchtime. Like Oli is saying, Aguerd has made a big difference for them at the back, after they had lots of problems in defence when he was injured at the start of the season.

Every time I write West Ham off, they get something from the game so the bad news for Hammers fans is that I am going for the points to be shared this time.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-1

Oli’s prediction: I remember this fixture last season because we were in the recording studio and I interrupted a drum take by screaming when Arthur Masuaku scored an absolutely bonkers goal to win it with one of the last kicks of the game. This time? I am going for us to win again – we are at home and when our fans get going it’s really something, especially in a game like this one. 2-1

Arsenal v Brentford

This is a really interesting game because of Arsenal’s last result, their defeat at Everton, and Brentford’s form – they are unbeaten for nine games now.

The Gunners are the only team who have beaten the Bees on their own patch this season – a really impressive 3-0 win in September which was the first real statement that Mikel Arteta’s side meant business in the title race.

Arteta could really do with a similar result this time, to get back on track after that Everton defeat before Manchester City visit Emirates Stadium next Wednesday.

Last week was as poor a performance as I have seen all season from the Gunners, who didn’t really dictate the game or ever look like they were in control.

They absolutely need to bounce back from that, and I think they will – but it will not be easy, because Brentford are streetwise, well organised and carry a real attacking threat.

The Bees will be a handful, but Arsenal will find a way to win.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-1

Oli’s prediction: Arsenal have to win this one, after losing to Everton last week. 2-1

Crystal Palace v Brighton

I love Brighton and what they are doing – not just their results, but also the freedom they are playing with. They are brave on the ball and they always create chances.

In contrast, Crystal Palace are not on a great run at all, with only one win in their past eight league games.

The Eagles are stubborn though and I have a feeling they will get something out of this one, especially because they are at home. It’s got a draw written all over it.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-1

Oli’s prediction: What Brighton are doing is amazing but I hate them because West Ham have never beaten them in the Premier League [their record versus the Seagulls since 2017 is P11 W0 D6 L5] so they are the very definition of our bogey club, whereas Palace are just a bit annoying. 0-3

Fulham v Nottingham Forest

Fulham rested a few players in their FA Cup replay win over Sunderland so fatigue won’t be an issue here.

They beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 at the City Ground in September but Forest have improved since then.

Steve Cooper’s side have had some good results in recent weeks to climb up the table but I am going with Fulham to edge this one and end a run of three league games without a win or a goal.

Aleksandar Mitrovic has not scored in any of his past three league starts, or when he came off the bench in either FA Cup game against Sunderland, but I am going to be quite exact and say he will find the net here.

Speaking of the FA Cup, a few Ipswich fans took me to task for my prediction of their replay against Burnley in midweek – including my daughter’s teacher, Mr Fields.

Mr Fields sent me an email giving me a dressing down after I said Ipswich would lose 5-0, but Burnley won so I was proved right.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-1

Oli’s prediction: I don’t see this being a classic to be honest, but Fulham are due a win. 1-0

Leicester v Tottenham

I was at King Power Stadium to see Tottenham nick the points in absolutely stunning style in this fixture last season, when Steven Bergwijn scored twice in injury time to give them a 3-2 win. It could be just as close this time around too.

Leicester ended their long wait for a victory when they beat Aston Villa last week but they are not out of trouble yet. I think Southampton and Bournemouth are done, and will both go down, but that still leaves one relegation place to be filled.

At the other end of the table, Tottenham are finally showing signs of having some consistency with three straight wins in all competitions, and they will be hoping their manager Antonio Conte is back in the dugout after his operation.

Spurs will miss suspended defender Cristian Romero, who was sent off against Manchester City, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is injured – I might be wrong but I don’t think that losing Lloris is a disaster for them, and they should carry on their good run.

Sutton’s prediction: 1-2

Oli’s prediction: I don’t know why but in the past few years, Spurs always seen to play well in this game and often absolutely smash Leicester (Tottenham have won their last five meetings, with an aggregate score of 16-7). 0-2

Southampton v Wolves

It appears that the majority of Southampton fans don’t want Nathan Jones as the club’s manager, which never bodes well.

To be honest, I thought that after some of the things Jones said after last weekend’s humiliating defeat by Brentford he would be gone by the end of this week.

I am not dismissing his ability as a coach, and I also think he took on a really difficult job when he arrived at Saints at the end of last year, but some of the stuff he came out in that interview was just remarkable. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like it from a Premier League manager before.

If Southampton lose this game too, St Mary’s will be a powder keg and I still think it is just a matter of time before he goes.

Have they improved under Jones? No. Has he upset a lot of the fanbase? I think he has.

Southampton have got the worst home record in the Premier League this season, after taking six points out of a possible 30 so far.

So, Jones desperately needs a result and a performance to turn things around and maybe he will get it, the same way he got one against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last month.

I don’t see it though. Wolves have got much better under Julen Lopetegui and we saw with their win over Liverpool last week that they are playing with confidence.

If they go in front, the atmosphere could turn toxic.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-1

Oli’s prediction: I’ve got to throw a draw in somewhere, and this is going to be a horrible game. 0-0

Bournemouth v Newcastle (17:30)

Bournemouth are absolutely desperate for a win because right now they look like relegation fodder with the awful run of results they have been on.

The Cherries actually performed well against Brighton last weekend, and only went down to a late goal. I also like the look of their new signing, Dango Ouattara, who gives them a threat in that wide area on the right-hand side.

I can see them giving Newcastle a good game, but I still think the Magpies will win on Eddie Howe’s return to his former club.

I don’t think there will be a lot of goals, but Newcastle are a well-balanced side who have found the knack of getting the job done and, even with Bruno Guimaraes suspended, they should take home the points.

Sutton’s prediction: 0-2

Oli’s prediction: 0-1

SUNDAY, 12 FEBRUARY

Leeds Utd v Man Utd (14:00)

I always felt Leeds United had a little bit about them, performance-wise, under Jesse Marsch, which is why I felt sorry for him when he was sacked this week.

I didn’t feel as if they would definitely get relegated under him, but five of the bottom six teams have now changed their manager this season and Leeds had not won a league game for a while.

Caretaker boss Michael Skubala helped them get a point at Old Trafford on Wednesday but it’s possible a new manager could be appointed before this game.

I didn’t expect them to get anything against Manchester United in midweek but they got off to an absolute flyer and were just about able to hang on for a draw at the end.

It’s very difficult to predict this game because there are so many unknowns – Wednesday night showed that anything could happen, and you could make a case for either side to win it whether Skubala is still in charge or not.

I am going to go with Leeds, though. They have got some good players and they are going to have a day soon where they do more than just perform for patches of the 90 minutes.

Their fans will make a difference too, because Elland Road will be absolutely bouncing.

I guess we will probably see a fragile Leeds too at some point of the game, and I don’t trust their backline so I think Manchester United will score – but the home crowd can help their team through it.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-1

Oli’s prediction: I liked Jesse Marsch, and I can’t really see Leeds getting better without him. Manchester United won’t have Casemiro but they are playing really well at the moment. 0-4

Man City v Aston Villa (16:30)

At the start of the season I felt like I could predict Manchester City games with my eyes closed. Not any more.

Pep Guardiola’s side missed a massive chance to put the pressure on Arsenal when they lost at Tottenham last weekend. Their drop-off in form this season has not been in the same bracket as Liverpool’s, but I look at them and wonder when they are going to turn the corner, performance-wise.

There is this great debate about whether Erling Haaland has made them better or worse but I don’t see him as the problem. Too many of the City players around him have seen their levels dip, and the team have not been playing at their usual tempo or with their normal slickness of passing.

I still think they will beat Aston Villa, and I also believe Haaland will score, but it might be a slog. We know how hard Unai Emery’s sides can be to break down, and they will carry a threat too.

What should help City is that their fans will be in defiant mood after the club were hit with 100-plus charges by the Premier League at the start of the week.

There will be a siege mentality at Etihad Stadium and that should create the kind of atmosphere that Guardiola has been asking for recently. It will be the same in the dressing room too, if the players think everyone is against them, and that should fire them up.

Sutton’s prediction: 2-0

Oli’s prediction: Man City have been playing a bit weirdly for a while now and I think Haaland’s goals have masked a lot of issues in the team. I am going for them to win, but it will be a close game – Harry from the band [FEET guitarist Harry Southerton] is a big Villa fan and when we used to live together we’d watch a lot of these kind of games, and in the last couple of seasons Villa always played well. 2-1

MONDAY, 13 FEBRUARY

Liverpool v Everton (20:00)

Liverpool’s atrocious form is one of the reasons this has been such a difficult season for making predictions – you used to be able to bank on them to win every game at Anfield, but not any more.

Everton have also become a tough team to call. Their performance in the win over Arsenal last time out was incredible, and a massive improvement on what they had done before, but it was just one game under Sean Dyche.

I have absolutely no idea whether they will sustain that level, while Liverpool have been so poor for so long now that we are at the stage where I am expecting them to play badly, rather than being surprised by it.

I am not the only one. Rory Smith, one of my colleagues on the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio 5 Live, says they are the worst team in the Premier League at this moment in time.

Form normally goes out of the window in derby games, and Liverpool fans must be desperately hoping that is the case.

Everton were well organised and had hunger and desire against Arsenal, and they also carried a threat – I think they will play with the same intensity again, and I am expecting them to score again too.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will always be dangerous going forward too but, at this moment in time, based on Everton’s last performance and Liverpool’s performances over a long period of time, I have to back Dyche’s side – even at Anfield.

I definitely wouldn’t have predicted Dyche’s victory on his last visit there, with Burnley in 2021 to end Liverpool’s 68-game home unbeaten run in the Premier League, but things are very different now.

There is simply no reason to believe the Reds will suddenly turn the corner and start playing any better than they have been, so why would anyone back them to win this game?

Sutton’s prediction: 1-2

Oli’s prediction: There will definitely be goals in this one, but Liverpool will show up and they always seem to play well in this fixture. I originally went for a 4-1 Liverpool win but my housemate is an Evertonian and he has been trying to get in my ear about how close it will be. 3-2

Chris Sutton and Oli Shasha were speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

How did Sutton do in the FA Cup replays?

Chris was right with three of the five winners of the midweek fourth-round replays.

It means he correctly backed 12 of the 16 teams who progressed, while Krept from rap duo Krept & Konan picked 11.

You did slightly better than both of them, with 13 correct predictions.

How did Sutton do last week?

From last weekend’s Premier League fixtures, Sutton got three correct results from 10 matches, with no exact scores, giving him a total of 30 points.

He beat DJ Schak, who got two correct results, again with no exact scores, for a total of 20 points.

Manchester United’s draw with Leeds on Wednesday counted towards week eight, when that game was meant to take place.

Sutton and his guest, Editors bassist Russell Leetch, both went for a 2-1 Manchester United victory and scored zero points. That means Leetch still leads 70-40 with eight of the 10 games played.

How is Sutton doing this season? (Based on Premier League matches)

Gaz Coombes	120
Ali Bruce-Ball, Modernlove drummer Cian McCluskey	110
Liam Fray of The Courteeners	100
Ian Broudie, GK from Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Kasabian’s Serge Pizzorno, Editors bassist Russell Leetch, Aaron Moorhead, Phoenix singer Thomas Mars	70
Chris Sutton (average after 21 weeks)	69
Ross MacDonald from The 1975, Ryan Porteous	60
Justin Benson, Al Greenwood from Sports Team, Dapz on the Map, Chesney Hawkes, Maulo	50
Blake Bowman, Tom from Dry Cleaning	40
Olivia Chomczuk, Jessica McHale	30
Juice Menace, Schak, Patrick Whelan	20

Chris Sutton	1,450
Guests	1,400

How did you get on?

A few surprise results made it a tough week all round for anyone who made predictions. Only 10% of you thought Everton would beat Arsenal and, although 24% of you went for a Wolves win over Liverpool, 39% wrongly predicted a Reds win.

Like Chris and Russell Leetch, 80% of you predicted Manchester United would beat Leeds in the game that was rearranged from week eight.

Position	Correct results
=1. Chris	3/10
=1. You	3/10
3. Schak	2/10

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

1. You	107/210 (51%)
2. Chris	102/210 (49%)
3. Guests	99/210 (47%)

• Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – here’s everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment