BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is taking on an unusual opponent for this week’s Premier League predictions: Waffle the Wonder Dog and his owner Simon, played by actor James Merry. They face off alongside BBC readers and AI in Sutton’s weekly challenge.
Chris Sutton (Credits: BBC Sport)
The headline fixture is Saturday’s trip of unbeaten Manchester City to Aston Villa. City have won their first seven league games, but Villa have beaten them in this fixture in each of the past three seasons under Unai Emery — and Sutton says the hosts, seven unbeaten in all competitions, will fancy it this time too.
Sutton’s Premier League Predictions: City’s 100% Record Faces Villa Test
Sutton is picking scores for all 380 Premier League games this season, competing against AI (generated via Microsoft Copilot Chat), BBC Sport readers and a rotating cast of guests. Scoring is simple: 10 points for the correct result and 40 points for the exact score.
His guest rival this week brings canine chaos. Waffle, a talking poodle whose CBeebies adventures with Simon often end in mayhem, declared himself an enthusiastic baller whose best position is right-back… on the sofa. The self-confessed Liverpool fan — or Liverpoodle, as he puts it — idolises Kenny Dog-leash.
In real life, James Merry is a genuine Aston Villa supporter who grew up in Sutton Coldfield. His family connection runs deep: his great-aunt was a season-ticket holder for about 40 years, and at 16 he served burgers in the catering department at Villa Park.
Sutton joked that facing a talking dog this week may not improve his chances of winning — he has been barking up the wrong tree with his predictions all season anyway. He also noted one of the challengers has to beat AI, which has been creeping up the table.
Can a poodle out-predict an expert? Readers can pick their own scores on the BBC’s Match of the Day predictor game and see if they fare any better.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
