Chris Sutton's Predictions vying with eSports England Prodigy Daniel 'Stingray' Ray

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This Sunday sees the first Wear-Tyne derby since 2024, but will it be – Sunderland or the Magpies?

"Throughout the majority of last season, no one would have predicted Sunderland getting promoted and holding their own with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, never mind being above them in the table," remarked analyst Chris Sutton.

"It is very different now, and the way Sunderland play convinces me they've got a genuine opportunity."

The analyst is providing scoreline guesses for all 380 Premier League games this campaign, in competition with artificial intelligence, readers and a range of guests.

For week 16, he faces off against England Gaming star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray.

Ray is going for glory for the national gaming squad – the Football Association's formal esports team – at the football simulation digital Euros finals tournament, which is being held at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

You can watch Uefa's YouTube, Instagram Live and TikTok channels, as well as the official Twitch channel and its YouTube counterpart and England's Twitch.

Do you agree with their scores? Feel free to submit your own predictions below.

The most commonly selected scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards at the foot of this page.

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

The esports competitor with his trainer and team boss.
Half a hundred countries competed in the Uefa EA Sports FC eEuros and a mere eight have qualified. Ray, seen here with his coach Nick den Hamer and England Gaming team manager Denman, holds the nation's aspirations. England also have competitive gaming squads in Rocket League and Football Manager.

Ray, who competes for Gen City and Manchester City as well as England, is entering the fray at the eEuros finals after getting through the preliminary stage.

A group of eight will fly the flag at the finals in a knockout format, vying for a $100,000 prize pool and a highly sought-after spot in the FC Pro World Championship Play-Ins, with the Danish representative Anders Vejrgang defending the title he won last year.

"My mindset is really good for it," Ray stated. "I've got a really good coach by my side and practice has been going well.

"It is invariably an honour to play for your country. Naturally when you are younger, you dream about doing it as an real-life footballer, but when you enter this job and there is an chance to represent England, donning the national jersey is something unique.

"I overcame Vejrgang 9-4 in qualifying to get here. I've played against him recently just in practice, and in other tournaments before - but I'd not previously defeated him in a tournament before.

"I believe he is the top competitor in the world so defeating him in a tournament like this just provides a crazy boost of confidence."

Daniel Ray competing.
Ray's favourite real-life player is Lionel Messi and he thinks his in-game approach is similar to his hero. "I utilise a bit of flair and creativity and I like to play with a bit of vision, so I'd say that is a good comparison," he explained. "I'm quite happy with that comparison!"

Premier League Predictions

Saturday, 13 December

Chelsea vs Everton

Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT

The Blues were impressive against the Gunners at the end of November, when they earned a stalemate after being reduced to 10 men, and I was thinking this is it, they could possibly be title contenders.

In the matches following, however, they were outfought by Leeds, looked lethargic against Bournemouth and this week got defeated by Atalanta in the Champions League.

So manager Enzo Maresca is in need of a win here to return to winning ways, but it won't be easy because Everton are such a threatening team.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Iliman Ndiaye are playing exceptionally and Everton have got a bit of momentum at the moment.

On form you would likely back Everton, while the most logical prediction would likely be a draw, but I'm throwing caution to the wind.

They have not given me any compelling evidence to back them recently, but I just have a hunch they will emerge victorious because they are at home and they are in need of three points.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Stingray's prediction: With this being at the Bridge, I am going to back Chelsea. I think they will start off really well and go 2-0 up, then Everton will nick one back but then Chelsea score late. 3-1

AI's prediction: 2-0

Liverpool vs Brighton

Anfield, 15:00 GMT

I'm attending this game and it will be intriguing to see what we get from the Reds.

I am really pleased for Reds boss Arne Slot to get such a crucial result at Inter Milan on Tuesday following all the controversy with Mohamed Salah this week.

Slot shouldn't need to put up with that nonsense. I know Salah has been a icon for Liverpool but essentially Slot just wants to win games and there is no bias in his team selection.

They changed their tactical setup against Inter and went with a midfield diamond and two up top.

All the talk is going to be talking about whether Salah is selected for this game, but the only way he is going to be reintegrated is if he makes amends.

Slot's attention will be on winning this game, but it is a difficult fixture.

One might suggest it is the same for most teams but I find Brighton so hard to predict. I always feel they have got a goal in them, but they are quite open too.

The Merseysiders need to get back to a consistent run of form, but I am not sure how much their energy spent at the San Siro will have affected their stamina.

I've selected a couple of Brighton players in my Fantasy Premier League side, so they will almost certainly blank - but I do think they can get something at Anfield.

Sutton's prediction: 2-2

Stingray's prediction: This is a game which is going to give Liverpool a bit more of their confidence back. Obviously they had a good win in midweek and they can build more momentum here. 2-1

AI's prediction: 3-1

Sunday, 14 December

Sunderland vs Newcastle

Stadium of Light, 14:00 GMT

Sunderland have had the benefit of a free week while Newcastle had to exert themselves against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to let their lead slip away late on.

Aside from their excellent performance against Everton a couple of weeks ago, Newcastle's away form has been inconsistent, especially straight after they've played in the Champions League.

It is anticipated that that tendency to continue on Sunday, and their fatigue is likely to be a significant issue in how this game goes because of Sunderland's energetic style.

It was evident how incessant Regis le Bris's side are. They dominated the Gunners, and it was amazing to watch.

Everyone talks about how Granit Xhaka has been outstanding for the Black Cats, and he has been brilliant, but Noah Sadiki, who plays in midfield with him, has also been one of the signings of the season and deserves some attention too.

This promises to be this being the best game|most exciting fixture

Terri Simpson
Terri Simpson

A seasoned gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK slot and casino industries, focusing on trends and player insights.