Sutton's Forecasts vying with England Gaming Star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray

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

"For most of last season, no one would have predicted the Wearside club getting promoted and being competitive with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, let alone being above them in the table," commented analyst Chris Sutton.

"It is very different now, and the way Sunderland play leads me to believe they've got a solid shot."

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

For the upcoming matchday, he takes on England Gaming star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray.

Ray is vying for victory for the England's esports team – the Football Association's official esports team – at the football simulation digital Euros finals tournament, which takes place at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

You can watch Uefa's video platform, Instagram Live and TikTok channels, as well as EA Sports FC Twitch and YouTube and the national team's Twitch.

Do you agree with their scores? Share your own projections below.

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

A correct result (choosing a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. An accurate scoreline earns forty points.

Daniel 'Stingray' Ray with his trainer and manager.
Numerous entrants entered the Uefa EA Sports FC eEuros and only eight have qualified. Ray, seen here with his trainer and England Gaming team manager Denman, carries the team's ambitions. England also have competitive gaming squads in the vehicular soccer game and the management simulation.

Ray, who competes for Gen City and Manchester City as well as England, is making his debut at the eEuros finals after passing the preliminary stage.

A group of eight will play for their countries at the finals in a single-elimination, vying for a substantial cash prize and a highly sought-after spot in the world finals play-offs, with the Danish representative Anders Vejrgang looking to retain the title he won last year.

"I am feeling really good for it," Ray said. "There's a really good coach with me and preparation has been going well.

"It is invariably an honour to play for your country. Of course when you are younger, you dream about doing it as an professional footballer, but when you enter this field and there is an opportunity to represent England, putting the shirt on is something special.

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

"In my opinion he is the best player in the world so beating him in a tournament like this just provides a crazy boost of confidence."

Stingray playing.
Ray's sporting hero is Lionel Messi and he feels his virtual football style is comparable to his hero. "My style involves a bit of skill and I like to play with a bit of vision, so I'd say that is fair," he said. "I'm quite happy with that comparison!"

Premier League Weekend Preview

Saturday, 13 December

Chelsea vs Everton

Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT

The Blues were outstanding against the Gunners at the end of November, when they got a draw after being reduced to 10 men, and it seemed they've turned a corner, they could potentially be challengers for the crown.

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

So head coach Enzo Maresca really needs a win here to restore momentum, but it won't be easy because Everton are such a potent team.

Their key midfielders are playing at the top of their game and Everton have got a bit of a positive run at the moment.

Based on recent performances you would likely back Everton, while the most prudent prediction would likely be a draw, but I am not going to be sensible.

The Blues have failed to given me any compelling evidence to back them recently, but I just have a gut instinct they will take this one because they are at home and they are due a win.

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'll be at this game and it will be intriguing to see what we get from the Reds.

It was great to see for Reds boss Arne Slot to get such a great win at Inter Milan on Tuesday after all the stuff with Mohamed Salah this week.

Slot ought not to put up with that drama. I know Salah has been a legend for the club but essentially Slot just wants to win games and there is nothing personal in his team selection.

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

The media is going to be talking about whether Salah is back for this game, but the only way he is going to be reintegrated is if he says sorry.

Slot's primary concern will be on winning this game, but it is a tough one.

It's fair to say it is the same for most teams but I find Brighton so mercurial. I always feel they have got a goal in them, but they are vulnerable at the back too.

Liverpool need to get back to stringing wins together, but I am not sure how much their energy spent at the San Siro will have taken out of them.

I have whacked a couple of Brighton players in my FPL team, so they will likely do poorly - 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

The Black Cats have had the week off while Newcastle had to battle intensely against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to concede a late equaliser late on.

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

It is anticipated that that pattern to continue on Sunday, and their fatigue is likely to be a key element in how this game goes because of Sunderland's intensity.

We saw how unwavering Regis le Bris's side are. They overpowered the Gunners, and it was a joy to watch.

Commentators talks about how Granit Xhaka has been outstanding for the Black Cats, and he has been superb, but Noah Sadiki, who plays alongside him, has also been one of the top transfers and should be recognised too.

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

Paul Schwartz
Paul Schwartz

Maya Chen is a digital marketing strategist specializing in business networking tools and online brand development.