The Pundit's Forecasts versus English Gaming Ace Daniel 'The Stingray' Ray

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The weekend sees the initial Wear-Tyne derby after 2024, but will it be – Sunderland or the Magpies?

"For most of last season, it was unthinkable the Wearside club getting promoted and challenging with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, much less being above them in the table," stated football expert Chris Sutton.

"Things are very different now, and the way they play makes me think they've got a genuine opportunity."

He is offering scoreline guesses for all 380 Premier League games this season, in competition with artificial intelligence, fans and a range of guests.

For week 16, he takes on England Gaming star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray.

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

You can watch Uefa's YouTube, IG Live and TikTok channels, as well as EA Sports FC Twitch and its YouTube counterpart and England's Twitch.

Are you in alignment with their scores? You can make your own predictions below.

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

Predicting the right outcome (choosing a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. A perfect prediction earns 40 points.

Daniel 'Stingray' Ray with his coach and team boss.
Half a hundred countries took part in the Uefa EA Sports FC eEuros and only eight remain. Ray, seen here with his coach Nick den Hamer and England Gaming team manager Denman, carries the eLions' hopes. England also have esports teams in the vehicular soccer game and Football Manager.

Ray, who competes for his club side and the Premier League champions as well as England, is making his debut at the eEuros finals after passing the qualifying.

Eight players will play for their countries at the finals in a straight knockout, competing for a six-figure prize fund and a prestigious spot in the world finals play-offs, with the Danish representative Anders Vejrgang defending the title he won last year.

"My mindset is really good for it," Ray stated. "There's a really good coach by my side and preparation has been going well.

"Representing your country is always an honour to play for your country. Obviously when you are younger, you fantasise about doing it as an professional footballer, but when you go into this job and there is an chance to represent England, wearing the Three Lions is something incredible.

"I defeated 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.

"For me he is the top competitor in the world so defeating him in a tournament like this just gives you a crazy boost of confidence."

Daniel Ray playing.
Ray's sporting hero is Lionel Messi and he feels his in-game approach is reminiscent of his hero. "I utilise a bit of flair and I like to play with a bit of foresight, so I'd say that is accurate," he said. "It's flattering with that comparison!"

Premier League Weekend Preview

Saturday, 13 December

Chelsea vs Everton

Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT

The Blues were outstanding against Arsenal 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 possibly be title contenders.

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

So head coach Enzo Maresca really needs a win here to get back on track, but it will be a challenge because the Toffees are such a potent team.

Two of their stars are playing really well and they have got a bit of form at the moment.

Based on recent performances you would likely back the visitors, while the most logical prediction would probably be a draw, but I'm going against logic.

They have not given me any real reason to back them recently, but I just have a gut instinct they will take this one 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.

It was great to see 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 drama. I know Salah has been a legend for Liverpool but at its core Slot just wants to win games and there is nothing personal in his team selection.

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

The media is going to be talking about whether Salah is included for this game, but the only way he is going to be brought back into the fold is if he apologises.

Slot's focus will be on winning this game, but it is a challenging encounter.

You could argue 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 quite open too.

The Merseysiders need to get back to winning consistently, but I am not sure how much their energy spent at the San Siro will have drained them.

I've selected a couple of Brighton players in my Fantasy Premier League side, 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 benefit of a free week while Newcastle had to exert themselves against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to concede a late equaliser late on.

With the exception of their excellent performance against Everton a couple of weeks ago, Newcastle's away form hasn't been great, particularly straight after they've played in the Champions League.

It is anticipated that that trend to continue on Sunday, and their tiredness is likely to be a factor in how this game goes because of their rivals' high press.

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

Commentators talks about how Granit Xhaka has been phenomenal for the Black Cats, and he has been excellent, but Noah Sadiki, who plays next to him, has also been one of the signings of the season and deserves some attention too.

All signs point to this being the best game|most exciting fixture

Brandon Fry
Brandon Fry

A digital strategist with over a decade of experience in trend forecasting and market analysis across European markets.