The 2025-26 Premier League season is underway, and The Athletic is hosting a live predictions game. Each week, subscribers can join data algorithm, Oli, and six-year-old Wilfred in making score predictions for each match.
For the opening weekend, we have five matches to pick from. Vaageesh, a Manchester United supporter from Chennai, India, will be our first subscriber. He predicts a 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Arsenal.
However, Oli is less convinced, citing the teams’ past encounters and the current state of each team’s style. He favors a lively draw as well but leans towards Arsenal being too serious to be rolled over on day one.
The other matches feature more straightforward predictions:
– Liverpool vs Bournemouth: A home win for Liverpool, with Mohamed Salah scoring the late winner.
– Aston Villa vs Newcastle: A 3-1 win for Aston Villa, based on their past six meetings and current form.
– Brighton vs Fulham: A 1-2 win for Fulham, possibly due to their quiet summer in the transfer market.
– Sunderland vs West Ham: A 0-1 loss for West Ham, as Sunderland have a winnable opening game.
– Tottenham vs Burnley: A 2-1 win for Tottenham, based on their improved squad and Burnley’s defensive record.
– Wolves vs Man City: A 0-2 loss for Wolves, as Manchester City tend to hit the ground running.
– Chelsea vs Crystal Palace: A 2-1 win for Chelsea, with some concerns about their Club World Cup exertions affecting them in the long run.
– Nottingham Forest vs Brentford: A 2-0 win for Forest, with Morgan Gibbs-White scoring the goal.
– Leeds vs Everton: A 2-1 win for Leeds, based on their past promotion experience and expected lively atmosphere.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6483278/2025/08/15/premier-league-predictions-contest-matchday-one