🔗 Share this article The Pundit's Predictions against eSports England Prodigy Daniel 'Stingray' Ray Published: 36 minutes ago Comments: 14 The weekend sees the initial Wear-Tyne derby since 2024, but will it be – Sunderland or the Magpies? "During the bulk of last season, it was unthinkable Sunderland getting promoted and holding their own with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, never mind being above them in the table," stated football expert Chris Sutton. "The situation is very different now, and the way they play convinces me they've got a genuine opportunity." Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, in competition with AI, the public and a range of guests. For this weekend's fixtures, he faces off against England Gaming star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray. Ray is vying for victory for the eLions – the Football Association's formal esports team – at the EA Sports FC Uefa eEuro 2025 finals tournament, which will occur at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday. The action will be streamed on Uefa's YouTube, IG Live and TikTok channels, as well as EA Sports FC Twitch and YouTube and England's Twitch. Are you in alignment with their scores? You can make your own guesses below. The most commonly selected scoreline chosen for each game is featured in the scoreboards at the end of this page. A correct result (selecting a win, draw or defeat) is worth ten points. A perfect prediction earns 40 points. Fifty nations entered the Uefa EA Sports FC eEuros and just eight remain. Ray, shown here with his coach Nick den Hamer and England Gaming team manager Denman, holds the eLions' hopes. England also have esports teams in the vehicular soccer game and the management simulation. Ray, who also plays his club side and Manchester City as well as England, is making his debut at the eEuros finals after successfully navigating the preliminary stage. A group of eight will play for their countries at the finals in a single-elimination, vying for a six-figure prize fund and a coveted spot in the world finals play-offs, with Denmark's Anders Vejrgang defending the title he won last year. "I'm feeling really good for it," Ray said. "I have a really good coach alongside me and preparation has been going well. "It's always an honour to play for your country. Naturally when you are younger, you imagine doing it as an real-life footballer, but when you pursue a career in this job and there is an chance to represent England, wearing the Three Lions is something incredible. "I beat Vejrgang 9-4 in qualifying to get here. I've played against him over the course of the season 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 top competitor in the world so getting a win over him in a tournament like this just gives you a huge surge of confidence." Ray's favourite real-life player is Lionel Messi and he feels his in-game approach is similar to his hero. "My style involves a bit of skill and I like to play with a bit of incisive passing, so I'd say that is accurate," he explained. "It's flattering with that comparison!" Premier League Weekend Preview Saturday, 13 December Chelsea vs Everton Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT The London club were impressive against Arsenal at the end of November, when they got a draw after going down to 10 men, and many thought this is it, they could potentially be challengers for the crown. However, since that game, however, they were overpowered by Leeds, looked uninspired 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 restore momentum, 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. Current evidence suggests 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 compelling evidence to back them recently, but I just have a hunch they will emerge victorious because they are at home and they are overdue a victory. 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 Liverpool. I am really pleased for Reds boss Arne Slot to get such a important victory at Inter Milan on Tuesday after all the controversy with Mohamed Salah this week. Slot should not have to put up with that drama. I know Salah has been a icon for the club but essentially Slot just wants to win games and there is no ulterior motive in his team selection. Liverpool 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 included for this game, but the only way he is going to be reintegrated is if he makes amends. 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 unpredictable. I always feel they have got a goal in them, but they are defensively susceptible too. The Merseysiders need to get back to winning consistently, but I am not sure how much their efforts at the San Siro will have affected their stamina. I have whacked a couple of Brighton players in my FPL team, so they will probably lose now - but I do fancy 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 week off while Newcastle had to exert themselves against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to let their lead slip away late on. With the exception of their excellent performance against Everton a couple of weeks ago, Newcastle's away form hasn't been great, especially straight after they've played in the Champions League. The pattern suggests that pattern to continue on Sunday, and their fatigue is likely to be a key element in how this game goes because of their rivals' intensity. We saw how incessant Regis le Bris's side are. They overpowered the Gunners, and it was amazing to watch. Commentators talks about how Granit Xhaka has been phenomenal for the Black Cats, and he has been brilliant, but Noah Sadiki, who plays in midfield with him, has also been one of the best acquisitions and warrants praise too. All signs point to this being the best game|most exciting fixture