Premier League predictions: Chris Sutton v Starsailor frontman James Walsh – & AI
I’ve heard people suggest that City’s players will be frazzled because of what is going on with the club off the pitch, but I don’t see it that way.
I suspect that, along with the City fans, there will be this siege mentality now where they think ‘everyone hates us, everyone wants us to lose, everyone wants us to be relegated’ – even if I don’t think that is actually the case, because there are actually a lot of balanced football fans out there.
City are likely to get a hostile reception at Anfield but I think they will be able to handle it.
Liverpool are still a work in progress under Andoni Iraola too. They have not convinced me so far when I’ve watched them this season.
Based on all of that, I am going for City here. I can just picture Erling Haaland scoring their winner, and celebrating with a big grin on his face.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2
James on what should happen after City were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League: I am not sure we should start handing out titles and cups to everyone who lost out to City during the period in question, including Liverpool. You can’t really take away those memories and emotional moments from the City players and fans, and just hand them to another team, but maybe on the official record those wins should be chalked off, or at least have an asterisk next to them.
It does also mean there is a very strange feeling around this fixture and the whole season too. City and Liverpool have had lots of huge games against each other in recent years when the title has been on the line but this time we don’t know what will happen to City and if this result will even matter in the end.
James’ prediction: This is a strange game for Liverpool because if we win then the narrative is going to be that we have beaten the cheats. If we lose, then people are just going to say well City have had this massive and unfair advantage that has played out over all these years, not just that specific period of their charges.
So, it is going to be a hard one for all 22 players to get their heads around the backdrop and compete against each other – but I still think Liverpool will win. 3-1
AI’s prediction: 2-2
