It’s that time of the week again – and Daily Mail’s popular predictor game is back for gameweek 26.
Predictor is our simple, free-to-play competition where you can win big cash prizes, with £1,000 up for grabs weekly. Simply guess the winner of seven Premier League matches – or play it safe with a draw. There’s also a £5,000 prize if you come first across the whole season.
And yes, we have leagues! You’re able to create or join them, and they can be public or private. Now is your chance to definitively prove you know more than your mates or even more than our experts – play now at dailymail.co.uk/predictor.
This gameweek’s action begins on Friday night with Manchester United travelling to Bournemouth. Our first game though is the Saturday 12.30pm kick-off when Brighton face Liverpool.
Saturday’s action continues with Fulham entertain Burnley at 3pm, before Everton host Chelsea at 5.30pm. The top-flight match on Saturday is in Yorkshire at 8pm when Leeds United welcome Brentford.
On Sunday, we have the mouthwatering prospect of the Tyne-Wear derby as Newcastle United face bitter rivals Sunderland, a relegation scrap between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest before our final game from the seven picks is Aston Villa versus West Ham.
Daily Mail Sport’s expert this week is LEWIS STEELE. Here is his verdict on the weekend games…
I am looking forward to a trip to the sunny south coast for Brighton versus Liverpool on Saturday lunchtime, and many fans of Arne Slot’s team are now fancying an easy win after thrashing Galatasaray 4-0 on Wednesday night.
It was their best performance of the season but they have been here before: a step in the right direction backed up by a shocking result to bring them back down to earth.
EXPERT PREDICTIONS
Lewis Steele is the Daily Mail Sport expert to beat this week
Brighton vs Liverpool – DRAW
Fulham vs Burnley – HOME WIN
Everton vs Chelsea – HOME WIN
Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest – HOME WIN
Leeds vs Brentford – HOME WIN
Newcastle vs Sunderland – HOME WIN
Aston Villa vs West Ham – DRAW
Brighton have three wins in their last four – the only defeat coming to champions-elect Arsenal – so Fabian Hurzeler’s team can certainly cause them issues, as they have done in previous meetings.
So I am going to go rogue for a few of my picks this week, starting with a DRAW in that one.
Continuing on the same theme, I am fancying TOTTENHAM to win a huge six-pointer against Nottingham Forest. Yes, that’s right, poor old Igor Tudor to get a first league victory.
He was ridiculed last week after the first-leg defeat at Atletico Madrid, portrayed as a clown, but backed it up with two huge results: a draw at Anfield, then a second-leg win which was perfect (they won but went out on aggregate so no longer have the European distraction).
I am also backing EVERTON to beat Chelsea. Liam Rosenior’s side were down and out in Paris and London in their two-legged defeat to PSG and Everton, who have had a week of rest, will be bang up for it.
The Toffees’ home form has been questionable but they should have – and could have – gotten a point at least at the Emirates Stadium last weekend. I am backing them to right that wrong here.
I have got LEEDS to beat Brentford and FULHAM to win at home to Burnley, with NEWCASTLE to win the Tyne-Wear Derby against Sunderland, with the Black Cats’ form evening out in the second half of the season after a stellar first few months back in the Premier League.
I’ve watched a bit of West Ham recently and been impressed so I am fancying them to get a DRAW at Aston Villa, with Unai Emery’s men jaded from their Europa League exploits on Thursday night.
