🔗 Share this article The Pundit's Forecasts vying with England Gaming Ace Daniel 'The Stingray' Ray Published: 36 minutes ago Comments: 14 The weekend brings the first Wear-Tyne derby after 2024, but who will emerge victorious – the Black Cats or Newcastle? "During the bulk of last season, no one would have predicted the Wearside club earning promotion and challenging with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, much less being above them in the table," remarked football expert Chris Sutton. "Things are very different now, and the way they play makes me think they've got a solid shot." He is offering predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, fans and a variety of guests. For week 16, he faces off against 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 Uefa eEuro 2025 finals tournament, which is being held at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday. The action will be streamed on Uefa's YouTube, Instagram Live and short-form video channels, as well as the official Twitch channel and YouTube and the national team's Twitch. Do you agree with their forecasts? You can make your own guesses below. The most popular scoreline chosen for each game is displayed on the tables at the foot of this page. A correct result (choosing a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points. Half a hundred countries took part in the European esports championship and a mere eight remain. Ray, pictured here with his trainer and England Gaming team manager Denman, holds the team's ambitions. 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 entering the fray at the eEuros finals after getting through the qualification rounds. A group of eight will represent their nations at the finals in a straight knockout, playing for a substantial cash prize and a coveted spot in the global championship qualifiers, with the Danish representative Anders Vejrgang looking to retain the title he won last year. "I'm feeling really good for it," Ray stated. "I have a really good coach alongside me and practice has been going well. "Representing your country is always an honour to play for your country. Obviously when you are younger, you dream about doing it as an real-life footballer, but when you pursue a career in this profession and there is an chance to represent England, donning the national jersey is something incredible. "I defeated Vejrgang 9-4 in qualifying to get here. I've played against him recently 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 delivers a crazy boost of confidence." Ray's footballing idol is Lionel Messi and he thinks his virtual football style is similar to his hero. "I play with a bit of flair and creativity and I like to play with a bit of foresight, so I'd say that is accurate," he said. "I'm quite happy with that comparison!" Premier League Predictions Saturday, 13 December Chelsea vs Everton Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT The London club were impressive against the Gunners at the end of November, when they secured a point after going down to 10 men, and many thought here we go, they could possibly be challengers for the crown. However, since that game, however, they were outfought by Leeds, looked uninspired against Bournemouth and this week got beaten by Atalanta in the Champions League. So boss Enzo Maresca really needs a win here to restore momentum, but it will be a challenge because the Toffees are such a dangerous team. Their key midfielders are playing really well and they have got a bit of momentum at the moment. Based on recent performances you would probably back the visitors, while the most logical prediction would probably be a draw, but I'm going against logic. The Blues have failed to given me any real reason to back them recently, but I just have a feeling Chelsea will win this match 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 am at this game and it will be interesting to see what we get from the Reds. I was delighted for Reds boss Arne Slot to get such a important victory at Inter Milan on Tuesday after all the stuff with Mohamed Salah this week. Slot ought not to put up with that drama. I know Salah has been a icon for Liverpool 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 and two up top. Everyone 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 says sorry. Slot's focus will be on winning this game, but it is a difficult fixture. One might suggest 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 quite open too. The Merseysiders need to get back to a consistent run of form, but I am not sure how much their energy spent 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 them to 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 Wearside club have had the opportunity to rest while Newcastle had to battle intensely against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to concede a late equaliser late on. Aside from their brilliant 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 trend to continue on Sunday, and their fatigue is likely to be a significant issue in how this game goes because of Sunderland's energetic style. We saw how relentless Regis le Bris's side are. They dominated the Gunners, and it was a joy to watch. Many pundits talks about how Granit Xhaka has been phenomenal for the Black Cats, and he has been superb, but Noah Sadiki, who plays next to him, has also been one of the top transfers and warrants praise too. This promises to be this being the best game|most exciting fixture