Supercomputer predicts Premier League table with incredibly tight title race and Man Utd hitting never-before-seen low
PREMIER LEAGUE fans are in for the tightest title race ever, according to our supercomputer.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal are already desperately scrapping for the top spot just nine games into the 2024-25 season.
APMan City are tipped to win the Premier League on goal difference, according to our supercomputer[/caption]
GettyArsenal are set to miss out on a first Premier League title since 2003-04 on a dramatic final day[/caption]
GettyMan Utd are set to finish in their lowest position in Premier League history[/caption]
GettyChelsea are being tipped to break back into the top four this term[/caption]
Pep Guardiola’s side – who have won the last few titles in a row, and six of the last seven – are back on top after Liverpool and Arsenal played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Emirates.
That came after City edged a tight 1-0 win over struggling Southampton 24 hours earlier.
And the supercomputer reckons the Premier League title race will now go all the way to the final day.
In fact, two clubs are expected to finish LEVEL on points, with goal difference having the final say for only the second time ever.
City famously won their first Premier League crown in the 2011-12 season on the back of Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp winner to deny Manchester United the crown on the final day.
Their superior goal difference saw Sir Alex Ferguson and Co denied yet another gong.
And in 2024-25, Man City are expected to do it again – tipped to edge Arsenal thanks to a +57 goal difference, ahead of the Gunners’ +48,
The stats suggest both teams are set to finish on 95 points, with Liverpool just falling off in what was expected to be a rebuild year under new boss Arne Slot to end on a still-monumental 88 points.
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Chelsea are expected to break back into the top four with 76 points – ahead of Aston Villa (67), Brighton (63) and Newcastle (60) in the final European places.
At the other end of the table, Southampton are set to JUST avoid becoming the worst team in Premier League history.
Russell Martin’s struggling Saints are tipped to rack up 12 points from their 38 games – just one point more than Derby, who accumulated just 11 points in the 2007-08 season.
Ipswich are tipped to head straight back to the Championship with 19 points.
And Wolves, despite showing signs of life after their outrageously difficult start to the season, are expected to join them with just 24 points.
Forgot the “magic 40-point mark” this season – in fact, Leicester will survive with just 29 points, according to our supercomputer, courtesy of JeffBet.
Crystal Palace (34) and Everton (37) will also avoid the drop despite not reaching 40 points.
But arguably the biggest story of the season sees Man Utd finish in their LOWEST-EVER position in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag‘s struggling squad limped to a 2-1 defeat against West Ham at the weekend to leave them 14th.
ReutersSouthampton are set to finish on the second-worst points tally in Premier League history with just 12 from their 38 matches[/caption]
Man Utd ratings vs West Ham
THE LONDON STADIUM was the venue for the latest defeat in a shocker of a season.
To be fair, it was a hugely controversial VAR call in the dying moments that handed West Ham a 2-1 win.
And the first half from the Red Devils was impressive.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the players…
Andre Onana – 6
Very loose with the ball at his feet early on but soon settled.
Manchester United conceded from West Ham’s first shot on target, though given Ings’ deflected strike there was little Onana could have done about it.
Diogo Dalot – 5
Delivered one of the most entertaining missed chances you will see all season – doing so well to clip the ball past Lukasz Fabianski before smashing the ball high and wide of an open goal.
Despite that, had little trouble from those in claret and blue attacking down his side until Summerville was introduced. The former Leeds man tested Dalot a number of times with his pace.
Redeemed himself a touch with the header back in ahead of Casemiro’s equaliser.
Matthijs de Ligt – 6
Hard done by in conceding the penalty for what looked a soft challenge on Hammers striker Ings.
Restricted West Ham well for the most part but United never looked entirely comfortable at the back and a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.
Lisandro Martinez – 6
Struggled at times to deal with the strength and direct nature of Michail Antonio, who tested all across United’s back line well until he was replaced by Ings.
Noussair Mazraoui – 5
Struggled to keep a handle on both Bowen and former Manchester United man Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the most part and was thrown around by Michail Antonio at times.
Having looked soft at the back he also offered very little going forwards down the left.
Casemiro – 6
Started strongly dominating in the middle but struggled to wrestle that back when West Ham picked up.
Was denied a first half goal by Fabianski’s superb save but got one eventually as he refused to give up and made sure the ball.
Christian Eriksen – 5
Some flashes of creativity in the first half but could not help United keep control in the second after West Ham perked up.
Marcus Rashford – 4
Entirely absent throughout the hour he was on the pitch. Played down the right he was easily managed by Emerson Palmieri who had little of note to do before the winger went off.
Bruno Fernandes – 7
Caused huge problems for West Ham and created plenty of chances which his teammates put to waste.
Fernandes made a fine run to meet a Casemiro cross but headed over the bar and had to watch both Garnacho and Dalot pass up huge chances after his good work to set them up – especially the latter, a wonderful looped ball to cut out the entire West Ham defence.
Alejandro Garnacho – 5
The young winger should have had two goals inside the opening eight minutes. One chance was rattled against the bar before a poor finish sent the second wide of the far post.
He continued to cause trouble down the left but faded as the game went on and crucially gave the ball away in the build-up to Summerville’s goal.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5
Drew a couple of saves from Hammers keeper Fabianski but neither looked too difficult.
The Dane was rather comfortably dealt with by West Ham’s central defenders and never looked too much of a threat.
Substitutes
Amad Diallo – 6
Added some life and threat to a forward line which had offered little after the break and lifted a clever ball over to Dalot in the build-up to Casemiro’s goal.
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
Claimed an assist but did not know a lot about it and struggled to have an impact from there on.
Victor Lindelof – n/a
Unused subs: Altay Bayindir, Manuel Ugarte, Jonny Evans, Ethan Wheatley, Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher.
And it won’t get much better for them for the rest of the season, either, with the Red Devils on course to end up 12th with just 50 points from their 38 games.
Man Utd’s worst-ever finish came last season, when under-fire Ten Hag led them to eighth.
United ended up seventh in David Moyes’ disastrous few months at the club after succeeding Fergie.
The Red Devils have also finished sixth three times (2016-17, 2018-19 and 2021-22).
But they’ve never finished in the bottom half… until this season, it would seem.