Mirror Football’s supercomputer has predicted Manchester City will win the Premier League title ahead of leaders Arsenal.
With this year’s Premier League title race a two-horse affair, Arsenal are currently top of the table, five points clear of second-placed Manchester City. But with two games in hand, Pep Guardiola’s City side will know the crown will be theirs if they win their remaining fixtures.
And first of those is a titanic, season-defining clash with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners at the Etihad Stadium tomorrow night. Should one side take all three points, the title will almost certainly be heading their way, and the supercomputer seems to agree.
With just a handful of games to go, it has simulated all remaining Premier League fixtures multiple times, based on results so far this season, and provided a final league table based on the average of those simulations. And it’s City who came out on top, with the Manchester club predicted to finish on 90 points, snatching the title by just one point ahead of second-placed Arsenal, who will finish on 89.
Such a result would hand City their fifth title in six years, while Arsenal will be wondering how they let their first Premier League trophy since 2004 slip away.
In the race for Europe, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United take third spot according to the supercomputer, finishing their superb season with 72 points, just ahead of Erik ten Hag’s resurgent Manchester United, who take the final Champions League place on 70 points.
Fifth place and automatic Europa League qualification goes to Brighton, as the Seagulls earn a deserved place at the European table following their incredible form throughout the league campaign, as well as an FA Cup semi-final appearance.
Liverpool ’s recent recovery has been strong enough for the supercomputer to predict a top-six finish, with Jurgen Klopp’s men missing out on the Champions League.
Following their 6-1 defeat at Newcastle on the weekend, where the Magpies were 5-0 up inside 25 minutes, a seventh-placed finish for Tottenham may even be seen as generous in their current form, particularly with Aston Villa just two points below them as it stands.
Unai Emery’s Villa have won six of their last eight, and have not lost since their 4-2 defeat to Arsenal in February, but the supercomputer sees them fishing eighth, on 59 points, suggesting a late dip in form.
Fulham and Brentford round out the top half after two great showings, pushing Chelsea to their first finish outside the Premier League’s top ten since 1995/96. Chelsea have been nothing short of woeful in recent months, and despite spending more than £300 million in January alone to improve their misfiring squad, they have been unable to mount a meaningful run of good form.
As for the relegation battle, it’s no surprise to see Southampton predicted to remain rooted to the bottom of the league, with the Saints having propped up the table since December.
Nottingham Forest are also down according to the supercomputer, finishing level with Southampton on 29 points, condemning Forest to an immediate return to the Championship after their first season back in the top flight since 1999.
Finishing off the bottom three are Everton. Despite Sean Dyche’s arrival at Goodison Park, the former Burnley boss is predicted to head in the opposite direction to his freshly-promoted former club.
The supercomputer’s prediction would see Everton fall into the second tier of English football for the first time in almost 70 years, with the Toffees playing top-flight football continuously from 1954 to now.
Mirror supercomputer's Premier League table prediction
1 Manchester City 90
2 Arsenal 89
3 Newcastle United 72
4 Manchester United 70
5 Brighton & Hove Albion 66
6 Liverpool 65
7 Tottenham Hotspur 64
8 Aston Villa 59
9 Fulham 53
10 Brentford 51
11 Chelsea 46
12 Crystal Palace 45
13 West Ham United 40
14 Leicester City 38
15 Wolves 38
16 Bournemouth 38
17 Leeds United 35
18 Everton 33
19 Nottingham Forest 29
20 Southampton 29
