The Premier League is back and here to stay uninterrupted – until March at least – from international breaks which means it’s time to play Predictor!
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.
Matchweek 12 gets underway at Turf Moor with a 12:30pm lunchtime kick-off between Burnley and Chelsea.
Five 3pm matches follow with Liverpool versus Nottingham Forest the pick of the games, although there is plenty of close matches slated with Brighton v Brentford, Fulham v Sunderland, Bournemouth v West Ham and Wolves, managed for the first time by Rob Edwards, hosting Crystal Palace.
Newcastle United v Manchester City is the blockbuster Saturday night game and that one promises fireworks at St James’ Park.
Sunday’s matches see Leeds United welcome Aston Villa to Elland Road, while the game of the weekend takes place at 4:30pm at the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal face Tottenham Hotspur in the first North London Derby of the season.
This round of games concludes on Monday night at 8pm when former Man United boss David Moyes take his Everton team to Old Trafford to take on Ruben Amorim and Co.
Daily Mail Sport’s Nathan Salt is this week’s expert for you to try and beat.
Here are Nathan’s thoughts and picks:
If a North London Derby wasn’t already spicy enough to return to Premier League action with, the fact that Tottenham Hotspur are best in class away from home only adds to the game’s appeal.
Thomas Frank’s side have found life tough on their own patch so far but that has not been the case on the road, going unbeaten through five games (four wins, one draw).
They are resolute on the road, shifting only three goals, and that’s why I feel confident they will leave the Emirates Stadium on Sunday night with a point at the very least.
Arsenal have yet to lose at home and Tottenham have yet to lose away from home. Someone’s 0 has got to go (which is why I’m banking on a draw!)
Home advantage has been huge so far this season for teams – read the excellent piece by my colleague James Sharpe on exactly why it’s been so prevalent this season – and so I’ve gone with three of them.
I’m backing AFC Bournemouth to comfortably sweep West Ham aside, even after their resurgence under Nuno Espirito Santo with back-to-back wins. Both of those were at home and I don’t believe a side with just one away win all season will topple Andoni Iraola’s side.
I’ve got Brighton to beat Brentford at the Amex, while Liverpool should negotiate a way past Nottingham Forest at Anfield, although that feels as unsure a bet as it ever has in previous seasons.
The big swing I’ve taken is for Manchester City to suffer a bump on the road amid their title chase of Arsenal, falling to a draw at Newcastle.
City drew up in the North East back in 2022 (3-3), lost there in the League Cup in 2023 (1-0), and drew 1-1 back in September 2024. They have won on just one of their last four trips to face Newcastle.
Pep Guardiola’s side will score, no doubt. They’ve scored 10 in their past three matches but all of those came at home.
They lost 1-0 away to Aston Villa in their last away game in the league and it was a solitary goal that separated them at Brentford.
That famous Geordie atmosphere should make things very uncomfortable and I’ll back a draw with that in mind.
Elsewhere, I’ve got Aston Villa pushing Leeds United further into the mire with an away win at Elland Road.
