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Friday, October 9, 2026
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The Pundit's Forecasts versus English Gaming Prodigy Daniel 'Stingray' Ray

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The weekend heralds the initial Wear-Tyne derby after 2024, but which side will celebrate – the Black Cats or Newcastle?

"During the bulk of last season, it was unthinkable the Wearside club getting promoted and challenging with Eddie Howe's Newcastle, never mind being above them in the table," stated pundit Chris Sutton.

"It is very different now, and the way they play makes me think they've got a solid shot."

Sutton is making forecasts for all 380 Premier League games this season, in competition with AI, readers and a assortment of guests.

For week 16, he faces off against England Gaming star Daniel 'Stingray' Ray.

Ray is going for glory for the eLions – the Football Association's official esports team – at the gaming title Uefa eEuro 2025 finals tournament, which will occur at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

The action will be streamed on Uefa's YouTube, IG Live and short-form video channels, as well as EA Sports FC Twitch and YouTube and the national team's Twitch.

What are your thoughts with their predictions? You can make your own projections below.

The fan-favourite scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards at the bottom of this page.

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth ten points. An accurate scoreline earns 40 points.

The England Gaming star with his coach and team boss.
Numerous entrants took part in the Uefa EA Sports FC eEuros and just eight have qualified. Ray, shown here with his coach Nick den Hamer and England Gaming team manager Denman, holds the team's ambitions. England also have competitive gaming squads in Rocket League and Football Manager.

Ray, who represents Gen City and Manchester City as well as England, is entering the fray at the eEuros finals after getting through the preliminary stage.

Eight players will play for their countries at the finals in a single-elimination, competing for a six-figure prize fund and a coveted spot in the global championship qualifiers, with Denmark's Anders Vejrgang looking to retain the title he won last year.

"My mindset is really good for it," Ray remarked. "There's a really good coach by my side and training has been going well.

"It is invariably an honour to play for your country. Obviously when you are younger, you imagine doing it as an actual footballer, but when you pursue a career in this field and there is an chance to represent England, donning the national jersey is something unique.

"I defeated Vejrgang 9-4 in qualifying to get here. I've played against him throughout the year just in practice, and in other tournaments before - but I'd never beaten him in a tournament before.

"For me he is the top competitor in the world so getting a win over him in a tournament like this just gives you a massive injection of confidence."

Daniel Ray in action.
Ray's footballing idol is Lionel Messi and he believes his game playing style is similar to his hero. "My style involves a bit of flair and creativity and I like to play with a bit of incisive passing, so I'd say that is accurate," he explained. "It's flattering with that comparison!"

Premier League Weekend Preview

Saturday, 13 December

Chelsea vs Everton

Stamford Bridge, 15:00 GMT

The Blues were outstanding against Arsenal at the end of November, when they secured a point after going down to 10 men, and it seemed they've turned a corner, they could potentially be title contenders.

However, since that game, however, they were beaten physically by Leeds, looked lethargic against Bournemouth and this week got defeated by Atalanta in the Champions League.

So manager Enzo Maresca is in need of a win here to get back on track, but it won't be easy because Everton are such a potent team.

Their key midfielders are playing exceptionally and they have got a bit of momentum at the moment.

Current evidence suggests you would probably back Everton, while the most logical prediction would probably be a draw, but I am not going to be sensible.

They have not given me any good cause to back them recently, but I just have a feeling they will win this match because they are at home and they are due a win.

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'll be at this game and it will be interesting to see what we get from the Reds.

It was great to see for Reds boss Arne Slot to get such a important victory at Inter Milan on Tuesday following all the controversy with Mohamed Salah this week.

Slot shouldn't need to put up with that nonsense. I know Salah has been a icon for Liverpool but at its core Slot just wants to win games and there is nothing personal in his team selection.

They changed their shape against Inter and went with a midfield diamond and two up top.

All the talk is going to be talking about whether Salah is back for this game, but the only way he is going to be brought back into the fold is if he says sorry.

Slot's attention 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 defensively susceptible too.

Liverpool 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 drained them.

I have whacked a couple of Brighton players in my Fantasy Premier League side, so they will likely do poorly - but I do fancy 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 Black Cats have had the week off while Newcastle had to work so hard against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, only to concede a late equaliser late on.

With the exception of their excellent performance against Everton a couple of weeks ago, Newcastle's away form has been inconsistent, particularly straight after they've played in the Champions League.

It is anticipated that that trend to continue on Sunday, and their tiredness is likely to be a key element in how this game goes because of their rivals' high press.

It was evident how incessant Regis le Bris's side are. They dominated the Gunners, and it was a joy to watch.

Commentators talks about how Granit Xhaka has been brilliant for the Black Cats, and he has been superb, but Noah Sadiki, who plays in midfield with him, has also been one of the top transfers and warrants praise too.

I am expecting this being the best game|most exciting fixture

DP
By

Danielle Peters

A passionate gaming journalist with over a decade of experience covering console and PC gaming trends and developments.

GameCore Media

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