Chris Sutton’s Premier League Predictions: West Ham vs. Brighton

Chris Sutton, who provides predictions for all 380 Premier League matches each season alongside various guests, featured Reverend & the Makers singer Jon McClure for week 17’s forecast. Sutton’s forecast for the match is 1-2. He commented on the increased difficulty of predictions this season, attributing it to the close competitiveness of many teams, or humorously suggesting his own declining intelligence. He characterized this particular game as exceptionally challenging to predict. Sutton expressed reservations about backing West Ham under Julen Lopetegui, citing a lack of compelling reasons beyond Jarred Bowen’s individual displays. Conversely, Brighton is currently experiencing their poorest form of the season, having failed to secure a win in their last four outings. The Hammers are currently without Michail Antonio, whose swift recovery Sutton hopes for. His absence could provide an opportunity for Niclas Fullkrug to play up front, a player Sutton identified as “one to watch” in the summer, despite his limited appearances for West Ham thus far. Brighton suffered a significant defeat against Crystal Palace last weekend and demonstrated vulnerability in their preceding match by squandering a two-goal advantage against Leicester. Nevertheless, Sutton believes they possess the ability to recover. Sutton anticipates multiple goals in the encounter and predicts a narrow victory for Brighton. He noted that Kaoru Mitoma, a player in his Fantasy Premier League team, is expected to score the decisive goal. McClure’s prediction for the match is 1-3. He commended Brighton for having “another great manager in Fabian Hurzeler.” McClure contrasted Brighton’s operational approach, which he views as a model for how clubs “should do it,” with the shortcomings of his supported team, Sheffield Wednesday. He highlighted issues at Hillsborough, stating, “our hot taps don’t run in our toilets at Hillsborough, and haven’t done for three years. That tells you everything you need to know about us. It’s like, come on, we can do much better than this.”