LONDON: Predictions of the final standings of the English Premier League (EPL) have been revealed after a supercomputer made thousands of predictions of match results with some of them surprising.
Liverpool top the table ahead of their second international break of the season with new boss Arne Slot enjoying a dream start to his managerial career at Anfield.
Manchester City and Arsenal trail close behind with just one point separating the top three after seven games, while Chelsea have impressed under Enzo Maresca.
Erik ten Hag’s third campaign at Manchester United saw them look to challenge for the title but instead endured their worst start to an EPL campaign and remain 14th in the table.
Now, Opta’s supercomputer has processed the data and predicted fans will celebrate the new EPL champions next May ending City’s stranglehold on the English premier league.
The predictive points model uses statistics from the season so far to simulate and rank the 20 teams competing with United fans expected to have a bad year if the numbers prove true.
The computer picked Liverpool to win the title for the second time in the EPL era, fending off challenges from Arsenal and Manchester City to do so.
Chelsea – buoyed by the sensational form of Cole Palmer – were surprise favorites to finish second in what was seen as an encouraging result for Maresca after years of the club’s struggles.
The Blues are expected to finish ahead of their London rivals, Arsenal, with Mikel Arteta’s men predicted not to finish in the top four but instead slump to eighth at the end of the season.
Pep Guardiola’s City are expected to drop to third place after winning the league for a record four seasons in a row, with Tottenham fourth and Aston Villa fifth.
However, Manchester United is predicted to end the season in 10th place which will see the club face consecutive ‘disasters’.
Wolves, Leicester and Ipswich are predicted to be relegated to the Championship League after struggling in the early weeks of the EPL.