The BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton is set to face off against Dan Haggis, drummer of The Wombats and devoted Everton supporter, in predicting this weekend's Premier League matches. This prediction challenge comes at an interesting time as Newcastle United prepares to visit Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, where they've never secured a Premier League victory in 20 attempts.
"I usually use science to help me make my predictions, but this time I have to think about history too," Sutton remarked, acknowledging the weight of historical patterns while noting that such winless streaks must eventually end. The prediction contest is part of Sutton's season-long commitment to forecast all 380 Premier League games, with points awarded based on accuracy - 10 points for correctly predicting the match outcome and 40 points for exact score predictions.
Haggis, whose band The Wombats is releasing their new album "Oh! The Ocean" this Friday, shared his thoughts on Everton's current state following their Merseyside derby against Liverpool. Despite his prediction of an Everton victory not materializing, he maintains an optimistic outlook on the club's future. "You've got to be optimistic as an Everton fan, really," he explained, "Otherwise you can just get too anxious and drown in the worry of relegation battles."
The drummer offered insight into Everton's tactical evolution, praising both former manager Sean Dyche's solid defensive foundation and current manager David Moyes's efforts to build upon it. He noted the team's recent improvement in goal-scoring, expressing satisfaction with their progress.
As Everton prepares to bid farewell to their historic Goodison Park, Haggis reflected on his personal connection to the stadium, where he held a season ticket from 1992 to 1998. "The atmosphere in there when it is good is just unbelievable - I have never experienced anything like it anywhere else," he reminisced. While acknowledging the bittersweet nature of the move, he expressed excitement about the club's future home, envisioning it as not just a world-class stadium but a transformative addition to Liverpool's riverfront. Ever the musician, he playfully added his hope for The Wombats to potentially support Paul McCartney there someday.
The band is set for a busy period ahead, with a six-date UK arena tour beginning in March and a headline performance scheduled for the opening night of Liverpool's On The Waterfront festival in June.
