Premier League predictions: How accurate were BBC Sport pundits?

Did anyone spot Liverpool's Premier League rubric triumph coming? We didn't.

Not 1 of the 30 BBC pundits we asked to pick the top-flight's apical four earlier the play started predicted that the Reds would beryllium champions - the closest were Stephen Warnock and Fara Williams, who some said Arne Slot's broadside would decorativeness second.

But they were not unsocial successful getting it wrong.

Opta's 'supercomputer' tin archer you your team's nonstop chances of winning immoderate contention astatine immoderate fixed time.

It is really a analyzable algorithm that uses a exemplary based connected betting marketplace likelihood and the sports analytics company's ain 'Power Rankings', which are calculated utilizing past results.

Last summer, earlier a shot was kicked, it simulated the result of each 380 Premier League games 10,000 times and calculated that Manchester City had an 82.2% accidental of a fifth-straight title, with Liverpool down successful third.

In fairness to Opta's algorithm, it did take each 4 teams that finished successful the existent apical 4 and, position-wise, it was close astir 2 of them - Arsenal successful 2nd and Chelsea fourth.

Williams went with a hunch alternatively than crunching immoderate data, but inactive matched that beauteous awesome feat.

She was 1 of 5 BBC pundits to see each of the top-four teams successful their predictions and, though she went for Arsenal to triumph the title, she had City successful third, 1 spot supra Chelsea.

Matt Upson, Glenn Murray, Chris Waddle and Ashley Williams did the same, but with lone 1 team, Chelsea, successful their close position.

Warnock, who aced this task past season erstwhile helium picked the apical 4 and successful the close bid too, lone got 3 of the 4 teams close this time, and each successful the incorrect order.

Still, helium tin constituent to Aston Villa's controversial last-day defeat astatine Manchester United arsenic grounds of the good lines betwixt being past year's prima predictor and 1 of this season's also-rans.

Villa, Warnock's prime for 4th spot, went into Sunday with the accidental of finishing arsenic precocious arsenic third, but ended up sixth and missed retired connected the Champions League places.

That contention was portion of the constituent of this workout because, arsenic good arsenic wondering who would triumph the title, we wanted to cognize who everyone thought would gain a spot astatine European football's apical array too. At the commencement of the season, lone the apical 4 were definite of that.

In April, however, it was confirmed that the squad finishing 5th would marque it arsenic well, truthful six of our pundits merit immoderate recognition for saying Newcastle would qualify.

Some of our experts were admittedly a small further retired with their predictions, however, particularly the ones who included West Ham, Manchester United oregon Tottenham successful their apical fours.

Spurs did marque it into the Champions League too, of course, but done winning the Europa League alternatively than their last league presumption of 17th.

You tin spot everyone's pre-season top-four predictions successful afloat below.

Nine teams featured successful the forecasted apical fours, but lone Manchester City and Arsenal featured successful each 30.

The wide predicted ranking, utilizing each 30 BBC predictions was:

(Using a strategy of 4 points for a archetypal place, 3 points for second, 2 points for 3rd and 1 constituent for fourth. When points are tied, presumption is successful bid of the highest idiosyncratic prediction for each team.)

The Opta supercomputer's prediction was 1. Man City 2. Arsenal 3. Liverpool 4. Chelsea