Man City at Anfield: Sutton's Prediction as 115-Rule Verdict Looms

All eyes will be on Anfield on Sunday, according to BBC Sport football expert Chris Sutton, as Premier League leaders Manchester City travel to face Liverpool in a fixture now overshadowed by events off the pitch. Sutton's weekly prediction column, published on 8 October 2026, frames the weekend's headline game around City's reaction after the club was found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they had been accused of breaching.

Sutton: 'A Mammoth Game'

Sutton did not hold back when assessing the significance of the Anfield clash, describing it in stark terms as the football world waits to see how City respond.

"It's a mammoth game," Sutton said. "Everyone is looking at this game to see if City's players appear deflated and how much it will affect them."

The former striker also raised the question of what the verdict means for the current campaign, with City sitting top of the table despite the cloud hanging over them. "We don't know what the implications are for this season, either," he added. "They are top of the league at the moment but will they get a massive points deduction that changes that?"

That uncertainty is the backdrop to a match that would already command attention as a meeting between two of English football's heavyweight clubs. According to Sutton's column, the focus will be as much on body language and mentality as on tactics, with observers watching closely to see whether City's players look affected by the ruling.

Predictions, Points and a Special Guest

Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, testing himself against AI, BBC Sport readers and a rotating cast of guests. For week six, his opponent is James Walsh, frontman of Starsailor, who supports Liverpool — adding an extra layer of interest to the Anfield fixture.

Starsailor have released a 25th anniversary edition of their debut album, Love is Here, this week and are performing it in full, with a string ensemble, on their UK and European tour this month, according to the column.

The scoring system is straightforward: a correct result — picking a win, draw or defeat — is worth 10 points, while nailing the exact score earns 40 points. The most popular scoreline selected for each game is used in the scoreboards and tables at the bottom of the page, giving readers a snapshot of consensus opinion across the country.

For those who want to test their own judgement, Sutton's column also points readers towards BBC Sport's Match of the Day predictor game, which runs every week and features six fixtures from domestic and European competitions.

Arsenal v Leeds: Early Action at the Emirates

Sunday's Anfield showdown is not the only Premier League action on the radar. In the early kick-off, Arsenal hosted Leeds at the Emirates, and the live coverage picked up a promising moment for the visitors inside the opening half hour.

On 27 minutes, Ao Tanaka sent a cross from the left into the Arsenal penalty area, where the ball broke kindly for Bogle. He attempted to lift it over David Raya, but the Arsenal goalkeeper got enough on the ball to put it out for a corner, from which nothing came. As the live report noted, that was another decent chance for Leeds — a reminder that the visitors carried a threat despite the daunting venue.

For Arsenal, the moment underlined the fine margins that decide Premier League fixtures, with Raya's intervention preventing Leeds from converting a promising opening into a goal. For Leeds, it was further evidence that they could create opportunities against one of the division's stronger sides.

What to Watch This Weekend

The weekend's narrative is split between events on the pitch and the shadow cast by City's situation. Sutton's column makes clear that the Anfield fixture will be scrutinised for signs of psychological impact, while the league table itself could yet be reshaped depending on what happens next.

• Anfield focus: How Manchester City respond after being found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching.
• Table watch: City are top of the Premier League, but Sutton questions whether a massive points deduction could change that.
• Prediction battle: Sutton takes on Starsailor frontman James Walsh, a Liverpool supporter, in week six.
• Early kick-off: Arsenal v Leeds produced chances, with Raya denying Bogle after Tanaka's cross.

With so much at stake both on and off the field, this weekend's Premier League action promises to be one of the most talked-about of the season so far. For a full rundown of the fixtures and our model's take on them, see our Premier League predictions, and keep an eye on the latest football news for developments as they unfold.