Opta's Latest Premier League Prediction is Bad News for Sunderland Fans

Opta's supercomputer delivered a grim forecast for Sunderland's clash with Brighton.

IMAGO / NurPhoto

Surely Sunderland fans will not like the most recent Premier League prediction from the supercomputer Opta.

The Black Cats are surprising friends and strangers this 2025-26 season, with a record of seven victories, five ties, and four defeats.

These numbers cause the team of Regis Le Bris to currently place close to the UEFA competition spots in the table.

Sunderland is in eighth place with 26 points after 16 games. Same points as Liverpool (seventh place), Manchester United (sixth place), and Crystal Palace (fifth place).

On the next matchday, they will play against Brighton & Hove Albion, tenth place with 23 points, on Saturday, December 20, 2025, at the American Express Stadium, but the predictions are not positive.

Opta's Latest Premier League Prediction is Bad News for Sunderland Fans

IMAGO / Every Second Media

Opta’s supercomputer only yields an 18.9% probability that Sunderland can defeat Brighton next Saturday, December 20.

To the hosts, they give no less than 60.2% probability of winning, while Opta predicts a 20.9% probability of a tie.

The team of Fabian Hurzeler has a record of six victories, five ties, and five defeats. They register 25 goals for and 23 against.

Sunderland is the second team that concedes the fewest goals this season in the Premier League (17, alongside several top sides), but Brighton surpass them in expected control at home.

Brighton is also among the teams that generate the most dangerous chances, with 37 so far (eighth place). The Cats, for now, register 24. The prediction of Opta is understandable, but on the pitch, anything can happen.