The latest round of Daily Mail Sport's Premier League Predictor challenge proved to be a stern test for fans and experts alike, with our nominated specialist, Nathan Salt, scoring a mere two points from a possible seven.
A Weekend of Surprises and Stalemates
The action in gameweek 18 kicked off with a statement victory from Aston Villa, who reasserted their title ambitions with a convincing 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Meanwhile, Goodison Park hosted a goal-fest as Everton and Brentford shared six strikes, with the Bees emerging as 4-2 victors on the road.
Sunday delivered late drama in two drawn matches. Tottenham were pegged back by Sunderland, while Liverpool saw a potential win vanish in the dying moments at Fulham's Craven Cottage. At the summit, Arsenal strengthened their grip on top spot, relying on a Declan Rice brace to navigate a tricky trip to Bournemouth.
Expert Predictions Fall Short
Our expert, Nathan Salt, found the weekend's results particularly difficult to forecast. His predictions, which included a correct call on Aston Villa's home win and the Fulham-Liverpool draw, yielded only two points.
Nathan Salt's Gameweek 18 predictions:
- Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest - HOME WIN - 1 pt
- AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal - DRAW - 0pt
- Leeds United v Manchester United - AWAY WIN - 0pt
- Everton v Brentford - HOME WIN - 0pt
- Fulham v Liverpool - DRAW - 1pt
- Tottenham v Sunderland - AWAY WIN - 0pt
- Manchester City v Chelsea - HOME WIN - 0pt
TOTAL - 2 POINTS
Title Race Twists and Managerial Drama
The weekend also delivered significant moments in the championship chase. Manchester City, Arsenal's closest rivals, dropped points in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad. The Blues were led by caretaker manager Calum McFarlane in his first Premier League match in charge.
Elsewhere, Ruben Amorim's final match as Manchester United manager ended in a 1-1 draw at Leeds, though the result was overshadowed by his explosive post-match press conference.
In the Predictor expert standings, James Sharpe reclaimed the top spot with three points, just one ahead of Nathan Salt and others like Craig Hope and Lewis Steele. No participant nationwide managed to predict all seven results correctly, although 52 players came close with six correct scores.
Fancy your chances against our experts? The Predictor challenge returns this coming weekend with £1,000 up for grabs. You can play throughout the 2025-26 Premier League season at dailymail.co.uk/predictor, via web or app. 18+ and residents of Great Britain only (excluding Northern Ireland). Terms and conditions apply.
