Premier League predictions: West Ham vs Man United, Tottenham vs Newcastle and rest of matchday 26

Who's leading after MD25? And what do our writer, the algorithm, a child and this week's subscriber expect to see on Matchday 26?

Feb. 9, 2026 at 11:31pm

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Welcome to week 26 of The Athletic's Premier League predictions challenge, where the writer is starting to feel like one of the Wet Bandits, the hapless villains in Home Alone, outwitted by a child at every turn. The writer was leading the table but has now fallen behind a 6-year-old boy named Wilfred and the subscribers. This week's guest subscriber is James, a 27-year-old Manchester United fan from Norwich.

Why it matters

The Premier League predictions challenge has become an interesting competition, with the writer, an algorithm, a child, and a guest subscriber each making weekly predictions. The results have been surprising, with the child currently leading the pack and the writer struggling to keep up. This highlights the unpredictable nature of football and the challenges in accurately forecasting results.

The details

Each week since the season began in August, four people - a guest subscriber, an algorithm, a 6-year-old boy named Wilfred, and the writer - have been predicting the Premier League results. They are awarded 3 points for a correct scoreline and 1 point for a correct result, with a bonus point for any correct 'unique' prediction. Wilfred is currently leading the table, with the subscribers close behind and the writer in danger of being overtaken. The writer is struggling to understand how he is being outperformed by a child, but he remains determined to regain the lead.

  • The Premier League predictions challenge has been running since the start of the season in August 2025.
  • The latest round of predictions is for Matchday 26, which will take place this weekend.

The players

Wilfred

A 6-year-old boy who is currently leading the Premier League predictions challenge.

Peter

An Arsenal supporter from Dublin who is one of the guest subscribers participating in the predictions challenge.

James

A 27-year-old Manchester United fan from Norwich who is this week's guest subscriber.

Oliver Kay

The writer who is participating in the Premier League predictions challenge.

Michael Carrick

The manager of Manchester United.

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What they’re saying

“493 days. Never before have I been more excited that someone might get a haircut. Man United do have their work cut out though, against an improving, stylistically well-matched West Ham side. I expect United's set-piece dominance to decide this, but not before some nervy moments.”

— James, Manchester United fan

“Exciting times for Manchester United supporters after four straight wins — and none more so than Frank Ilett, the Spain-based fan who has gone viral after declaring in October 2024 he wasn't going to get his hair cut until they won five games in a row. I wonder whether there is a part of Ilett that secretly hopes they fall short of five in a row. He's now up to 1.2million Instagram followers and just short of a million on TikTok. And his club's future is not going to be defined by whether they win five games in a row. But they're playing well under Michael Carrick and game five is West Ham away, so it might just be time for Frank to contact the finest sheep shearer in Castellon.”

— Oliver Kay, Writer

What’s next

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The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.