Gerry Mandering - Football Correspondent: previews and match reports, Sunday 8 November 2026

Brighton v Brentford

Gerry’s preview: Gerry: Brighton to punish the eternal draw specialists

Brentford are unbeaten on the road. Four draws. Zero wins. They do not lose, which means they also do not win. It is less a football tactic and more a philosophical stance on doing nothing. Brighton have won three of their last four at home. Ayari has 2 goals in the last 4 gameweeks. His price rose £6m to £12m, yet 0% of you own him. You are all still chasing ghosts. The computer says Brentford have the chance of a wet sponge wringing dry, and I trust the machine.

Brentford’s chance of scoring is the same as my chance of fitting for a new shirt. Brighton 2-0 Brentford. Write it down.

Gerry’s call: Brighton 2–0 Brentford

Crystal Palace v Liverpool

Gerry’s preview: Palace leak and Liverpool's quiet consistency

Crystal Palace have conceded 10 goals in their last 4 league matches. That is not a defence, it is a sieve with ambition. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 4 away games, winning 3. Isak has scored twice in that period, yet his value dropped £3.9m. Gakpo and Szoboszlai have not added to that tally. Two expensive names, zero return. Palace sit 18th on 7 points. They have the chance of a brick finding a keyhole. My machine speaks in riddles, but the result is never a doubt.

Liverpool 2-1 Crystal Palace. Write it down.

Gerry’s call: Crystal Palace 1–2 Liverpool

Ipswich v Bournemouth

Gerry’s preview: Evanilson to do the heavy lifting

Bournemouth have scored 8 in their last 4 gameweeks, while Ipswich have let in 7. The arithmetic is not subtle. Evanilson has 4 goals in that run, and his price is up £2.7m to £21.9m, yet only 3% of you own him. It is like ignoring a fire engine because it is red. Adli adds 1 goal and has 0% ownership. He is effectively free. Ipswich sit 14th on 11 points. Bournemouth are 9th on 12. In my day, we called a striker a striker if he could kick the ball forward. Ipswich 1-2 Bournemouth. Write it down.

Gerry’s call: Ipswich 1–2 Bournemouth

Sunderland v Chelsea

Gerry’s preview: Chelsea steamroll the bottom club

Sunderland sit 20th of 20 in the Premier League on 5 points. They have not won in their last 4 gameweeks, scoring 1 and conceding 7. That is not a team; it is a warning label on a bottle of something dangerous. At home, their record over the last 4 is 1 win, 1 draw, and 2 losses. Fortress? More like a sieve with a leaky roof.

Chelsea are 4th on 16 points. Their last 4 gameweeks read W3 D0 L1, scoring 9 and conceding 3. Away, they have won 2 and lost 2 in the last 4. Not perfect, but plenty good enough to make the bottom club sweat. The contrast is not subtle. It is a cliff edge with one side standing on the precipice.

The player markets tell their own tale. Le Fée has 1 goal in the last 4 gameweeks, his price up £6.4m to £11m, yet owned by 0% of managers. Brobbey has no goals, price down, and 0% ownership. Nobody trusts him. Meanwhile, Rogers, Neto, and João Pedro each have 2 goals. Rogers is up to £17.8m. Neto is down to £5.3m. You are all ignoring the value for money.

Sunderland have won 3 of the last 5 meetings against Chelsea. That is a pattern, not a coincidence. But patterns break when one team scores 9 in 4 games and the other scores 1. History is a nice story, but it does not pay the bills today. The present form speaks louder than any old record.

Sunderland have about as much hope as a deflated balloon in a wind tunnel. My machine, which runs on secrets and possibly old biscuits, gives Chelsea the nod. It is not a close call. It is a formality with a bit of running involved. In my day, we did not need a computer to tell us who was better. We just looked at the scoreline.

Chelsea will win comfortably. Sunderland will try to park the bus, but the bus has no brakes. The 1 goal they managed in 4 games will not come again. This is a procession. Sunderland 0-3 Chelsea. Write it down.

Gerry’s call: Sunderland 0–3 Chelsea

Manchester United v Aston Villa

Gerry’s preview: Gerry: United's 0-2 shame continues

Sunday afternoon football. Who decided 4:30 was a decent time to watch men in stripes fail? United have lost their last 2 at home, scoring just 2 goals. They sit 17th on 7 points. Villa are 11th on 12, unbeaten in their last 4. Mbeumo has 2 goals in 4 games, yet his price is down £3.5m to £13.7m. You sold him? Foolish. Fernandes and Cunha have 0 goals in 4 gameweeks. Two strikers, no output. That is not a crisis; it is a resignation. The machine gives United the chance of a cat landing on its feet in a vacuum. I trust the machine. Manchester United 0-2 Aston Villa. Write it down.

Gerry’s call: Manchester United 0–2 Aston Villa