The Premier League season reaches its conclusion on Sunday, and while the title has already been settled — Arsenal confirmed as champions after Manchester City drew with Bournemouth on Tuesday — there is a separate contest still very much alive: Chris Sutton versus artificial intelligence in the BBC Sport predictions league.

Sutton and Microsoft's Copilot chatbot head into the final round level on outright correct wins, with the AI holding the edge on tied victories. That means the former Blackburn striker needs to outscore the machine on Sunday to claim top spot. "It is just down to me now," Sutton said. "I am a bit like Doctor Who, in that it is all down to me to save the human race." No pressure, then.

Sam Tompkins Joins the Fight

Sutton's guest for the final-day showdown is singer-songwriter Sam Tompkins, an Arsenal fan who had a rather emotional end to his week. Tompkins was dining in Paris with his partner when City failed to beat Bournemouth, confirming the Gunners as champions for the first time in 22 years.

"My mate texted me at half-time saying '45 minutes'," Tompkins told BBC Sport. "At first I was like 'what does that mean?', before I realised that Bournemouth were winning. After that I just watched the rest of the game with my missus — she was actually very happy to watch it with me — and then at full-time I ran through the streets of Paris screaming!"

The Brighton-based musician, who has two UK Top 10 albums and more than 300 million global streams to his name, now has the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest to look forward to. But first, he has one eye on proceedings at the bottom of the table. "Now we can sit back and see what happens to Spurs on Sunday," he said. "What a month it would be if everything comes off."

The Key Fixtures

All ten games kick off simultaneously at 16:00 BST on Sunday. Several have genuine stakes beyond the predictions contest.

At the Amex, Brighton host Manchester United with the Seagulls chasing seventh place — and potentially sixth if results go their way — and a return to European football under Fabian Hurzeler. United's Bruno Fernandes arrives needing one more assist to break the Premier League record for assists in a single season. Both Sutton and Tompkins tip Brighton 2-1; the AI has gone for a 2-2 draw.

At Turf Moor, Burnley host Wolves in what Tompkins diplomatically calls "a depressing fixture." Neither side has won any of their past 16 combined games since Wolves beat Liverpool on 3 March. Sutton, who admits he needs to take risks to win the predictions title, has backed Burnley to edge it 1-0. The AI agrees; Tompkins has gone for 2-0 to the hosts.

Crystal Palace entertain another side with European preparations on their mind, and heavy rotation is expected from both camps — a factor that makes predicting the scoreline particularly tricky.

The Bigger Picture

Sutton has been making predictions for all 380 Premier League fixtures this season alongside AI, regular BBC readers and a rotating cast of celebrity guests. The fact that the contest goes down to the final weekend — with a machine neck-and-neck against one of football's better-known pundits — says something about how far the technology has come.

Whether Sutton can find that decisive outright win to pip Copilot remains to be seen. The market, for what it is worth, will have its own views on Sunday's results. But Sutton is backing himself, even when that means going against the grain on a Burnley-Wolves clash that, on paper, screams stalemate.

Sunday's final whistle will settle it — both on the pitch and in the predictions table.

Frequently asked

What time do the final Premier League games kick off on Sunday?
All ten final-day Premier League fixtures kick off simultaneously at 16:00 BST on Sunday, 25 May.
What does Brighton need to qualify for Europe on the final day?
A win for Brighton would secure them seventh place and European football. They could even finish sixth if Bournemouth lose on the same afternoon.
What Premier League record can Bruno Fernandes break on Sunday?
Bruno Fernandes needs one more assist in Brighton vs Manchester United to set a new Premier League record for the most assists in a single season.