As the ongoing lockdown caused due to the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic have shut down global events, the English Premier League is no exception. However, it has been a disappointment for the football fans, especially Liverpool fans, as they were having a golden season this year. Fans have longed to know where their favourite would have ended on the table if the lockdown wasn’t imposed. Well, an AI has already answered that question.
Soccer stats firm, Opta has analysed the results of each team since the last four years to predict the results of the matches of this season. And to no one’s surprise, Liverpool crushed the other teams as they had 99.9% estimated probability of winning the title. It is only expected of the Scousers as they were having a dream season under Jurgen Klopp with only 1 loss and 1 draw.
Now, Opta studied the attacking and defensive qualities of each team and gave the results of the recent matches extra weight in calculations. Then the stats firm examined the difficulty level of the remaining matches and with the help of goal predictions, Opta delivered the results.
EPL 2019/20 Final League Table (as predicted by Opta)
1st: Liverpool – 101 points
2nd: Manchester City – 80 points
3rd: Leicester City – 67 points
4th: Chelsea – 63 points
5th: Manchester United – 61 points
6th: Tottenham Hotspur – 58 points
7th: Wolverhampton Wanderers – 56 points
8th: Arsenal – 56 points
9th: Sheffield United – 55 points
10th: Everton – 50 points
11th: Burnley – 49 points
12th: Crystal Palace – 49 points
13th: Newcastle United – 46 points
14th: Southampton – 44 points
15th: West Ham United – 39 points
16th: Brighton & Hove Albion – 37 points
17th: Watford – 36 points
18th: Bournemouth – 36 points
19th: Aston Villa – 32 points
20th: Norwich City – 29 points
Now, the AI from Opta has given officials a new way to decide the winner. However, I think that no one (or AI) can predict the results of such an unpredictable game. Maybe because I am an ardent Manchester United fan and I want my team to be in the top 4 which, in this case, is not possible. Well, that is why I think it’s not practical. Go on and call me crazy!
