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AI takes a look at the battle for Champions League football
Brighton’s 2-2 draw at Manchester City last Saturday keeps them in contention for Champions League qualification.
The Seagulls are seventh in the top flight – just one point behind fifth-placed Manchester City – with nine Premier League fixtures remaining.
Brighton, along with the rest of the Premier League, now pause for the international break and Fabian Hurzeler’s men resume their league campaign on April 2 at Aston Villa.
Fabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, is pushing for Champions League football next seasonFabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, is pushing for Champions League football next season
Fabian Hurzeler, Manager of Brighton & Hove Albion, is pushing for Champions League football next season
Leaders Liverpool are near-certain to finish in the top five and take a Champions League spot and second placed Arsenal also look nailed on.
Third placed Nottingham Forest – who Brighton play in the FA Cup quarter-final on March 29 – have opened up a seven point gap between themselves and sixth placed Newcastle.
That could see fourth-placed Chelsea, fifth-placed Man City, Newcastle (sixth) and Brighton (seventh) all fighting for the remaining two places.
Fulham and Aston Villa – eighth and ninth respectively and both on 45 points – will also fancy their chances of a late push.
Fulham and Villa are both in decent form at the moment, Newcastle – fresh from yesterday’s Carabao Cup win – are capable of a strong finish and Brighton have won four and drawn once in their last five.
Both Chelsea and Man City are showing patchy form but they clearly have enough talent in their squads to maintains their spots.
It all makes for an intriguing end to the season and one that could see the race for the Champions League go to the wire.
It's a tough one to predict so I asked Grok AI, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, for a little help.
"Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Manchester City will qualify from the Premier League for the 2025-26 Champions League, assuming the fifth spot is confirmed,” Grok said confidently.
"This prediction hinges on current form, statistical probabilities, and the remaining fixtures, but football’s unpredictability means upsets are always possible.”
Liverpool, Arsenal, Forest and City seem fair enough but the inclusion of Villa may well raise a few eyebrows – especially for Newcastle, Chelsea and Brighton fans.
I then searched again asking specifically if Brighton will qualify.
“Brighton have a credible shot at qualifying for the Champions League,” Grok said. “Particularly if they maintain their current form and capitalise on the likely fifth spot.
"While it’s not guaranteed – they face stiff competition and must avoid slip-ups in their final nine games – their prospects are as good as they’ve ever been.
"A top-five finish, which seems within reach, would likely secure their place in the 2025-26 Champions League.”
For your next Albion read:Brighton player ratings vs Manchester City: 8 for star midfielder despite glaring miss in pulsating Premier League match