A supercomputer has predicted the final Premier League standings based on the latest fixtures in England's top flight, and the title race between Arsenal and Manchester City is expected to go down to the wire.
FiveThirtyEight uses its own Soccer Power Index (SPI), which forms the basis of calculating the results of each team.
"SPI ratings are our best estimate of a team’s overall strength," FiveThirtyEight explains. "In our system, every team has an offensive rating that represents the number of goals it would be expected to score against an average team on a neutral field, and a defensive rating that represents the number of goals it would be expected to concede.
"These ratings, in turn, produce an overall SPI rating, which represents the percentage of available points the team would be expected to take if that match were played over and over again."
With that being said, the supercomputer states that Arsenal have a 51 per cent chance of winning the Premier League, while Manchester City are given the remaining 49 per cent - meaning there's barely anything to call between the two sides vying for the title.
City, currently on 64 points, are expected to reach 87 points, while Arsenal should just pip them with 88. However, in the game between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium on April 26, Manchester City are the considerable favourites.
Attributed with a 59 per cent possibility of winning the game, compared to Arsenal's 25 per cent, it is expected the reigning champions will make the title race even more interesting.
Elsewhere, Newcastle United and Manchester United are heavily favoured to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League, with Brighton expected to finish above Tottenham in fifth. Liverpool are in seventh, according to FiveThirtyEight.
At the opposite end of the table, Southampton are the team most likely to be relegated, the Saints expected to accumulate just 32 points. Thereafter seems anyone's guess, but the supercomputer is predicting Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth will join them in the Championship next campaign.
Indeed, Forest are expected to get 34 points, while Bournemouth will finish on 36 - the same as Everton and Leicester City, though the latter two's superior goal difference will see them stay up.
Of course, this is football, where anything can happen, so don't be surprised if this supercomputer gets things drastically wrong. Roll on the end of the season.
Final Premier League 2022/23 table (according to FiveThirthyEight)
1. Arsenal (88 pts)
2. Manchester City (87 pts)
3. Newcastle United (70 pts)
4. Manchester United (70 pts)
5. Brighton and Hove Albion (64 pts)
6. Tottenham Hotspur (63 pts)
7. Liverpool (62 pts)
8. Aston Villa (56 pts)
9. Brentford (55 pts)
10. Chelsea (52 pts)
11. Fulham (50 pts)
12. Crystal Palace (43 pts)
13. Leeds United (40 pts)
14. West Ham United (39 pts)
15. Wolves (38 pts)
16. Leicester City (36 pts)
17. Everton (36 pts)
18. AFC Bournemouth (36 pts)
19. Nottingham Forest (34 pts)
20. Southampton (32 pts)
