When AI Meets Football: Humans Prove They Are Still Top Of The League
Why do we love the beautiful game?
It has unpredictability, giant-killings, upsets, last-minute winners and much more.
However, for many people the recent introduction of technology has tarnished the sport they love and ultimately ruined some of the spontaneity that football once had.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has woven its way into the people's game by delivering real-time stats, tailored highlights and predictive match insights.
Could the introduction of AI also ruin the weekly debate that is discussed up and down the country - ‘What do you think the score will be this weekend?’
At Gambling.com we wanted to put that to the test.
Our resident statistician Charlie Mullan went head-to-head with AI (specifically) ChatGPT to predict the results and scorelines from last week's round of Premier League and EFL fixtures.
They both predicted the result (win, lose, draw) and score of the 46 fixtures from September 26 to 29.
* Our free to play Cosmo Spins game has blasted off and the Prize Wheel prizes include 1k in Cash! Click the banner below to play. Terms and conditions and location restrictions apply.
Humans Still Rules AI
Fear not for all you football fans, Gambling.com has proved that expert analysis and understanding of football still has the upper hand over AI.
Experts can factor in emotions, momentum, team spirit and subtle shifts such as a manager’s strategy or a player’s mindset, whereas AI is limited to just data and this human factor has ultimately come out on top.
Our stats expert Charlie correctly predicted 43% of the results (20 out of 46) while AI only predicted 34% of the results (16 out of 46).
The correct scores proved to be a tougher proposition, but Charlie still came out on top, predicting one more scoreline than AI (7 to 6).
Gameweek 6 in the Premier League proved tricky for both parties - with only AI correctly predicting a correct score - Everton 1-1 West Ham United.
The surprise results featuring Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham flipped the script on a dramatic weekend of action.
The rest of the leagues proved more successful (Championship, League One, League Two) for Charlie.
Charlie's Correct Predicitions:
AI's Correct Predictions:
Within the AI’s predictions, there was not one 0-0. Upon being asked about this it said:
"I leaned away from 0–0s on purpose. In recent PL seasons, only 5–6% of matches end 0–0 (Opta’s Analyst put one season at 5.7%, among the lowest on record)." - ChatGPT
This demonstrates the limitations that AI has - data can’t fully capture injuries, referee decisions, weather conditions, and sudden shifts in momentum.
As a result, while AI can analyse statistics and patterns, it often falls short in reflecting the human side of football that decides results.
