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Cape Town - Each round of the 2009/10 English Premiership season, a panel of self-proclaimed Sport24 soothsayers have a crack at predicting the week’s results.
Compiled by Chief Writer Rob Houwing (2008/09 runner-up), with regular predictions also from Managing Editor Garrin Lambley (the defending champion), Multimedia Editor Raymond Kilfoil, Commercial Manager David Brooke and former Bafana Bafana and AmaZulu striker George Dearnaley, you’ll seldom find us singing from the same song-sheet.
Occasionally we invite a celebrity guest tipster to have a crack at a round of matches; keep watching this space …
This week’s fixtures:
ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 14:45
Derbies aren’t always associated with goal-fests, but last season’s meeting at the Emirates was a cracker, with the Gunners going 4-2 up but Spurs hitting back late through Jermaine Jenas (89th minute) and then Aaron Lennon’s dramatic injury-time leveller. Both sides wobbled a bit last weekend, but majority sentiment favours an Arsenal triumph, probably by two goals. Diehard Spurs man Ray, of course, tips another snatched point!
Rob: Arsenal 3 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 1-1
David: 3-1
George: 3-1
Last season: 4-4
BOLTON v CHELSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Fine result for Bolton last Sunday, edging out Everton 3-2, and they weren’t bad in going down 2-1 at Old Trafford one Premiership game earlier. But now log-leaders Chelsea come to town, and it’s another toughie for the Trotters. We’re unanimous the Blues will prevail, even if I see it being tight and Dave, by contrast, fancies a real romp.
Rob: Bolton 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 0-2
Raymond: 0-3
David: 0-4
George: 1-3
Last season: 0-2
BURNLEY v HULL
Saturday, 17:00
Still not a single draw for Burnley, 10 matches in! So I’m reluctant to take a first-time plunge on this one, even if stalemate could be the sensible choice – and Garrin and Dave have gone down that road. The home side lost at Turf Moor (to Wigan) last Saturday, but superior table position tells me they’ll sneak it. Ray and George share my 2-1 sentiment.
Rob: Burnley 2 Hull 1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 2-1
David: 1-1
George: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
EVERTON v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00
Three matches without a win, so backing the Toffees for a three-pointer is risky business – but I’ve gone sheer gut-feel on this one (hey, it worked for me with Liverpool v Man Utd last weekend!). Dave is an ally in that theory. I just think the Goodison fans are overdue for their side to impress them, and it’ll happen here against decent Villa. Of course closet Villa Park season-ticket holder George thinks we’re crazy …
Rob: Everton 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-2
David: 2-1
George: 1-2
Last season: 2-3
FULHAM v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 17:00
Very much rejuvenated in the Premiership after the seminal victory over Manchester United on Sunday, ‘Pool then went and crashed out of the Carling Cup to Arsenal. But if they really want to convince everyone they have sincere title aspirations, beating Fulham away is the sort of result they need. The tipsters show a mixed bag, and I fancy the fairly on-song hosts to grab a point in a ding-dong encounter.
Rob: Fulham 2 Liverpool 2
Garrin: 1-2
Raymond: 0-3
David: 1-0
George: 1-1
Last season: 0-1
MANCHESTER UNITED v BLACKBURN
Saturday, 19:30
Walloped 5-0 at Chelsea last time out, what price Blackburn, fifth from bottom, now redeeming themselves at the champions? It’s unlikely, but I do feel they will put up a more spirited scrap, hence my 2-1 prediction (a carbon copy of last season). United’s league form, after all, is a little insipid at present. But most of the lads see the Red Devils getting a bagful.
Rob: Manchester United 2 Blackburn 1
Garrin: 3-0
Raymond: 4-1
David: 4-0
George: 2-0
Last season: 2-1
PORTSMOUTH v WIGAN
Saturday, 17:00
Pompey have a lot to do to get off the foot of the table, don’t they? But they have to start somewhere, and maybe could target up-and-down Wigan for a minor upset. Interestingly, most of the panel see things that way, and there are no takers at all for the visiting win – despite their achieving it in the corresponding game in 2008/09.
Rob: Portsmouth 2 Wigan 1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 2-2
David: 2-0
George: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
STOKE v WOLVES
Saturday, 17:00
Do you think it’s time we actually credit the Potters as a decent Premiership side? They finished a long way off the drop last season, and ride ninth again as we speak. Coming off a commendable win at Tottenham, they will have tails up at home to wobbly newcomers Wolves. It’s a full house, then, on Stoke inching even further up the table … er, Europe, here we come?
Rob: Stoke 1 Wolves 0
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 2-0
David: 1-0
George: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM
Saturday, 17:00
A pretty strong run by the Black Cats was rudely halted in its tracks at Birmingham last weekend. The Hammers, by contrast, will be feeling a little better about life after coming from 0-2 down against Arsenal to steal a precious point. Garrin, Ray and I see them banking another in the northeast. Perhaps they’ll be heartened further by the fact that they won at the Stadium of Light last season, too.
Rob: Sunderland 1 West Ham 1
Garrin: 2-2
Raymond: 1-1
David: 1-0
George: 2-0
Last season: 0-1
BIRMINGHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
Sunday, 18:00
For some reason this is the lone Sunday attraction. Not the worst one, though, with the Brummies having registered a home victory last Saturday and maybe now eyeing a cheeky ‘double’. Title-aspirant City, though, are desperate for a win after three draws on the trot that have arrested their once-budding charge. Four of us have them achieving it, with Dave the black sheep in tipping the draw.
Rob: Birmingham 1 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 0-2
Raymond: 1-3
David: 2-2
George: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD (three points for wholly correct score-line, one for right result):
69 David (2 points last round)
67 George (3)
63 Rob (3)
61 Garrin (1)
60 Ray (4)
Verdict: Well, with everyone in the 60s points-wise, at least you can say we’re trading in a tight range, as the economists say. But after last weekend’s fiasco, we don’t have much else going for us: it was officially the leanest round in the, um, rich history of Footy Tips. Nobody prospered, although Ray topped the sorry pile with a “mighty” four points – including the lone, wholly correct scoreline (Hull 0 Portsmouth 0). Garrin’s blushes were spared – I don’t think anyone has yet recorded a duck – by snatching a point on the same match. In our defence, there were a few shock results. But we were all abject … things can only get better.
Compiled by Chief Writer Rob Houwing (2008/09 runner-up), with regular predictions also from Managing Editor Garrin Lambley (the defending champion), Multimedia Editor Raymond Kilfoil, Commercial Manager David Brooke and former Bafana Bafana and AmaZulu striker George Dearnaley, you’ll seldom find us singing from the same song-sheet.
Occasionally we invite a celebrity guest tipster to have a crack at a round of matches; keep watching this space …
This week’s fixtures:
ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 14:45
Derbies aren’t always associated with goal-fests, but last season’s meeting at the Emirates was a cracker, with the Gunners going 4-2 up but Spurs hitting back late through Jermaine Jenas (89th minute) and then Aaron Lennon’s dramatic injury-time leveller. Both sides wobbled a bit last weekend, but majority sentiment favours an Arsenal triumph, probably by two goals. Diehard Spurs man Ray, of course, tips another snatched point!
Rob: Arsenal 3 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 1-1
David: 3-1
George: 3-1
Last season: 4-4
BOLTON v CHELSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Fine result for Bolton last Sunday, edging out Everton 3-2, and they weren’t bad in going down 2-1 at Old Trafford one Premiership game earlier. But now log-leaders Chelsea come to town, and it’s another toughie for the Trotters. We’re unanimous the Blues will prevail, even if I see it being tight and Dave, by contrast, fancies a real romp.
Rob: Bolton 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 0-2
Raymond: 0-3
David: 0-4
George: 1-3
Last season: 0-2
BURNLEY v HULL
Saturday, 17:00
Still not a single draw for Burnley, 10 matches in! So I’m reluctant to take a first-time plunge on this one, even if stalemate could be the sensible choice – and Garrin and Dave have gone down that road. The home side lost at Turf Moor (to Wigan) last Saturday, but superior table position tells me they’ll sneak it. Ray and George share my 2-1 sentiment.
Rob: Burnley 2 Hull 1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 2-1
David: 1-1
George: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
EVERTON v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00
Three matches without a win, so backing the Toffees for a three-pointer is risky business – but I’ve gone sheer gut-feel on this one (hey, it worked for me with Liverpool v Man Utd last weekend!). Dave is an ally in that theory. I just think the Goodison fans are overdue for their side to impress them, and it’ll happen here against decent Villa. Of course closet Villa Park season-ticket holder George thinks we’re crazy …
Rob: Everton 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-2
David: 2-1
George: 1-2
Last season: 2-3
FULHAM v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 17:00
Very much rejuvenated in the Premiership after the seminal victory over Manchester United on Sunday, ‘Pool then went and crashed out of the Carling Cup to Arsenal. But if they really want to convince everyone they have sincere title aspirations, beating Fulham away is the sort of result they need. The tipsters show a mixed bag, and I fancy the fairly on-song hosts to grab a point in a ding-dong encounter.
Rob: Fulham 2 Liverpool 2
Garrin: 1-2
Raymond: 0-3
David: 1-0
George: 1-1
Last season: 0-1
MANCHESTER UNITED v BLACKBURN
Saturday, 19:30
Walloped 5-0 at Chelsea last time out, what price Blackburn, fifth from bottom, now redeeming themselves at the champions? It’s unlikely, but I do feel they will put up a more spirited scrap, hence my 2-1 prediction (a carbon copy of last season). United’s league form, after all, is a little insipid at present. But most of the lads see the Red Devils getting a bagful.
Rob: Manchester United 2 Blackburn 1
Garrin: 3-0
Raymond: 4-1
David: 4-0
George: 2-0
Last season: 2-1
PORTSMOUTH v WIGAN
Saturday, 17:00
Pompey have a lot to do to get off the foot of the table, don’t they? But they have to start somewhere, and maybe could target up-and-down Wigan for a minor upset. Interestingly, most of the panel see things that way, and there are no takers at all for the visiting win – despite their achieving it in the corresponding game in 2008/09.
Rob: Portsmouth 2 Wigan 1
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 2-2
David: 2-0
George: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
STOKE v WOLVES
Saturday, 17:00
Do you think it’s time we actually credit the Potters as a decent Premiership side? They finished a long way off the drop last season, and ride ninth again as we speak. Coming off a commendable win at Tottenham, they will have tails up at home to wobbly newcomers Wolves. It’s a full house, then, on Stoke inching even further up the table … er, Europe, here we come?
Rob: Stoke 1 Wolves 0
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 2-0
David: 1-0
George: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
SUNDERLAND v WEST HAM
Saturday, 17:00
A pretty strong run by the Black Cats was rudely halted in its tracks at Birmingham last weekend. The Hammers, by contrast, will be feeling a little better about life after coming from 0-2 down against Arsenal to steal a precious point. Garrin, Ray and I see them banking another in the northeast. Perhaps they’ll be heartened further by the fact that they won at the Stadium of Light last season, too.
Rob: Sunderland 1 West Ham 1
Garrin: 2-2
Raymond: 1-1
David: 1-0
George: 2-0
Last season: 0-1
BIRMINGHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
Sunday, 18:00
For some reason this is the lone Sunday attraction. Not the worst one, though, with the Brummies having registered a home victory last Saturday and maybe now eyeing a cheeky ‘double’. Title-aspirant City, though, are desperate for a win after three draws on the trot that have arrested their once-budding charge. Four of us have them achieving it, with Dave the black sheep in tipping the draw.
Rob: Birmingham 1 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 0-2
Raymond: 1-3
David: 2-2
George: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD (three points for wholly correct score-line, one for right result):
69 David (2 points last round)
67 George (3)
63 Rob (3)
61 Garrin (1)
60 Ray (4)
Verdict: Well, with everyone in the 60s points-wise, at least you can say we’re trading in a tight range, as the economists say. But after last weekend’s fiasco, we don’t have much else going for us: it was officially the leanest round in the, um, rich history of Footy Tips. Nobody prospered, although Ray topped the sorry pile with a “mighty” four points – including the lone, wholly correct scoreline (Hull 0 Portsmouth 0). Garrin’s blushes were spared – I don’t think anyone has yet recorded a duck – by snatching a point on the same match. In our defence, there were a few shock results. But we were all abject … things can only get better.
