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'Expert' UK footy tips

Cape Town - Each round of the 2010/11 English Premiership season, a panel of Sport24 tipsters have a crack at predicting the results – do it yourself, if you like, and see how your scoreboard compares with ours in the report-back a week later.

Three precious points are given for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.

Compiled by Rob Houwing (the champion last season but a Newcastle supporter for his sins), the others are colleagues Garrin Lambley (very Everton-partial), David Brooke (Manchester United), Raymond Kilfoil (Tottenham) and a newcomer in Dominic Valentine (Liverpool).

We occasionally invite guest tipsters; watch this space.

THE PRIME ATTRACTION

CHELSEA v ARSENAL
Sunday, 17:00


This mouth-watering London derby comes at an intriguing time: both sides enter it off defeats in the league, although the Blues do retain a three-point cushion at the top of the table over Manchester United, and four over the third-placed Gunners. Also in common is that both clubs restored some pride in midweek Champions League wins, yet managed to look as if they were still saving an extra gear for Sunday. My gut feeling is for Chelsea to repeat last year’s triumph in the corresponding fixture, although I appreciate that the draw is a similarly shrewd call …

Rob: Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 3-1
David: 2-1
Dominic: 3-1
Last season: 2-0

THE GRUDGE MATCH

WEST HAM v FULHAM
Saturday, 16:00


Let’s not forget that Sunday’s showpiece, noted above, isn’t the only decent all-London tussle of the weekend! There’s also a good “East meets West” clash on the cards a day earlier, with Hammers sporting home advantage in the, er, grittier part of the city. Fulham have mostly been rock-steady this season, and sit a comfortable seventh at present. But West Ham are heartened by a terrific victory against Tottenham, which lifted them off the foot of the log, and momentum might just see them pilfer this one too.

Rob: West Ham 2 Fulham 1
Garrin: 1-2
Raymond: 1-1
David: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Last season: 2-2

THE DESPERATE DUEL

BIRMINGHAM v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00


Sorry Garrin, but sooner or later the Toffees were going to have to feature in this slot, weren’t they? They’ve slipped to ominous last, despite a fair enough point at Fulham last time out, and are yet to taste a win from six starts in 2010/11. Still, you sense that they may simply be punching below their weight in early-season, and will snap out of it: I don’t regard them as relegation material. That said, they’ve got to fix the corrosion soonish! Most of us can’t see them winning in the Midlands, but a repeat of last season’s draw is a credible scenario.

Rob: Birmingham 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-2
David: 1-0
Dominic: 1-0
Last season: 2-2

THE OTHERS

WIGAN v WOLVES
Saturday, 13:45


Rob: Wigan 2 Wolves 1
Garrin: 2-2
Raymond: 2-2
David: 1-0
Dominic: 1-1
Last season: 0-1

STOKE v BLACKBURN
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Stoke 1 Blackburn 0
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 1-0
David: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Last season: 3-0

SUNDERLAND v MANCHESTER UNITED
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Sunderland 0 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 1-2
Raymond: 0-3
David: 0-2
Dominic: 1-2
Last season: 0-1

TOTTENHAM v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Tottenham 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 1-1
Raymond: 2-1
David: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Last season: 0-0

WEST BROM v BOLTON
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: West Brom 2 Bolton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Raymond: 1-1
David: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable

MANCHESTER CITY v NEWCASTLE
Sunday, 14:30


Rob: Manchester City 2 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 2-0
Raymond: 2-1
David: 2-0
Dominic: 3-1
Last season: Not applicable

LIVERPOOL v BLACKPOOL
Sunday, 16:00


Rob: Liverpool 3 Blackpool 0
Garrin: 2-0
Raymond: 2-0
David: 3-0
Dominic: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable

LEADERBOARD

Oh, misery me! (And Dom, for that matter.) I confess the pair of us set an ignominious record last weekend … the first time there have been zero tallies for a full round of matches. Some consolation: it was a programme loaded with upsets (eg, Arsenal 2 West Brom 3 - how do you make allowance for that, pray tell?) and the rest of the crew weren’t too pretty either, with no one eclipsing two paltry points. Still, I went to see my busty Brazilian shrink this week and she quickly assured me: “It happens. Only once in a lifetime. The others will sample the feeling soon enough. Knowing your rich character as I do, you’ll get over it. You’re the defending champ. You’re massively intelligent. You’ve still got your great Mediterranean looks.” With that I was motivated afresh, voila … now watch my furious atonement drive.

42 Rob (0 points last round) and Garrin (2)
38 Dominic (0)
36 Raymond (2)
31 David (2)
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