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Cape Town - Each round of the 2012/13 English Premiership season, a panel of Sport24 staff and occasional guest tipsters have a crack at predicting the results - do it yourself, if you like, and see how you compare afterwards.
Compiled by Rob Houwing (eternally Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton, and last season’s winner), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool) and Herman Mostert (Chelsea).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
LIVERPOOL v ARSENAL
Sunday, 14:30
What? Star billing again for no-longer-mighty ‘Pool? Well, this clash between teams who can at least claim to be branded “traditional” giants does just about stand out from the rest, especially with leaders and Euro champions Chelsea not in action this weekend. It comes with both sleeping powerhouses still winless and in the bottom half after two rounds, so under respective pressure to try to earn a morale-lifting full house. Garrin takes the sensible route and opts for 1-1, a score-line he’s used more than a few times before, but the rest of us suspect that Anfield will be in good cheer come the final whistle. The home team will also be attempting to avenge last season’s result in the corresponding fixture, when it ended Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2 – though Gunners fans won’t be greatly cheered by recalling that the stoppage-time hero that day was a certain Robin van Persie, who volleyed home the winner but has since sought fresh, north-west pastures ...
Rob: Liverpool 2 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
THE GRUDGE MATCH
WEST BROM v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00
It is a tribute to their bright starts to the campaign that this tussle nearly claimed the “prime” spot. But it gets grudge status nevertheless because the Baggies (lying fourth to the Toffees’ third) enter it in the knowledge that they were beaten both times when these foes met in the Premiership last season, so this is a chance to have the Hawthorns faithful happier. Victor Anichebe’s 87th-minute strike was the difference between the sides when Everton last visited WBA in the league, on New Year’s Day. David Moyes’ side won 2-0 at Goodison Park ... and also, incidentally, elbowed West Brom out of the 2011/12 League Cup! I’m going with home advantage to tilt a tight one, though with a draw the most fancied outcome and Herman even venturing that the Merseysiders will travel home having retained a 100 percent record for the time being.
Rob: West Brom 1 Everton 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SOUTHAMPTON v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 17:00
The trouble with being a promoted club, as Saints are, is that if you labour in your early games people quickly start talking about an immediate drop! It is true that they haven’t started well – only Aston Villa are below them (on goal difference) on the table, and both are yet to bank a point. So the south-coast outfit will be eager to at least hold big-name visitors the Red Devils ... not that any of us see it happening. In fairness, Southampton did put up a great scrap on the opening weekend of the season before succumbing 3-2 at champions Man City. A little more ominously, they then crashed 0-2 at St Mary’s against Wigan, so confidence won’t be markedly high. Years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges tended to struggle away to Saints, but that was before they shifted from former home venue The Dell in 2001. United will be keen to confirm burial of a bogey ...
Rob: Southampton 0 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
WEST HAM v FULHAM
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: West Ham 1 Fulham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
SWANSEA v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 1 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
TOTTENHAM v NORWICH
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Tottenham 2 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
WIGAN v STOKE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Wigan 0 Stoke 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-0
MANCHESTER CITY v QPR
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester City 2 QPR 0
Garrin: 3-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 3-2
NEWCASTLE v ASTON VILLA
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: Newcastle 2 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-1
*LEADERBOARD
17 - Dominic (6 points in last round)
16 - Garrin (7)
13 - Rob (6)
11 - Herman (3)
Compiled by Rob Houwing (eternally Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton, and last season’s winner), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool) and Herman Mostert (Chelsea).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
LIVERPOOL v ARSENAL
Sunday, 14:30
What? Star billing again for no-longer-mighty ‘Pool? Well, this clash between teams who can at least claim to be branded “traditional” giants does just about stand out from the rest, especially with leaders and Euro champions Chelsea not in action this weekend. It comes with both sleeping powerhouses still winless and in the bottom half after two rounds, so under respective pressure to try to earn a morale-lifting full house. Garrin takes the sensible route and opts for 1-1, a score-line he’s used more than a few times before, but the rest of us suspect that Anfield will be in good cheer come the final whistle. The home team will also be attempting to avenge last season’s result in the corresponding fixture, when it ended Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2 – though Gunners fans won’t be greatly cheered by recalling that the stoppage-time hero that day was a certain Robin van Persie, who volleyed home the winner but has since sought fresh, north-west pastures ...
Rob: Liverpool 2 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
THE GRUDGE MATCH
WEST BROM v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00
It is a tribute to their bright starts to the campaign that this tussle nearly claimed the “prime” spot. But it gets grudge status nevertheless because the Baggies (lying fourth to the Toffees’ third) enter it in the knowledge that they were beaten both times when these foes met in the Premiership last season, so this is a chance to have the Hawthorns faithful happier. Victor Anichebe’s 87th-minute strike was the difference between the sides when Everton last visited WBA in the league, on New Year’s Day. David Moyes’ side won 2-0 at Goodison Park ... and also, incidentally, elbowed West Brom out of the 2011/12 League Cup! I’m going with home advantage to tilt a tight one, though with a draw the most fancied outcome and Herman even venturing that the Merseysiders will travel home having retained a 100 percent record for the time being.
Rob: West Brom 1 Everton 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SOUTHAMPTON v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 17:00
The trouble with being a promoted club, as Saints are, is that if you labour in your early games people quickly start talking about an immediate drop! It is true that they haven’t started well – only Aston Villa are below them (on goal difference) on the table, and both are yet to bank a point. So the south-coast outfit will be eager to at least hold big-name visitors the Red Devils ... not that any of us see it happening. In fairness, Southampton did put up a great scrap on the opening weekend of the season before succumbing 3-2 at champions Man City. A little more ominously, they then crashed 0-2 at St Mary’s against Wigan, so confidence won’t be markedly high. Years ago, Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges tended to struggle away to Saints, but that was before they shifted from former home venue The Dell in 2001. United will be keen to confirm burial of a bogey ...
Rob: Southampton 0 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
WEST HAM v FULHAM
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: West Ham 1 Fulham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
SWANSEA v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 1 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
TOTTENHAM v NORWICH
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Tottenham 2 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
WIGAN v STOKE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Wigan 0 Stoke 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-0
MANCHESTER CITY v QPR
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester City 2 QPR 0
Garrin: 3-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 3-2
NEWCASTLE v ASTON VILLA
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: Newcastle 2 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-1
*LEADERBOARD
17 - Dominic (6 points in last round)
16 - Garrin (7)
13 - Rob (6)
11 - Herman (3)
