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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
TOTTENHAM v CHELSEA
Saturday, 13:45
Apart from this all-London meeting usually being a keenly-awaited one anyway, there is the Andre Villas-Boas angle to chew on: the axed Chelsea boss from last season is now in charge at Spurs and will be dying to put one over his former employers. Both teams are in excellent current fettle in Premiership terms, so the game is tough to pick. My colleagues all venture a hard-fought 1-1 outcome, which would be the same as last season at this venue (Adebayor, 8, and Sturridge, 23, were the scorers that December 2011 day). But I reckon the Blues, playing cohesively if not entirely breathtakingly, are good for all three points despite some likely forceful moments by their hosts. They’ve already taken out Arsenal “on the road”, after all.
Rob: Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-1
THE GRUDGE MATCH
SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE
Sunday, 14:30
The first north-east derby of the season comes with both teams in fairly ropey league form, though of course it will do nothing to curb the regional spice! The Black Cats come off a 3-0 thumping at Man City, while the Magpies were no less disappointing in leaving the gate badly open at home (also 0-3) to the other Manchester giants. It’s no surprise under the circumstances that our resident experts all sing from the same, stalemate song-sheet. Toon nicked the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season, courtesy of Ryan Taylor’s swinging free kick that evaded everybody. And when the teams met on Tyneside, there was a touchline bust-up between rival bosses Messrs Pardew and O’Neill. Don’t expect any special new harmony here?
Rob: Sunderland 0 Newcastle 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
LIVERPOOL v READING
Saturday, 16:00
Under-achieving 14th (Liverpool) meets more predictably labouring 18th. These days I can seldom bring myself – and perhaps even a good few Reds fans concur – to suggest that Liverpool will romp to a reasonably effortless win. But a pure gut feeling (I know, eternally dangerous) tells me that Anfield will be in good cheer on Saturday, adding to Reading’s early relegation-zone uncertainty. Besides, there’s a bit of urgency for ‘Pool to wow the Kop because in their last home fixture a fortnight ago, they were held to a humdrum goalless draw by Stoke. Before that, don’t forget, they’d hit five at Norwich, so it’s not as though they are terminally goal-shy. A full house of tipsters opts for the home victory, even if mine is the most brazen in margin terms ...
Rob: Liverpool 3 Reading 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
FULHAM v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-0
MANCHESTER UNITED v STOKE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Manchester United 3 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 2-0
SWANSEA v WIGAN
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 2 Wigan 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
WEST BROM v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 0 Manchester City 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
WEST HAM v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Ham 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
NORWICH v ARSENAL
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Norwich 0 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 1-2
QPR v EVERTON
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Everton 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 1-1
*LEADERBOARD
57 Dominic (7 points in last round)
55 Garrin (9)
48 Herman (8)
45 Rob (7)
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
TOTTENHAM v CHELSEA
Saturday, 13:45
Apart from this all-London meeting usually being a keenly-awaited one anyway, there is the Andre Villas-Boas angle to chew on: the axed Chelsea boss from last season is now in charge at Spurs and will be dying to put one over his former employers. Both teams are in excellent current fettle in Premiership terms, so the game is tough to pick. My colleagues all venture a hard-fought 1-1 outcome, which would be the same as last season at this venue (Adebayor, 8, and Sturridge, 23, were the scorers that December 2011 day). But I reckon the Blues, playing cohesively if not entirely breathtakingly, are good for all three points despite some likely forceful moments by their hosts. They’ve already taken out Arsenal “on the road”, after all.
Rob: Tottenham 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-1
THE GRUDGE MATCH
SUNDERLAND v NEWCASTLE
Sunday, 14:30
The first north-east derby of the season comes with both teams in fairly ropey league form, though of course it will do nothing to curb the regional spice! The Black Cats come off a 3-0 thumping at Man City, while the Magpies were no less disappointing in leaving the gate badly open at home (also 0-3) to the other Manchester giants. It’s no surprise under the circumstances that our resident experts all sing from the same, stalemate song-sheet. Toon nicked the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season, courtesy of Ryan Taylor’s swinging free kick that evaded everybody. And when the teams met on Tyneside, there was a touchline bust-up between rival bosses Messrs Pardew and O’Neill. Don’t expect any special new harmony here?
Rob: Sunderland 0 Newcastle 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
LIVERPOOL v READING
Saturday, 16:00
Under-achieving 14th (Liverpool) meets more predictably labouring 18th. These days I can seldom bring myself – and perhaps even a good few Reds fans concur – to suggest that Liverpool will romp to a reasonably effortless win. But a pure gut feeling (I know, eternally dangerous) tells me that Anfield will be in good cheer on Saturday, adding to Reading’s early relegation-zone uncertainty. Besides, there’s a bit of urgency for ‘Pool to wow the Kop because in their last home fixture a fortnight ago, they were held to a humdrum goalless draw by Stoke. Before that, don’t forget, they’d hit five at Norwich, so it’s not as though they are terminally goal-shy. A full house of tipsters opts for the home victory, even if mine is the most brazen in margin terms ...
Rob: Liverpool 3 Reading 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
FULHAM v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-0
MANCHESTER UNITED v STOKE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Manchester United 3 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 2-0
SWANSEA v WIGAN
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 2 Wigan 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
WEST BROM v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 0 Manchester City 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
WEST HAM v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Ham 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
NORWICH v ARSENAL
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Norwich 0 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 1-2
QPR v EVERTON
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Everton 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 1-1
*LEADERBOARD
57 Dominic (7 points in last round)
55 Garrin (9)
48 Herman (8)
45 Rob (7)
