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'Expert' UK footy tips

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

ARSENAL v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 14:45


Uneasy times for both teams ... the Gunners host this time-honoured derby against the backdrop of a shaky 3-3 draw with Fulham at the Emirates in another all-London affair, and a loss to Manchester United ahead of that, whilst Spurs come off reverses at home to Wigan and then away to Man City. The visitors (in seventh) have a one-point and one-place lead over Arsenal, so there’s some extra incentive for Mr Wenger’s mercurial but also frustratingly fallible troops to nick this one and leapfrog the old enemy. This was a seven-goal humdinger – well, depending on your point of view! - last season, with the Gunners romping to a 5-2 outcome. Mind you, Spurs may still be kicking themselves: they somehow conceded five unanswered goals from a situation of 2-0 up after 34 minutes. We predict a cagier game this time, but all lean toward the hosts again ...

Rob: Arsenal 2 Tottenham 0 
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 5-2    

THE GRUDGE MATCH

WEST BROM v CHELSEA
Saturday, 17:00


The Baggies continue to punch defiantly above their perceived weight this season: they’re in the Euro territory of fifth as things stand. Title-aspirant Chelsea, meanwhile, are winless in three Premiership matches and in need of a tonic here if they are to stay in strong touch with the two Manchester clubs above them. Revenge will also be a motivator for the Blues: in the corresponding game of 2011/12 they were pipped 1-0, Gareth McAuley’s late goal delighting the WBA faithful and leading to the demise as Chelsea boss shortly afterwards of Andre Villas-Boas. The Daily Mail called the visitors’ effort “listless and feeble”. But will recent history repeat itself at the Hawthorns? We don’t think so ... everyone has Chelsea winning, and I fancy a two-goal margin.

Rob: West Brom 0 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 0-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 1-0

THE DESPERATE DUEL

QPR v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 17:00


These teams have been down among the dead men for much of the campaign thus far, even if there is still plenty of opportunity for things to change. The fixture was an easy pick for this particular billing: the combatants have a miserly nine points between them – five for the second-from-bottom Saints and four for the basement Rangers. The Londoners also remain the only winless team in the Premiership. The one thing QPR aren’t really doing is leaking goals too prodigiously at present, so that’s not a bad sign for them, and it is partly why I tip a grim goalless outcome. Two of my colleagues share the draw sentiment, though Garrin has Rangers sneaking it after several exhausting hours of scientific thought ...

Rob: QPR 0 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable   

THE OTHERS

LIVERPOOL v WIGAN
Saturday, 17:00


Rob: Liverpool 1 Wigan 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2

MANCHESTER CITY v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00


Rob: Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 4-1      

NEWCASTLE v SWANSEA
Saturday, 17:00


Rob: Newcastle 1 Swansea 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 0-0

READING v EVERTON
Saturday, 17:00


Rob: Reading 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable  
 
NORWICH v MANCHESTER UNITED
Saturday, 19:30


Rob: Norwich 0 Manchester United 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 1-3
Last season: 1-2

FULHAM v SUNDERLAND
Sunday, 18:00


Rob: Fulham 1 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1

WEST HAM v STOKE
Monday, 22:00


Rob: West Ham 2 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable

*LEADERBOARD

93 - Dominic (12 points in last round)
92 - Garrin (10)
87 - Herman (14)
79 - Rob (8)
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