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 (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 ARSENAL
Sunday, 18:00
Judging by what I’ve been reading in the online English press of late, Spurs (and particularly one Gareth Bale!) are starting to get some really glowing accolades from scribes – they’re certainly a form team, and the mounting dissatisfaction in the nearby Gunners camp over veteran boss Arsene Wenger only seems to tilt the scales further in favour of the home team for Sunday evening’s attractive crunch. I’m not as convinced it’s so simple: Arsenal’s current league form isn’t too bad either (three wins on the trot), and they had one of their better displays of the campaign when they won the first-round clash 5-2! Two of us expect a draw, though the others in the tipster quartet have Spurs edging it.
Rob: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ASTON VILLA v MANCHESTER CITY
Monday, 22:00
Back in late November, things looked so much more promising for defending champions City than they do at present: they murdered Villa 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with a double strike from each of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez, and arch-rivals Man United’s 1-0 loss at Norwich meant they seized the Premiership lead for the first time in the season. Since then, of course, it has been ever-increasing one-way traffic in favour of the Red Devils. Still, City did see off Chelsea 2-0 last time out and even relegation-threatened Villa’s grim quest to avenge that earlier embarrassment on Monday night ought not to be enough to deny the Blues another triumph. A personal hunch is that it will be a relative cruise, and we all fancy the away win, whatever the eventual score-line.
Rob: Aston Villa 0 Manchester City 3
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SOUTHAMPTON v QPR
Saturday, 17:00
Saints had been having a bright little spell -- especially in terms of quality of football even if not necessarily always results -- until they ran into seemingly resurgent Newcastle last weekend and were put away 4-2 in the north-east. So they have “drop” issues to contemplate anew (they’re only three points clear of the bottom three). Never mind their problems, however: Rangers are much deeper in the mire as they remain firmly rooted to the bottom and all of seven points adrift of the relative safety of 17th spot. Garrin and I see Southampton winning, though Dom and Herman anticipate a stalemate that won’t necessarily do either side any special favours ...
Rob: Southampton 2 QPR 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
CHELSEA v WEST BROM
Saturday, 14:45
Rob: Chelsea 3 West Brom 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1
EVERTON v READING
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Everton 1 Reading 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
MANCHESTER UNITED v NORWICH
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Manchester United 2 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 3-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 2-0
STOKE v WEST HAM
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Stoke 1 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
SUNDERLAND v FULHAM
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Sunderland 1 Fulham 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
SWANSEA v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Swansea 0 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-2
WIGAN v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 19:30
Rob: Wigan 1 Liverpool 0
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
*LEADERBOARD
208 - Dominic (8 points in last round)
202 - Garrin (7)
199 - Herman (6)
190 - Rob (6)
Compiled by Rob Houwing (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 ARSENAL
Sunday, 18:00
Judging by what I’ve been reading in the online English press of late, Spurs (and particularly one Gareth Bale!) are starting to get some really glowing accolades from scribes – they’re certainly a form team, and the mounting dissatisfaction in the nearby Gunners camp over veteran boss Arsene Wenger only seems to tilt the scales further in favour of the home team for Sunday evening’s attractive crunch. I’m not as convinced it’s so simple: Arsenal’s current league form isn’t too bad either (three wins on the trot), and they had one of their better displays of the campaign when they won the first-round clash 5-2! Two of us expect a draw, though the others in the tipster quartet have Spurs edging it.
Rob: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ASTON VILLA v MANCHESTER CITY
Monday, 22:00
Back in late November, things looked so much more promising for defending champions City than they do at present: they murdered Villa 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with a double strike from each of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez, and arch-rivals Man United’s 1-0 loss at Norwich meant they seized the Premiership lead for the first time in the season. Since then, of course, it has been ever-increasing one-way traffic in favour of the Red Devils. Still, City did see off Chelsea 2-0 last time out and even relegation-threatened Villa’s grim quest to avenge that earlier embarrassment on Monday night ought not to be enough to deny the Blues another triumph. A personal hunch is that it will be a relative cruise, and we all fancy the away win, whatever the eventual score-line.
Rob: Aston Villa 0 Manchester City 3
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SOUTHAMPTON v QPR
Saturday, 17:00
Saints had been having a bright little spell -- especially in terms of quality of football even if not necessarily always results -- until they ran into seemingly resurgent Newcastle last weekend and were put away 4-2 in the north-east. So they have “drop” issues to contemplate anew (they’re only three points clear of the bottom three). Never mind their problems, however: Rangers are much deeper in the mire as they remain firmly rooted to the bottom and all of seven points adrift of the relative safety of 17th spot. Garrin and I see Southampton winning, though Dom and Herman anticipate a stalemate that won’t necessarily do either side any special favours ...
Rob: Southampton 2 QPR 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
CHELSEA v WEST BROM
Saturday, 14:45
Rob: Chelsea 3 West Brom 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1
EVERTON v READING
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Everton 1 Reading 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
MANCHESTER UNITED v NORWICH
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Manchester United 2 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 3-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 2-0
STOKE v WEST HAM
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Stoke 1 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
SUNDERLAND v FULHAM
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Sunderland 1 Fulham 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
SWANSEA v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Swansea 0 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-2
WIGAN v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 19:30
Rob: Wigan 1 Liverpool 0
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
*LEADERBOARD
208 - Dominic (8 points in last round)
202 - Garrin (7)
199 - Herman (6)
190 - Rob (6)