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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 (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 TOTTENHAM
Sunday, 18:00
It is a pretty curtailed programme this weekend, given several Premiership clubs’ ongoing involvement in FA Cup matters. But Spurs ought to be happy that they get to play, given their blistering all-round form at present, and the Londoners’ visit to Liverpool certainly seems the most appealing fixture of the six taking place. Despite the Reds’ ongoing under-achievement, they are still a tricky nut to crack in front of the vocal Anfield faithful, and enter this game on the back of an impressive 4-0 destruction of Wigan away. Interestingly, nobody on the panel sees Gareth Bale and company leaving with all three points – the draw is most popular outcome by far – and Herman even bravely picks the Scousers to register a minor upset.
Rob: Liverpool 2 Tottenham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
NEWCASTLE v STOKE
Sunday, 17:00
Newcastle keep inching forward spiritedly in the Europa League, but at what cost to their Premiership safety aspirations? That is something the ever-loyal Toon Army must be having decidedly muddled feelings about. Taking down the Potters in the north-east on Sunday is an important step in their quest to get nearer the supposed survival figure of around 38 points; it would advance them to 33. (That is also mid-table Stoke’s current tally.) Naturally this particular Toon nut is heartened by the strong sentiment in favour of a home win, although the “grudge” factor for the red-and-whites comes in the shape of their knowledge that they were thumped 3-0 in the equivalent game in 2011/12 – Yohan Cabaye bagged a pair of goals then. They no doubt plan stiffer resistance this time.
Rob: Newcastle 1 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Last season: 3-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
READING v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00
Bottom-placed and financially troubled QPR might easily have hogged this unenviable category once more, but I elected instead to go for the Reading v Villa tussle, given that it pits a 19th-placed home team against 18th-placed visitors – the men from Birmingham sport a tenuous one-point advantage. You don’t need a nuclear physicist to assume that a grim draw is a good likelihood. Mind you, Villa will have noted that these particular foes didn’t cover themselves in glory in their last home date: a depressing 0-3 outcome against fellow minnows Wigan!
Rob: Reading 0 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
NORWICH v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Norwich 1 Southampton 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
QPR v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-2
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-3
WEST BROM v SWANSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: West Brom 1 Swansea 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
*LEADERBOARD
219 - Dominic (11 points in last round)
208 - Herman (9) & Garrin (6)
194 - Rob (4)
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
LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM
Sunday, 18:00
It is a pretty curtailed programme this weekend, given several Premiership clubs’ ongoing involvement in FA Cup matters. But Spurs ought to be happy that they get to play, given their blistering all-round form at present, and the Londoners’ visit to Liverpool certainly seems the most appealing fixture of the six taking place. Despite the Reds’ ongoing under-achievement, they are still a tricky nut to crack in front of the vocal Anfield faithful, and enter this game on the back of an impressive 4-0 destruction of Wigan away. Interestingly, nobody on the panel sees Gareth Bale and company leaving with all three points – the draw is most popular outcome by far – and Herman even bravely picks the Scousers to register a minor upset.
Rob: Liverpool 2 Tottenham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
NEWCASTLE v STOKE
Sunday, 17:00
Newcastle keep inching forward spiritedly in the Europa League, but at what cost to their Premiership safety aspirations? That is something the ever-loyal Toon Army must be having decidedly muddled feelings about. Taking down the Potters in the north-east on Sunday is an important step in their quest to get nearer the supposed survival figure of around 38 points; it would advance them to 33. (That is also mid-table Stoke’s current tally.) Naturally this particular Toon nut is heartened by the strong sentiment in favour of a home win, although the “grudge” factor for the red-and-whites comes in the shape of their knowledge that they were thumped 3-0 in the equivalent game in 2011/12 – Yohan Cabaye bagged a pair of goals then. They no doubt plan stiffer resistance this time.
Rob: Newcastle 1 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Last season: 3-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
READING v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00
Bottom-placed and financially troubled QPR might easily have hogged this unenviable category once more, but I elected instead to go for the Reading v Villa tussle, given that it pits a 19th-placed home team against 18th-placed visitors – the men from Birmingham sport a tenuous one-point advantage. You don’t need a nuclear physicist to assume that a grim draw is a good likelihood. Mind you, Villa will have noted that these particular foes didn’t cover themselves in glory in their last home date: a depressing 0-3 outcome against fellow minnows Wigan!
Rob: Reading 0 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
NORWICH v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Norwich 1 Southampton 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
QPR v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-2
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-3
WEST BROM v SWANSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: West Brom 1 Swansea 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
*LEADERBOARD
219 - Dominic (11 points in last round)
208 - Herman (9) & Garrin (6)
194 - Rob (4)
