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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
MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY
Monday, 21:00
Considering the gulf in points terms – still 15 -- between the first and second-placed Manchester clubs, we are virtually at the point where pride is the main motivator for defending (only just!) champions City to knock over United at Old Trafford in Monday night’s big spectacle. But they do still want to ensure the runners-up slot for favourable Champions League positioning, and will also harbour such blissful memories of last season’s sensational 6-1 outcome in their favour in the corresponding game. City were also in overdue, champagne form in trouncing Newcastle 4-0 last time out. Mind you, revenge for the 2011/12 drubbing will be strong on United minds, and they are also still fighting hard for a record tally of points en route to the Premiership title. Two of us fancy the draw, with Dom and Herman preferring a Red Devils victory.
Rob: Manchester United 2 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-6
THE GRUDGE MATCH
CHELSEA v SUNDERLAND
Sunday, 16:00
There is no special reason to brand this a grudge fixture in overall terms between these clubs, who are rather differently positioned on the table and also a long way apart geographically. But it gets the billing because the air could be intriguingly hostile at Stamford Bridge as controversial new Black Cats boss Paolo Mussolini (er, sorry, di Canio!) steps out in charge for the relegation-threatened visitors first time. What sort of reception will he get from both sets of fans? Some wags might cheekily brand this a bit of a “National Front” convention, what with Chelsea likely to field veteran captain John Terry, no stranger to racism allegations. But back to football ... a full house of our forecasters points only to a Blues victory (they won 3-1 in the north-east earlier in the season), leaving Sunderland still thinking uncomfortably about drop possibilities.
Rob: Chelsea 2 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
QPR v WIGAN
Sunday, 17:10
For the record, I fancy that QPR and Reading, occupying 19th and 20th spots respectively, can well nigh be considered relegated already – both have only a tenuous 23 points and that leaves them a very minimum of seven points adrift in their quest to clear the drop zone with the season fast running out. As much as they need wins in a hurry, they also need clubs on the fringes of the relegation area to keep losing all the time, so the dice is very loaded. Rangers host Wigan – specialists at somehow always staying up! – in a key tussle at the wrong end of the table. Even a draw is not a great deal of help to the Londoners ... but that’s what three of us believe will occur.
Rob: QPR 1 Wigan 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-2
Last season: 3-1
THE OTHERS
READING v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Reading 0 Southampton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
NORWICH v SWANSEA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Norwich 1 Swansea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 3-1
STOKE v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
WEST BROM v ARSENAL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 0 Arsenal 2
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-3
Last season: 2-3
LIVERPOOL v WEST HAM
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Liverpool 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
TOTTENHAM v EVERTON
Sunday, 15:05
Rob: Tottenham 2 Everton 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-0
NEWCASTLE v FULHAM
Sunday, 16:00
Rob: Newcastle 1 Fulham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 2-1
*LEADERBOARD
238 - Dominic (10 points in last round)
226 - Garrin (8)
224 - Herman (7)
213 - Rob (9)
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
MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY
Monday, 21:00
Considering the gulf in points terms – still 15 -- between the first and second-placed Manchester clubs, we are virtually at the point where pride is the main motivator for defending (only just!) champions City to knock over United at Old Trafford in Monday night’s big spectacle. But they do still want to ensure the runners-up slot for favourable Champions League positioning, and will also harbour such blissful memories of last season’s sensational 6-1 outcome in their favour in the corresponding game. City were also in overdue, champagne form in trouncing Newcastle 4-0 last time out. Mind you, revenge for the 2011/12 drubbing will be strong on United minds, and they are also still fighting hard for a record tally of points en route to the Premiership title. Two of us fancy the draw, with Dom and Herman preferring a Red Devils victory.
Rob: Manchester United 2 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-6
THE GRUDGE MATCH
CHELSEA v SUNDERLAND
Sunday, 16:00
There is no special reason to brand this a grudge fixture in overall terms between these clubs, who are rather differently positioned on the table and also a long way apart geographically. But it gets the billing because the air could be intriguingly hostile at Stamford Bridge as controversial new Black Cats boss Paolo Mussolini (er, sorry, di Canio!) steps out in charge for the relegation-threatened visitors first time. What sort of reception will he get from both sets of fans? Some wags might cheekily brand this a bit of a “National Front” convention, what with Chelsea likely to field veteran captain John Terry, no stranger to racism allegations. But back to football ... a full house of our forecasters points only to a Blues victory (they won 3-1 in the north-east earlier in the season), leaving Sunderland still thinking uncomfortably about drop possibilities.
Rob: Chelsea 2 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
QPR v WIGAN
Sunday, 17:10
For the record, I fancy that QPR and Reading, occupying 19th and 20th spots respectively, can well nigh be considered relegated already – both have only a tenuous 23 points and that leaves them a very minimum of seven points adrift in their quest to clear the drop zone with the season fast running out. As much as they need wins in a hurry, they also need clubs on the fringes of the relegation area to keep losing all the time, so the dice is very loaded. Rangers host Wigan – specialists at somehow always staying up! – in a key tussle at the wrong end of the table. Even a draw is not a great deal of help to the Londoners ... but that’s what three of us believe will occur.
Rob: QPR 1 Wigan 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-2
Last season: 3-1
THE OTHERS
READING v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Reading 0 Southampton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
NORWICH v SWANSEA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Norwich 1 Swansea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 3-1
STOKE v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
WEST BROM v ARSENAL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 0 Arsenal 2
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-3
Last season: 2-3
LIVERPOOL v WEST HAM
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Liverpool 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
TOTTENHAM v EVERTON
Sunday, 15:05
Rob: Tottenham 2 Everton 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-0
NEWCASTLE v FULHAM
Sunday, 16:00
Rob: Newcastle 1 Fulham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 2-1
*LEADERBOARD
238 - Dominic (10 points in last round)
226 - Garrin (8)
224 - Herman (7)
213 - Rob (9)
