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Cape Town – Each round of the 2013/14 English Premiership season, a panel of Sport24 staff and occasional guest tipsters have a crack at predicting the results - do the exercise yourself, if you like, and see how you compare afterwards.
Compiled by Rob Houwing (Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool, and the defending champion), Herman Mostert (Chelsea) and newcomer Earl Haupt (another ‘Pool fan).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
LIVERPOOL v CHELSEA
Sunday, 15:05
It just seems so sad that when one (Liverpool) meets two (Chelsea) at such an advanced stage of the season, there are suggestions that Jose Mourinho may field a significantly weakened team because of Champions League semis priorities. Of course there is always the possibility that he is playing a bit of mental silly buggers in the lead-up. Perhaps influenced by uncertainty over the visitors’ line-up, though, all of our panel have ‘Pool winning ... to the relief and no doubt great delight of the Anfield faithful who would then be doing more than just dreaming of the long overdue league silverware. Mind you, it’s doubtful any of us are hugely confident of our pick, as a cagey draw is also a strong possibility given the high stakes involved – keep in mind also that Chelsea won 2-1 in the Stamford Bridge first-round meeting this season.
Rob: Liverpool 2 Chelsea 1
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-2
Last season: 2-2
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ARSENAL v NEWCASTLE
Monday, 21:00
If they can somehow muster the spirit after a lamentable run of losses – they are lethargically clinging on for a top 10 finish – Newcastle will have revenge (unlikely, alas!) on their minds as they visit the Emirates Stadium on Monday night. That is because in the last London meeting between the sides in 2012/13, they were on the wrong end of a peculiar “rugby score” type of outcome. The Gunners won 7-3 then, boosted in no small measure by a Theo Walcott hat-trick. They also boast victory (albeit only 1-0 this time) in the north-east hosted fixture earlier in the latest campaign. Given that they are in a dogfight with Everton for vital fourth spot and a Champions League berth, Arsenal are unlikely to be charitable ... a full house says comfortable home win.
Rob: Arsenal 3 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-0
Last season: 7-3
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SUNDERLAND v CARDIFF
Sunday, 13:00
Absolute lame ducks a couple of weeks back, basement Sunderland suddenly have a genuine survival sniff, following an admirable four-point haul from successive away toughies at Manchester City (draw) and Chelsea (win). The landscape is so greatly different for this one, however: a tense scrap with fellow relegation-zone labourers Cardiff. My theory is that if the Black Cats win this (my favoured result, and widely backed by others) they can believe a fairytale escape is on the cards ... but any other outcome and they will go down! It was 2-2 when they met in Wales earlier in the season; if there’s a winner in this “humdinger for all the wrong reasons”, there’ll probably be no more than a goal in it.
Rob: Sunderland 1 Cardiff 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
SOUTHAMPTON v EVERTON
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Southampton 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 0-1
Earl: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
FULHAM v HULL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 2 Hull 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
STOKE v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 0 Tottenham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
SWANSEA v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 2-2
WEST BROM v WEST HAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
MANCHESTER UNITED v NORWICH
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester United 3 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Last season: 4-0
CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER CITY
Sunday, 17:10
Rob: Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 0-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
279 - Dominic (5 points in last round)
271 - Garrin (7)
258 - Rob (7)
251 - Herman (4)
233 - Earl (5)
Compiled by Rob Houwing (Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool, and the defending champion), Herman Mostert (Chelsea) and newcomer Earl Haupt (another ‘Pool fan).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
LIVERPOOL v CHELSEA
Sunday, 15:05
It just seems so sad that when one (Liverpool) meets two (Chelsea) at such an advanced stage of the season, there are suggestions that Jose Mourinho may field a significantly weakened team because of Champions League semis priorities. Of course there is always the possibility that he is playing a bit of mental silly buggers in the lead-up. Perhaps influenced by uncertainty over the visitors’ line-up, though, all of our panel have ‘Pool winning ... to the relief and no doubt great delight of the Anfield faithful who would then be doing more than just dreaming of the long overdue league silverware. Mind you, it’s doubtful any of us are hugely confident of our pick, as a cagey draw is also a strong possibility given the high stakes involved – keep in mind also that Chelsea won 2-1 in the Stamford Bridge first-round meeting this season.
Rob: Liverpool 2 Chelsea 1
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-2
Last season: 2-2
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ARSENAL v NEWCASTLE
Monday, 21:00
If they can somehow muster the spirit after a lamentable run of losses – they are lethargically clinging on for a top 10 finish – Newcastle will have revenge (unlikely, alas!) on their minds as they visit the Emirates Stadium on Monday night. That is because in the last London meeting between the sides in 2012/13, they were on the wrong end of a peculiar “rugby score” type of outcome. The Gunners won 7-3 then, boosted in no small measure by a Theo Walcott hat-trick. They also boast victory (albeit only 1-0 this time) in the north-east hosted fixture earlier in the latest campaign. Given that they are in a dogfight with Everton for vital fourth spot and a Champions League berth, Arsenal are unlikely to be charitable ... a full house says comfortable home win.
Rob: Arsenal 3 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-0
Last season: 7-3
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SUNDERLAND v CARDIFF
Sunday, 13:00
Absolute lame ducks a couple of weeks back, basement Sunderland suddenly have a genuine survival sniff, following an admirable four-point haul from successive away toughies at Manchester City (draw) and Chelsea (win). The landscape is so greatly different for this one, however: a tense scrap with fellow relegation-zone labourers Cardiff. My theory is that if the Black Cats win this (my favoured result, and widely backed by others) they can believe a fairytale escape is on the cards ... but any other outcome and they will go down! It was 2-2 when they met in Wales earlier in the season; if there’s a winner in this “humdinger for all the wrong reasons”, there’ll probably be no more than a goal in it.
Rob: Sunderland 1 Cardiff 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
SOUTHAMPTON v EVERTON
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Southampton 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 0-1
Earl: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
FULHAM v HULL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 2 Hull 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
STOKE v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 0 Tottenham 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
SWANSEA v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 2-2
WEST BROM v WEST HAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Brom 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
MANCHESTER UNITED v NORWICH
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester United 3 Norwich 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Last season: 4-0
CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER CITY
Sunday, 17:10
Rob: Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 0-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
279 - Dominic (5 points in last round)
271 - Garrin (7)
258 - Rob (7)
251 - Herman (4)
233 - Earl (5)
