Cape Town – Each round of the 2014/15 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), Herman Mostert (Chelsea), Earl Haupt (Liverpool) and a pesky new trio of Manchester United devotees in Tashreeq Vardien, Wade Pretorius and Maano Nekhavhambe.
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
MANCHESTER CITY v LIVERPOOL
Monday, 21:00
So ... last season’s runners-up Liverpool have off-loaded an almond and have reportedly agreed terms with a cashew (or read: they’ve swapped one nutter for another as Luis Suarez’s spot looks like being filled by the equally combustible Mario Balotelli!). Whatever happens, the expected new signing won’t yet be eligible for Monday’s big treat as ‘Pool visit champions City, although that won’t take too much of the shine off a potential classic on paper. The hosts were more impressive in beating Newcastle away (you have to be to do that, eh?) than the Reds were in edging Southampton at home in the first round of fixtures, and partly on that basis, no doubt, our panel’s sentiment leans toward a blue moon rising over this night-time affair. City did win the equivalent game last game, too.
Rob: Manchester City 2 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-2
Wade: 3-1
Tashreeq: 3-2
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 2-1
THE GRUDGE MATCH
EVERTON v ARSENAL
Saturday, 18:30
This gets grudge billing based on last season’s 3-0 thumping of the Gunners by the Toffees ... all of Messrs Naismith, Arteta and Lukaku got on the score-sheet. So Arsene Wenger’s charges, who at least have got off to a winning Premiership start in 2014/15, will be pretty determined to right that “wrong” at Goodison Park. But it won’t be the easiest of undertakings, especially given that the Londoners are in the midst of important Champions League qualification distractions and may be still a little footsore from their (goalless against Besiktas) midweek Turkish travels. The slightly predictable majority forecast on this one, then, is a tight 1-1 outcome ...
Rob: Everton 1 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 2-2
Last season: 3-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
SUNDERLAND v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 17:00
Oh dear ... times already have to be considered relatively “desperate” at the Manchester United juggernaut, don’t they? That pallid home loss to Swansea in Louis van Gaal’s first league game in charge has alarm bells ringing anew, and suggestions from Red Devils legends of more glorious times past that this is indeed the weakest United bunch for a good while. I wonder how sentiment like that has gone down in the dressing room? It’s on that basis that I, just for one, believe the visitors will come out smokin’ for this one and comfortably see off the Sunderland challenge even though it is across country at the Stadium of Light. United did win there last season ... though they were also shocked 1-0 by these foes at Old Trafford in the midst of the turbulent David Moyes chapter.
Rob: Sunderland 0 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 1-2
THE OTHERS
ASTON VILLA v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Aston Villa 1 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
CHELSEA v LEICESTER
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Chelsea 2 Leicester 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 3-0
Maano: 3-0
Last season: Not applicable
CRYSTAL PALACE v WEST HAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Crystal Palace 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 0-0
Wade: 1-0
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 1-0
SOUTHAMPTON v WEST BROM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Southampton 2 West Brom 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-0
SWANSEA v BURNLEY
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Swansea 2 Burnley 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 3-2
Maano: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
HULL v STOKE
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Hull 0 Stoke 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-0
TOTTENHAM v QPR
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Tottenham 1 QPR 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
12 - Rob
7 - Maano, Herman & Earl
6 - Garrin & Wade
5 - Tashreeq