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 TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 13:45
If you based predictions for this clash around the results last season, you should come up with your tip pretty quickly: City won the corresponding home game 6-0 (Navas 2, Aguero 2) and also thumped Spurs 5-1 at White Hart Lane! Hardly surprisingly, then, a full house of panellists suggests the defending champions will claim this encounter... though nobody believes there’ll be another true thrashing. Although lying second, the Mancunian Blues are already five points shy of leaders Chelsea, so can’t really afford to slip up. Tottenham have stabilised a bit of late – they lie joint-fourth with two others --- but deep down must believe a point would be a fine outcome on this formidable trip.
Rob: Manchester City 3 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-0
Last season: 6-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
CRYSTAL PALACE v CHELSEA
Saturday, 16:00
Easy choice for this slot: not only do we have a London derby, but Chelsea will be so mindful of the heartbreak they suffered at Selhurst Park in the equivalent game last season. They were contending for the title at the time, but got caught damagingly cold by a Palace side beginning to mount their terrific, major onslaught for survival (John Terry’s own-goal made the critical difference on the day). Jose Mourinho will surely believe lightning isn’t going to strike twice, so you have to suspect the comfortable log-leaders will do the business in a revenge mission. Four of our pundits believe it will be by more than one goal, too.
Rob: Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 1
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-2
Wade: 0-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-2
Last season: 1-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
QPR v LIVERPOOL
Sunday, 14:30
OK, so Liverpool aren’t exactly down among the dead men... but they’re also a gaping nine points off the top, which is less than ideal considering how close they came to winning the title last season. So there’ll be urgency about them when they visit London on Sunday. Rangers will be pretty desperate as well, mind you, as they presently lie bottom of the table – admittedly only on goal difference from two others on a miserly four points. They’ve lost two in a row, so confidence won’t be sky-high. Against that backdrop, six of us fancy an away win, though Tashreeq daringly goes against the grain to suggest a 2-2 share of the spoils.
Rob: QPR 0 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 0-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
ARSENAL v HULL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Arsenal 2 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 3-0
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 2-0
BURNLEY v WEST HAM
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Burnley 1 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
EVERTON v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Everton 2 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 2-1
NEWCASTLE v LEICESTER
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Newcastle 2 Leicester 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
SOUTHAMPTON v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Southampton 2 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 1-1
STOKE v SWANSEA
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: Stoke 1 Swansea 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 1-1
WEST BROM v MANCHESTER UNITED
Monday, 21:00
Rob: West Brom 0 Manchester United 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-3
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 0-3
*LEADERBOARD
57 - Garrin (14 points in last round)
53 - Rob (12)
49 - Herman (10)
45 - Wade (12)
40 - Maano (9)
39 - Earl (8)
35 - Tashreeq (7)