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
CHELSEA v TOTTENHAM
Wednesday, 21:45
The Blues romped to a 4-0 victory in the equivalent fixture last season, via a second-half blitz after scoreless first half (Demba Ba grabbed a brace). Recent fortunes suggest clear log-leaders Chelsea should bag all three points in the London derby – a prestigious one, if mostly just on paper these days – again. The only thing our panellists concede is that Spurs, coming off the tonic of a late away win at Hull, shouldn’t roll over by such a wide margin this time.
Rob: Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 4-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
SUNDERLAND v MANCHESTER CITY
Wednesday, 21:45
City may have been crowned champions last season, but the limited Black Cats proved something of a bogey club to them: they won the corresponding clash through a lone,decisive Phil Bardsley strike and the same scoreline applied a season earlier at the Stadium of Light. Even the 2013/14 meeting in Manchester saw a 2-2 outcome. No wonder, then, that City should be suitably fired up to not only turn the tables here, but also reawaken their tottering challenge to leaders Chelsea – they’re eight points adrift. Maano fancies Sunderland to get something out of this one; otherwise our pundits cry “away win” en masse.
Rob: Sunderland 0 Manchester City 1
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
QPR v LEICESTER
Saturday, 17:00
This was a fairly obvious choice, given that hosts Rangers lie bottom of the table and the Foxes only two slots superior. Neither is in champagne form, as you might expect, but one thing about the labouring Londoners is that when they lose, it tends to be by a small margin ... the case once more as they went down 1-0 at in-form Newcastle last time out. Leicester ground out a dour home point against Sunderland last weekend, and I join two others in tipping another stalemate in this encounter.
Rob: QPR 1 Leicester 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
WEST BROM v ARSENAL
Saturday, 14:45
Rob: West Brom 1 Arsenal 2
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 1-1
BURNLEY v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Burnley 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 0-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
LIVERPOOL v STOKE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Liverpool 2 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 1-0
MANCHESTER UNITED v HULL
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Manchester United 2 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-0
Last season: 3-1
SWANSEA v CRYSTAL PALACE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Swansea 2 Crystal Palace 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-1
WEST HAM v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: West Ham 1 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 1-3
SUNDERLAND v CHELSEA
Saturday, 19:30
Rob: Sunderland 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-3
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 3-4
SOUTHAMPTON v MANCHESTER CITY
Sunday, 15:30
Rob: Southampton 1 Manchester City 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 1-1
TOTTENHAM v EVERTON
Sunday, 18:00
Rob: Tottenham 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 1-0
BURNLEY v NEWCASTLE
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: Burnley 0 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 0-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
LEICESTER v LIVERPOOL
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: Leicester 1 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 0-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
MANCHESTER UNITED v STOKE
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: Manchester United 2 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 3-2
SWANSEA v QPR
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: Swansea 3 QPR 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
CRYSTAL PALACE v ASTON VILLA
Tuesday, 22:00
Rob: Crystal Palace 2 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-0
WEST BROM v WEST HAM
Tuesday, 22:00
Rob: West Brom 2 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 1-0
ARSENAL v SOUTHAMPTON
Wednesday, 21:45
Rob: Arsenal 2 Southampton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 0-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 2-0
EVERTON v HULL
Wednesday, 21:45
Rob: Everton 2 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 2-1
LEADERBOARD:
95 - Garrin (9 points in last round)
92 - Wade (15)
89 - Herman (12)
83 - Rob (6)
81 - Tashreeq (11)
71 - Earl (5)
64 - Maano (8)