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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 (eternally 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
ARSENAL v CHELSEA
Saturday, 13:45
Both teams enter this derby in pretty fine fettle ... and not just because they hammered in six goals each with under-strength lineups in midweek League Cup ties against Coventry and Wolves respectively! They are riding high in Premiership terms as well, with the visiting Blues atop the table and the Gunners lurking in fifth. Considering that the game is at the Emirates, it probably comes as little surprise to learn that all of our educated but often cagey panel fancy a share of the spoils, and you may not find too many London bookies disagreeing. The prospect of a point apiece is only enhanced by a glance at the corresponding game last season – towards the end of the campaign, a forgettable contest was shared 0-0, although now-departed Robin van Persie smacked a post for Arsenal against the under-strength opponents who were in the thick of Champions League semi-final activity against Barcelona.
Rob: Arsenal 1 Chelsea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-2
Last season: 0-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ASTON VILLA v WEST BROM
Sunday, 17:00
This Midlands derby can be one of the more under-rated ones around ... certainly it lacks nothing in crackling animosity between the fans and not-for-the-faint-hearted challenges on the pitch itself. No wonder it’s the lone Sunday fixture! Villa remain a rather labouring outfit these days, as evidenced by their current placing of 14th and the indignity of crashing 4-1 last week at previously-pointless Southampton. The Baggies, on the other hand, have been punching promisingly above their weight in early season and lie fourth (not that too many neutrals will be tipping them for a Champions League challenge). They enter this spicy game on the back of a home League Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool, but buoyed by a Premiership win last weekend against Reading. Last season’s Villa Park meeting saw WBA snatch a 2-1 win, with Paul Scharner (now Hamburg) netting the decider, but there’s a deafening 1-1 chorus from our tipsters ...
Rob: Aston Villa 1 West Brom 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
THE DESPERATE DUEL
NORWICH v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 16:00
Of course we keep seeing on Twitter that ongoing joke about Liverpool not quite being a samoosa yet because they only possess two points. Yes, that’s their sad state of affairs after five matches (it has them glued to a “relegation” spot in 18th), and not helped by the emotion-charged home reverse to arch-rivals Manchester United last weekend. Some relief from the gloom is that fact that the Reds produced one of their better away performances last season in trouncing the Canaries 3-0, thanks in no small measure to a Luis Suarez hat-trick. With Norwich not exactly going great guns themselves at present (just one slot higher in 17th!), a full house of our assessors fancies a repeat ‘Pool win, though perhaps not with as much daylight to spare this time.
Rob: Norwich 0 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-3
THE OTHERS
EVERTON v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Everton 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 3-0
Herman: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable
FULHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 0 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 0-1
Last season: 2-2
READING v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Reading 0 Newcastle 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
STOKE v SWANSEA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 2 Swansea 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-0
SUNDERLAND v WIGAN
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Sunderland 1 Wigan 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
MANCHESTER UNITED v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester United 2 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 3-0
QPR v WEST HAM
Monday, 21:00
Rob: QPR 2 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
37 - Dominic (9 points in last round)
35 - Garrin (7)
31 - Herman (6)
26 - Rob (5)
Compiled by Rob Houwing (eternally 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
ARSENAL v CHELSEA
Saturday, 13:45
Both teams enter this derby in pretty fine fettle ... and not just because they hammered in six goals each with under-strength lineups in midweek League Cup ties against Coventry and Wolves respectively! They are riding high in Premiership terms as well, with the visiting Blues atop the table and the Gunners lurking in fifth. Considering that the game is at the Emirates, it probably comes as little surprise to learn that all of our educated but often cagey panel fancy a share of the spoils, and you may not find too many London bookies disagreeing. The prospect of a point apiece is only enhanced by a glance at the corresponding game last season – towards the end of the campaign, a forgettable contest was shared 0-0, although now-departed Robin van Persie smacked a post for Arsenal against the under-strength opponents who were in the thick of Champions League semi-final activity against Barcelona.
Rob: Arsenal 1 Chelsea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-2
Last season: 0-0
THE GRUDGE MATCH
ASTON VILLA v WEST BROM
Sunday, 17:00
This Midlands derby can be one of the more under-rated ones around ... certainly it lacks nothing in crackling animosity between the fans and not-for-the-faint-hearted challenges on the pitch itself. No wonder it’s the lone Sunday fixture! Villa remain a rather labouring outfit these days, as evidenced by their current placing of 14th and the indignity of crashing 4-1 last week at previously-pointless Southampton. The Baggies, on the other hand, have been punching promisingly above their weight in early season and lie fourth (not that too many neutrals will be tipping them for a Champions League challenge). They enter this spicy game on the back of a home League Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool, but buoyed by a Premiership win last weekend against Reading. Last season’s Villa Park meeting saw WBA snatch a 2-1 win, with Paul Scharner (now Hamburg) netting the decider, but there’s a deafening 1-1 chorus from our tipsters ...
Rob: Aston Villa 1 West Brom 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
THE DESPERATE DUEL
NORWICH v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 16:00
Of course we keep seeing on Twitter that ongoing joke about Liverpool not quite being a samoosa yet because they only possess two points. Yes, that’s their sad state of affairs after five matches (it has them glued to a “relegation” spot in 18th), and not helped by the emotion-charged home reverse to arch-rivals Manchester United last weekend. Some relief from the gloom is that fact that the Reds produced one of their better away performances last season in trouncing the Canaries 3-0, thanks in no small measure to a Luis Suarez hat-trick. With Norwich not exactly going great guns themselves at present (just one slot higher in 17th!), a full house of our assessors fancies a repeat ‘Pool win, though perhaps not with as much daylight to spare this time.
Rob: Norwich 0 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 0-3
THE OTHERS
EVERTON v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Everton 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 3-0
Herman: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable
FULHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Fulham 0 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 0-1
Last season: 2-2
READING v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Reading 0 Newcastle 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
STOKE v SWANSEA
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Stoke 2 Swansea 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Last season: 2-0
SUNDERLAND v WIGAN
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Sunderland 1 Wigan 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 1-2
MANCHESTER UNITED v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 18:30
Rob: Manchester United 2 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 3-0
QPR v WEST HAM
Monday, 21:00
Rob: QPR 2 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
37 - Dominic (9 points in last round)
35 - Garrin (7)
31 - Herman (6)
26 - Rob (5)
