'Expert' UK footy tips

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 (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

EVERTON v CHELSEA
Sunday, 15:30

It’s not every day that Everton find themselves with a prime billing but they undoubtedly deserve this one: the Toffees continue to ride high in fifth and come off successive wins over West Ham and Wigan during the Christmas period to retain momentum nicely. Their “reward”, mind you, is a visit from Chelsea ... arguably best team of all in the last two rounds, considering their respective 8-0 and 1-0 triumphs over Aston Villa (home) and Norwich (away). The Londoners are now back well within sight of currently wobbling, second-placed defending champions Manchester City. Everton took this particular fixture 2-0 last season, with Steven Pienaar getting on the score-sheet, although majority sentiment among our panel favours a tense draw on this occasion. Herman bravely goes against the grain and sees an away-team victory ...  

Rob: Everton 0 Chelsea 0 
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: 2-0

THE GRUDGE MATCH

NORWICH v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 17:00

The Canaries were an admirably resilient side for the most part last season ... except when it came to encounters with eventual champions City. They were blitzed 1-6 at Carrow Road and 1-5 when they made the trek to Manchester, so an embarrassing 11-2 aggregate for the season is enough reason for Norwich to seek some kind of retribution in 2012/13, isn’t it? The big question is whether they can: Roberto Mancini’s men may have been well less than impressive over Christmas (including a 1-0 reverse at Sunderland) but they probably remain firm favourites to win here – and certainly need to! Unsurprisingly, then, a full house of tipsters suggests they will achieve that objective. Just not with a true hatful this time ...

Rob: Norwich 1 Manchester City 2
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 1-3
Herman: 0-1
Last season: 1-6

THE DESPERATE DUEL

ASTON VILLA v WIGAN
Saturday, 17:00

How could Villa not be installed in this slot? It has been an abysmal Christmas for them, with successive thrashings at the hands of Chelsea and then even at home to Tottenham. Goals for? Zero. Goals against? Twelve! The Birmingham club thus find themselves precariously placed in 16th and quite clearly low on confidence. Only consolation is that Wigan qualify just as consummately for “desperate” status: they also surrendered both of their last two games, albeit by narrow margins against both Arsenal and Everton. The Latics are already occupants of the drop zone, in 18th position. Villa took this clash 2-0 last season, with strikes from Messrs Agbonlahor and Bent. I’ve gone for a carbon copy of the score-line, with Dominic also venturing a morale-lifting home win. 

Rob: Aston Villa 2 Wigan 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 2-0

THE OTHERS

SUNDERLAND v TOTTENHAM
Saturday, 14:45

Rob: Sunderland 1 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0

FULHAM v SWANSEA
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Fulham 1 Swansea 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-3   
 
MANCHESTER UNITED v WEST BROM
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Manchester United 3 West Brom 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 2-0

READING v WEST HAM
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Reading 1 West Ham 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable 
 
STOKE v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Stoke 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable

ARSENAL v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 19:30

Rob: Arsenal 3 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1

QPR v LIVERPOOL
Sunday, 18:00

Rob: QPR 1 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 1-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 3-2

WEST BROM v FULHAM
Tuesday, 14:45

Rob: West Brom 2 Fulham 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 0-0

MANCHESTER CITY v STOKE
Tuesday, 17:00

Rob: Manchester City 3 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Last season: 3-0

SWANSEA v ASTON VILLA
Tuesday, 17:00

Rob: Swansea 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 0-0    

TOTTENHAM v READING
Tuesday, 17:00

Rob: Tottenham 3 Reading 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: Not applicable

WEST HAM v NORWICH
Tuesday, 17:00

Rob: West Ham 1 Norwich 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable

WIGAN v MANCHESTER UNITED
Tuesday, 17:00

Rob: Wigan 1 Manchester United 3
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-2
Herman: 0-1
Last season: 1-0

SOUTHAMPTON v ARSENAL
Tuesday, 19:30

Rob: Southampton 0 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 0-1
Herman: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable    

CHELSEA v QPR
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Chelsea 3 QPR 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 3-0
Herman: 3-1
Last season: 6-1

LIVERPOOL v SUNDERLAND
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Liverpool 2 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Last season: 1-1    

NEWCASTLE v EVERTON
Wednesday, 22:00

Rob: Newcastle 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Last season: 2-1

*LEADERBOARD

148 - Garrin (14 points in last round)
146 - Dominic (9)
145 - Herman (9)
139 - Rob (16)