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Cape Town - Each round of the 2013/14 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), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool, and the defending champion), Herman Mostert (Chelsea) and newcomer Earl Haupt (another ‘Pool fan).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 17:00
Robin van Persie – who else? – got a stoppage time winner in the corresponding fixture last season at the Etihad. It was a five-goal thriller, marked by typical derby tempestuousness. Veteran United defender Rio Ferdinand was nastily struck by a coin from the crowd, and City’s England goalkeeper Joe Hart has appealed for a less incendiary atmosphere this time. (Fat chance, some might mutter.) Neither side has truly roared out of the Premiership blocks yet, but both come off heartening Champions League wins in midweek so the scene is nicely set. The Red Devils may be the champions, but four of us anticipate home advantage as just tilting things the Blues’ way: only Garrin begs to differ in a 0-0 suggestion, clearly believing the goals all came in last season’s clash!
Rob: Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0
Garrin: 0-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 2-3
THE GRUDGE MATCH
CHELSEA v FULHAM
Saturday, 18:30
There’s no really glaring reason for this fixture to fill this category, save for the fact that it is a derby in the more posh, west end of London. But you could argue that Chelsea have a bit of a score to settle because they dropped points to Fulham at Stamford Bridge last season - it ended goalless then. There’s also the matter of their successive defeats in most recent outings, one in the Premiership (to Everton) and then the shock home loss to Basel in the Champions League. They lie fifth at present - which is lower than their ever-ambitious fans would wish for since the much-hyped return of Jose Mourinho. It’s early days, but will we see a situation similar to the one at Newcastle when Kevin Keegan had a notably less than successful follow-up stint after once being seen as a Messiah? Still, all of us fancy a backlash performance of sorts by Chelsea, with a reasonably comfortable triumph ...
Rob: Chelsea 2 Fulham 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-1
Last season: 0-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
WEST BROM v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 16:00
Easiest pick for the category for a while: basement club the Black Cats visiting the 19th-placed West Brom! Sunderland have a flimsy one point from a possible 12 and speculation already mounting that colourful Paolo Di Canio’s managerial tenure may not have much shelf life left in it. Still, the feisty Lee Cattermole is reportedly back in favour with the gaffer after being an outcast for a while, and will try to gee up the visitors here if picked to start. Ominously for the north-east outfit, nobody in our midst can bring themselves to see an away win, though Garrin and Earl envisage a draw ... which might well leave both rooted to their existing, unwanted spots on the table.
Rob: West Brom 2 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 0-0
Last season: 2-1
THE OTHERS
NORWICH v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Norwich 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
LIVERPOOL v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Liverpool 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 1-0
NEWCASTLE v HULL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Newcastle 1 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
WEST HAM v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Ham 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Last season: 1-2
ARSENAL v STOKE
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Arsenal 2 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Earl: 2-0
Last season: 1-0
CRYSTAL PALACE v SWANSEA
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Crystal Palace 1 Swansea 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
CARDIFF v TOTTENHAM
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: Cardiff 0 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
39 - Herman (9 points in last round)
37 - Garrin (14)
32 - Earl (11)
31 - Dominic (7)
29 - Rob (6)
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
Compiled by Rob Houwing (Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Dominic Valentine (Liverpool, and the defending champion), Herman Mostert (Chelsea) and newcomer Earl Haupt (another ‘Pool fan).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
MANCHESTER CITY v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 17:00
Robin van Persie – who else? – got a stoppage time winner in the corresponding fixture last season at the Etihad. It was a five-goal thriller, marked by typical derby tempestuousness. Veteran United defender Rio Ferdinand was nastily struck by a coin from the crowd, and City’s England goalkeeper Joe Hart has appealed for a less incendiary atmosphere this time. (Fat chance, some might mutter.) Neither side has truly roared out of the Premiership blocks yet, but both come off heartening Champions League wins in midweek so the scene is nicely set. The Red Devils may be the champions, but four of us anticipate home advantage as just tilting things the Blues’ way: only Garrin begs to differ in a 0-0 suggestion, clearly believing the goals all came in last season’s clash!
Rob: Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0
Garrin: 0-0
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 2-3
THE GRUDGE MATCH
CHELSEA v FULHAM
Saturday, 18:30
There’s no really glaring reason for this fixture to fill this category, save for the fact that it is a derby in the more posh, west end of London. But you could argue that Chelsea have a bit of a score to settle because they dropped points to Fulham at Stamford Bridge last season - it ended goalless then. There’s also the matter of their successive defeats in most recent outings, one in the Premiership (to Everton) and then the shock home loss to Basel in the Champions League. They lie fifth at present - which is lower than their ever-ambitious fans would wish for since the much-hyped return of Jose Mourinho. It’s early days, but will we see a situation similar to the one at Newcastle when Kevin Keegan had a notably less than successful follow-up stint after once being seen as a Messiah? Still, all of us fancy a backlash performance of sorts by Chelsea, with a reasonably comfortable triumph ...
Rob: Chelsea 2 Fulham 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-1
Last season: 0-0
THE DESPERATE DUEL
WEST BROM v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 16:00
Easiest pick for the category for a while: basement club the Black Cats visiting the 19th-placed West Brom! Sunderland have a flimsy one point from a possible 12 and speculation already mounting that colourful Paolo Di Canio’s managerial tenure may not have much shelf life left in it. Still, the feisty Lee Cattermole is reportedly back in favour with the gaffer after being an outcast for a while, and will try to gee up the visitors here if picked to start. Ominously for the north-east outfit, nobody in our midst can bring themselves to see an away win, though Garrin and Earl envisage a draw ... which might well leave both rooted to their existing, unwanted spots on the table.
Rob: West Brom 2 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 0-0
Last season: 2-1
THE OTHERS
NORWICH v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 13:45
Rob: Norwich 1 Aston Villa 0
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: 1-2
LIVERPOOL v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Liverpool 1 Southampton 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 1-0
NEWCASTLE v HULL
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: Newcastle 1 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
WEST HAM v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: West Ham 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Last season: 1-2
ARSENAL v STOKE
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Arsenal 2 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Earl: 2-0
Last season: 1-0
CRYSTAL PALACE v SWANSEA
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: Crystal Palace 1 Swansea 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
CARDIFF v TOTTENHAM
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: Cardiff 0 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 0-2
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable
*LEADERBOARD
39 - Herman (9 points in last round)
37 - Garrin (14)
32 - Earl (11)
31 - Dominic (7)
29 - Rob (6)
*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
