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'Expert' UK footy tips

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 EVERTON
Saturday, 13:45


What a peculiar few days for City fans: no doubt grinning from ear to ear after their 4-1 demolition of arch-rivals and defending Premiership champions United, consternation has taken over in a hurry after successive reverses at Aston Villa in the league (3-2) and then in the Champions League to Bayern Munich who badly outwitted them at the Etihad Stadium a few days on. Will this be a hangover game or will City be a revitalised, smarting force? Most of us fancy it to be somewhere in between, with the emerging Toffees (3-2 winners at home to Newcastle last time out and currently riding higher on the table in fourth) very unlikely to play rollover but perhaps still likely to succumb to narrow defeat – only Earl brings himself to envisage a share of the spoils. 

Rob: Manchester City 1 Everton 0 
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-2
Last season: 1-1   

THE GRUDGE MATCH

TOTTENHAM v WEST HAM
Sunday, 17:00


When in doubt over choice of a particularly feisty affair, you can usually count on a good old London derby to crop up. This week is no exception, as late Sunday afternoon sees third-placed Spurs entertain West Ham – a clash of two tradition-steeped English teams desperately seeking fresh glory in the modern era. But it is the hosts who seem much better-equipped for that task; Hammers come off successive Premiership reverses (to Hull most recently and before that Everton) and are languishing in the bottom half. Especially given that Spurs comfortably won the corresponding fixture 3-1 last season, a full house of panellists suggests a pretty straightforward victory once more. Perhaps Hammers’ best hope is that Tottenham have some semblance of fatigue after their Thursday exertions in the Europa League? 

Rob: Tottenham 2 West Ham 0
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-0
Last season: 3-1   

THE DESPERATE DUEL

SUNDERLAND v MANCHESTER UNITED
Saturday, 18:30


More customarily if the Red Devils land up in this category, it is because their opponents are the lame ducks! But there’s a cruel case for suggesting here that both teams have strong elements of desperation at present. The Black Cats are rock bottom of the table with a flimsy one point from 18, but the bigger talking point, perhaps, is United’s 12th-placed status. There’s early heat on the David Moyes regime, and the Old Trafford faithful will seek nothing less than atonement up in the north-east for the shock home loss to West Brom last weekend. Everyone here sees that happening, even with the knowledge that it took a Titus Bramble (who else?) own-goal to separate the sides at the Stadium of Light in 2012/13.

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

THE OTHERS:

CARDIFF v NEWCASTLE
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Cardiff 1 Newcastle 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable 

FULHAM v STOKE
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Fulham 1 Stoke 1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 1-0
Earl: 1-0
Last season: 1-0

HULL v ASTON VILLA
Saturday, 16:00


Rob: Hull 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable 

LIVERPOOL v CRYSTAL PALACE
Saturday, 16:00

Rob: Liverpool 3 Crystal Palace 1 
Garrin: 2-0
Dominic: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-0
Last season: Not applicable 

NORWICH v CHELSEA
Sunday, 14:30


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

SOUTHAMPTON v SWANSEA
Sunday, 14:30


Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 2-1
Dominic: 1-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Last season: 1-1

WEST BROM v ARSENAL
Sunday, 17:00


Rob: West Brom 0 Arsenal 2
Garrin: 1-1
Dominic: 1-2
Herman: 1-3
Earl: 1-2
Last season: 1-2

*LEADERBOARD


54 - Herman (6 points in last round)
51 - Garrin (9)
47 - Dominic (9)
45 - Rob (6)
40 - Earl (4)

*Follow our chief writer on Twitter: @RobHouwing
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