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
MANCHESTER CITY v ARSENAL
Sunday, 18:00
After dropping two points at Everton last weekend to fall two behind back-on-top Chelsea, expect a strong sense of urgency from the champions when they entertain Arsenal in an inviting Sunday evening slot (SA time). Our man Wade will be an eavesdropper at the game, albeit having to keep his Red Devils affiliations quite firmly under wraps, I imagine. By the way, he fancies a five-goal thriller, not out of keeping with last year’s amazing result in the Etihad Stadium fixture: 6-3 to the hosts in what might have been confused for an exhibition tennis set. The rest of us envisage fewer goals, but City to prevail nevertheless. Mind you, the Arse come off a 3-0 disposal of Stoke ...
Rob: Manchester City 2 Arsenal 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 3-2
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 6-3
THE GRUDGE MATCH
TOTTENHAM v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 17:00
This game gets the billing because in last season’s White Hart Lane meeting, Spurs ran a wee bit riot to thump the Black Cats 5-1. That, believe it or not, was despite Lee Cattermole firing Sunderland into the lead! You’ve got to think Harry Kane and company will prove too much for the north-east outfit again, especially as Sunderland looked so muted in their home loss to Liverpool. Yes, the Londoners also lost last weekend – in a thrilling derby away to Palace – but if they even half replicate their last effort at home (beating Chelsea 5-3) they should have too much for the strugglers.
Rob: Tottenham 2 Sunderland 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 5-1
THE DESPERATE DUEL
QPR v MANCHESTER UNITED
Saturday, 17:00
Not too many weeks ago, new seeds of hope were taking shape at Old Trafford. Oops, false dawn? It’s beginning to look that way for Louis van Gaal’s charges, as they’ve taken only two points from a possible nine of late, including that home 0-1 sickener against Southampton last Sunday. So the heat is on for them to try to bag a full house from this London trip against the side precariously placed in 19th. Rangers also come off a depressing loss last time out (at co-strugglers Burnley) so you get the mutual “desperate” theme, don’t you? Still, our tipsters all predict a United victory.
Rob: QPR 0 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 1-3
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-2
Wade: 1-3
Tashreeq: 0-2
Maano: 0-2
Last season: Not applicable
THE OTHERS
ASTON VILLA v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Aston Villa 0 Liverpool 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 0-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 0-1
BURNLEY v CRYSTAL PALACE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 0-0
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable
LEICESTER v STOKE
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Leicester 0 Stoke 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
SWANSEA v CHELSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: Swansea 0 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 0-1
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 0-1
NEWCASTLE v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 19:30
Rob: Newcastle 1 Southampton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 1-1
WEST HAM v HULL
Sunday, 15:30
Rob: West Ham 1 Hull 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-2
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 2-0
Last season: 2-1
EVERTON v WEST BROM
Monday, 22:00
Rob: Everton 1 West Brom 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 0-0
*LEADERBOARD
170 - Wade (13 points in last round)
163 - Garrin (8)
162 - Herman (11)
145 - Rob (8)
142 - Earl (9)
139 - Tashreeq (11)
120 - Maano (3)