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'Expert' UK soccer tips

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

TOTTENHAM v ARSENAL
Saturday, 14:45

The scene is wonderfully set for the London derby – rich entertainment in the UK at lunchtime on Saturday and a couple of hours later here. Not only are the arch-rivals each bidding fiercely to climb into the all-important top four (Arsenal lie fifth, Spurs sixth at present), but they enter the clash in fine current fettle. The Gunners come off three league wins on the trot, including a 5-0 trouncing of Aston Villa last time out, whilst host Tottenham boast successive wins, including stuffing West Brom 3-0 away last weekend. So which way does this one go? I’m afraid you get all offers from our punters, given that yours truly takes a lone-ranger approach (yes, one of those infamous gut feels) by predicting a narrow Spurs triumph! Everyone else has it either as a stalemate or victory for the Arse...  

Rob: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 0  
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 2-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 0-1                             

THE GRUDGE MATCH

EVERTON v LIVERPOOL
Saturday, 19:30

If the all-London affair a few hours earlier has a mutually upbeat feel to it, the latest bitter Merseyside derby comes at a time of relative despondency further north. Neither of the protagonists is setting the world alight this season, with modest mid-table sort of positions and little hint of consistency in the win column. Mind you, maybe that’s just beginning to change at last for ‘Pool? They’ve just had three triumphs on the trot (from most recent: West Ham, Aston Villa and Sunderland) so may fancy stealing all three points from the unusually labouring Toffees. That’s the way two of our panel go, though I’m with the five-strong lobby suggesting an uncompromising, hard-earned Goodison draw.

Rob: Everton 0 Liverpool 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-2
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 3-3                              

THE DESPERATE DUEL

MANCHESTER CITY v HULL
Saturday, 17:00

The visitors for this fixture are starting to look every bit relegation material... and indeed they are among the bottom three. Hull have lost all of their last three games, and haven’t scored a goal in that period. So what price an upset against the champions in their own den? You don’t get any wacky score-line suggestions from our tipsters; all of us see the Blues winning at a canter. They have to, of course: we’re getting to that point where further unexpected slip-ups by them will only increase the likelihood that Chelsea, five points clear, are on course for the title. City did thump Hull 4-2 away earlier in the season, and I fancy that two-goal margin of victory once more. 

Rob: Manchester City 2 Hull 0
Garrin: 3-0
Herman: 3-1
Earl: 3-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 3-0
Maano: 3-1
Last season: 2-0                     

THE OTHERS

ASTON VILLA v CHELSEA
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 0-3
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-2
Wade: 0-2
Tashreeq: 0-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 1-0                      

LEICESTER v CRYSTAL PALACE
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Leicester 1 Crystal Palace 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable              

QPR v SOUTHAMPTON
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: QPR 1 Southampton 2
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable                    

SWANSEA v SUNDERLAND
Saturday, 17:00

Rob: Swansea 2 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 4-0               

BURNLEY v WEST BROM
Sunday, 14:00

Rob: Burnley 1 West Brom 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman:  1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable                      

NEWCASTLE v STOKE
Sunday, 16:05

Rob: Newcastle 1 Stoke 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 5-1  

WEST HAM v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, 18:15

Rob: West Ham 1 Manchester United 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 2-3
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-2
Last season: 0-2              

ARSENAL v LEICESTER
Tuesday, 21:45

Rob: Arsenal 2 Leicester 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 3-1
Earl: 3-0
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 2-0
Maano: 3-1
Last season: Not applicable                    

HULL v ASTON VILLA
Tuesday, 21:45

Rob: Hull 1 Aston Villa 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 0-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-0             

SUNDERLAND v QPR
Tuesday, 21:45

Rob: Sunderland 1 QPR 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable                   

LIVERPOOL v TOTTENHAM
Tuesday, 22:00

Rob: Liverpool 1 Tottenham 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 4-0             

CHELSEA v EVERTON
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 3-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 2-1
last season: 1-0                     

MANCHESTER UNITED v BURNLEY
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Manchester United 3 Burnley 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 3-0
Earl: 3-1
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 2-0
Maano: 3-0
Last season: Not applicable

SOUTHAMPTON v WEST HAM
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Southampton 2 West Ham 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-0            

STOKE v MANCHESTER CITY
Wednesday, 21:45

Rob: Stoke 0 Manchester City 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 0-0                    

CRYSTAL PALACE v NEWCASTLE
Wednesday, 22:00

Rob: Crystal Palace 0 Newcastle 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-3

WEST BROM v SWANSEA
Wednesday, 22:00

Rob: West Brom 2 Swansea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 0-2            

*LEADERBOARD

183 - Wade (8 points in last round)
175 - Garrin (5)
172 - Herman (5)
159 - Rob (7) & Tashreeq (8)
155 - Earl (5)
139 - Maano (8)

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