Cape Town - They say the best thing about the English Premiership is that the bottom club can beat the top-placed one on a good day (or night).
But the Sport24 tipsters aren’t buying into that theory for Wednesday’s meeting between beleaguered Sunderland and leaders Chelsea at the Stadium of Light - everyone fancies the Blues to leave the north-east with another three points.
That’s also despite the Black Cats winning the equivalent fixture 3-2 near the end of last season, a result that went a long way to ensuring their survival in the top flight.
Given the volume of football coming up, another double-round of predictions, encompassing the midweek games plus those of the looming weekend, is featured here.
Each round of the 2016/17 Premiership campaign, a group of our staff has 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; he swears the Championship is more competitive), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Lloyd Burnard, Tashreeq Vardien, Maano Nekhavhambe and Lynn Butler (all Man Utd) plus Craig Taylor (Liverpool).
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
OUR FORECASTS:
BOURNEMOUTH v LEICESTER
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 3-2
Maano: 2-1
Craig: 1-1
Lynn: 2-1
Lloyd: 3-1
Last season: 1-1
EVERTON v ARSENAL
Tuesday, 21:45
Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 1-0
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 1-3
Lloyd: 1-3
Last season: 0-2
MIDDLESBROUGH v LIVERPOOL
Wednesday, 21:45
Rob: 0-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 1-2
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 1-3
Lloyd: 1-3
Last season: Not applicable
SUNDERLAND v CHELSEA
Wednesday, 21:45
Rob: 0-1
Garrin: 0-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-3
Craig: 0-3
Lynn: 1-4
Lloyd: 0-2
Last season: 3-2
WEST HAM v BURNLEY
Wednesday, 21:45
Rob: 0-0
Garrin: 2-1
Tashreeq: 3-2
Maano: 1-0
Craig: 2-1
Lynn: 1-1
Lloyd: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER UNITED
Wednesday, 22:00
Rob: 0-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 0-1
Craig: 1-3
Lynn: 1-2
Lloyd: 1-2
Last season: 0-0
MANCHESTER CITY v WATFORD
Wednesday, 22:00
Rob: 2-0
Garrin: 2-0
Tashreeq: 4-2
Maano: 3-1
Craig: 2-1
Lynn: 2-0
Lloyd: 3-0
Last season: 2-0
STOKE v SOUTHAMPTON
Wednesday, 22:00
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 3-3
Maano: 0-1
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 2-1
Lloyd: 2-2
Last season: 1-2
TOTTENHAM v HULL
Wednesday, 22:00
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 2-0
Tashreeq: 4-2
Maano: 4-0
Craig: 3-0
Lynn: 2-1
Lloyd: 3-0
Last season: Not applicable
WEST BROM v SWANSEA
Wednesday, 22:00
Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 2-1
Tashreeq: 3-2
Maano: 1-1
Craig: 1-1
Lynn: 2-0
Lloyd: 2-1
Last season: 1-1
CRYSTAL PALACE v CHELSEA
Saturday, 14:30
Rob: 0-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-1
Craig: 0-3
Lynn: 2-3
Lloyd: 1-3
Last season: 0-3
MIDDLESBROUGH v SWANSEA
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: 1-0
Garrin: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 2-0
Craig: 2-1
Lynn: 1-0
Lloyd: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
STOKE v LEICESTER
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: 1-0
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 1-2
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 1-2
Lloyd: 1-2
Last season: 2-2
SUNDERLAND v WATFORD
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-0
Maano: 1-0
Craig: 2-2
Lynn: 2-1
Lloyd: 1-0
Last season: 0-1
WEST HAM v HULL
Saturday, 17:00
Rob: 2-0
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 3-1
Maano: 0-0
Craig: 2-1
Lynn: 0-0
Lloyd: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable
WEST BROM v MANCHESTER UNITED
Saturday, 19:30
Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-3
Craig: 1-1
Lynn: 0-2
Lloyd: 1-2
Last season: 1-0
BOURNEMOUTH v SOUTHAMPTON
Sunday, 15:30
Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 1-1
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 2-0
Lloyd: 1-0
Last season: 2-0
MANCHESTER CITY v ARSENAL
Sunday, 18:00
Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Maano: 1-1
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 2-2
Lloyd: 2-0
Last season: 2-2
TOTTENHAM v BURNLEY
Sunday, 18:00
Rob: 1-0
Garrin: 2-0
Tashreeq: 3-0
Maano: 1-0
Craig: 3-0
Lynn: 1-0
Lloyd: 3-0
Last season: Not applicable
EVERTON v LIVERPOOL
Monday, 22:00
Rob: 0-0
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 2-2
Craig: 1-2
Lynn: 1-3
Lloyd: 1-2
Last season: 1-1
*LEADERBOARD:
118 - Garrin (11 points over last two rounds)
113 - Tashreeq (14) & Lynn (11)
109 - Maano (12)
106 - Craig (9)
104 - Rob (17)
98 - Lloyd (15)