Cape Town – It’s been a horrible week and a half for Manchester City, across two major competitions … and there’s a good chance their English Premiership pickings will remain lean this weekend.
So say several of the Sport24 experts, not yet prepared to believe City will go a precious step closer to the league title when they face fourth-placed Tottenham in London on Saturday.
Put it this way: four of the seven don’t see them winning, including one backer for Spurs to grab all three points, which would roughly repeat last season’s 2-0 outcome in the corresponding fixture.
Each round of the 2017/18 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), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Lloyd Burnard, Tashreeq Vardien, Baden Gillion 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:
SOUTHAMPTON v CHELSEA
Saturday, 13:30
Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-0
Lloyd: 0-2
Lynn: 0-2
Craig: 0-3
Baden: 1-3
Last season: 0-2
SWANSEA v EVERTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: 1-0
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Lloyd: 2-2
Lynn: 0-1
Craig: 1-2
Baden: 1-1
Last season: 1-0
CRYSTAL PALACE v BRIGHTON
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Lloyd: 2-0
Lynn: 0-1
Craig: 1-1
Baden: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable
HUDDERSFIELD v WATFORD
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 0-0
Lloyd: 1-1
Lynn: 0-0
Craig: 1-1
Baden: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable
BURNLEY v LEICESTER
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: 0-0
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Lloyd: 1-1
Lynn: 2-1
Craig: 1-2
Baden: 1-2
Last season: 1-0
LIVERPOOL v BOURNEMOUTH
Saturday, 16:00
Rob: 3-0
Garrin: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-0
Lloyd: 3-0
Lynn: 3-1
Craig: 3-0
Baden: 2-0
Last season: 2-2
TOTTENHAM v MANCHESTER CITY
Saturday, 20:45
Rob: 2-2
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Lloyd: 2-1
Lynn: 1-2
Craig: 1-2
Baden: 1-2
Last season: 2-0
NEWCASTLE v ARSENAL
Sunday, 14:30
Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Lloyd: 1-1
Lynn: 1-2
Craig: 1-1
Baden: 1-3
Last season: Not applicable
MANCHESTER UNITED v WEST BROM
Sunday, 17:00
Rob: 3-0
Garrin: 3-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Lloyd: 3-0
Lynn: 3-0
Craig: 3-0
Baden: 2-0
Last season: 0-0
WEST HAM v STOKE
Monday, 21:00
Rob: 1-1
Garrin: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Lloyd: 2-0
Lynn: 1-0
Craig: 2-1
Baden: 1-0
Last season: 1-1
BRIGHTON v TOTTENHAM
Tuesday, 20:45
Rob: 1-2
Garrin: 0-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Lloyd: 1-3
Lynn: 0-2
Craig: 0-2
Baden: 1-2
Last season: Not applicable
BOURNEMOUTH v MANCHESTER UNITED
Wednesday, 20:45
Rob: 0-1
Garrin: 0-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Lloyd: 1-3
Lynn: 0-2
Craig: 0-2
Baden: 1-2
Last season: 1-3
LEICESTER v SOUTHAMPTON
Thursday, 20:45
Rob: 2-1
Garrin: 1-1
Tashreeq: 2-2
Lloyd: 2-1
Lynn: 1-0
Craig: 2-0
Baden: 1-1
Last season: 0-0
BURNLEY v CHELSEA
Thursday, 20:45
Rob: 0-1
Garrin: 0-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Lloyd: 1-2
Lynn: 1-2
Craig: 1-2
Baden: 1-2
Last season: 1-1
*LEADERBOARD:
254 Garrin (7 points in last round)
242 Lloyd (2)
232 Rob (3)
229 Craig (5)
225 Tashreeq (3)
222 Lynn (5)
196 Baden (6)