Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 25

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t do well last week with no perfect predictions, four correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes which saw me drop to second place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1	Cole	43	76.5	84	17	220.5
2 1	JamrockRover	38	100.5	60	17	215.5
3 -	Gooners	46	78	69	17	210.0
4 1	SammyW	39	87	63	15	204.0
5 1	nzbuddy	36	76.5	78	13	203.5

I had a good week with my fantasy team as my decision to use my triple captain chip on Mohamed Salah paid dividends. He was assisted by Ibrahima Konate, Cole Palmer, Matheus Cunha and Cody Gakpo as my team moved up in the overall rankings for the eighth time in the last nine weeks. The only downside for me was my decision to sell Chris Wood which backfired badly for me.

Salah is my nailed on captain this week with Liverpool playing twice again. Other options could be Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers with Villa playing twice too, but Salah is just too good to ignore. Bringing in Liverpool and Villa players is also a good option and using the assistant manager chip on Arnie Slot or Unai Emery is worth considering too.

Friday February 14

Brighton And Hove Albion v Chelsea 

8pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton were thrashed 7-0 away to Forest last week, but they still managed to hold on to their place in the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last five home games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games on their own ground. They have only won twice in their last 12 games, but they drew six of them and no other team has drawn more games.

Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro are the Brighton players who can do well for fantasy managers.

Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at home to West Ham last week and that win was enough to move them back into the top four. They haven’t won in their last four away games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals on the road. They have won two of their last three games after failing to win the previous five with only three other teams scoring more goals.

Cole Palmer seems to be the only Chelsea player to be doing anything for fantasy managers at the moment.

This is a rerun of the FA Cup clash between these teams last week which Brighton won, but I think the points will be shared in this game.

Prediction: 1-1

Saturday February 15

Leicester City v Arsenal 

12.30pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester lost 4-0 away to Everton last week and that defeat saw them drop back into the relegation zone. They have lost their last four home games and they failed to score in each of those games while conceding nine goals. They have lost eight of their last nine games with only Southampton losing more games and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players worth recommending to fantasy managers at the moment.

Arsenal won 5-1 at home to City last week to leave them six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table and they have played an extra game also. They are unbeaten in their last seven away games with only Palace conceding less goals on their travels. They are unbeaten in 14 games with only Liverpool scoring more goals.

Ethan Nwaneri is the Arsenal player who could do well for fantasy managers over the next few weeks and he’s available at a very good price too.

I think Arsenal should win this game with at least a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 1-3

Aston Villa v Ipswich Town 

3pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa lost 2-0 away to Wolves last week and they’re now six points off the top four. They’re unbeaten in their last 11 home games, but they drew five of them with only Brighton drawing more games on their own ground. They have only taken two points from their last three games and they have some tough games coming up after this one, but they play twice this week.

With two games this week Ollie Watkins (if he’s fit to play) and Morgan Rogers are both looking like very good choices for fantasy managers.

Ipswich lost 2-1 at home to Southampton last week and they’re now three points adrift of safety. They have taken seven points from their last six away games and they have actually taken more points and scored more goals on the road than they have at home. They have lost their last four games and they conceded 14 goals in those games with only Southampton scoring less goals.

I can’t see any Ipswich players who might make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Villa will get back on track with a fairly comfortable victory in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Fulham v Nottingham Forest 

3pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham came from behind to win 2-1 away to Newcastle last week to move within seven points of the top four. They haven’t won in their last five home games, but they drew four of them with only Brighton drawing more games on their own patch. They have only lost two of their last 12 games, but they drew six of them with only Brighton drawing more games.

Antonee Robinson is the most consistent of the Fulham players for fantasy managers.

Forest recovered from their 5-0 defeat to Bournemouth in the best possible way last week with a 7-0 win at home to Brighton and that victory kept them in third place. They lost their last away game after winning the previous four with only Liverpool taking more points on their travels. They have taken 25 points from their last 10 games, but they have three very tough games in a row after this one.

Chris Wood has been in fantastic form for fantasy managers with Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and all of the Forest defenders and keeper good options too.

I think this looks like being a very close game with a draw the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Manchester City v Newcastle United 

3pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City lost 5-1 away to Arsenal last week and that defeat saw them drop out of the top four. They have taken 10 points and scored 12 goals in their last five home games with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They had taken 14 points and scored 18 goals in their previous six games before losing to Arsenal, but only two other teams in the top half of the table have conceded more goals.

Erling Haaland and Phil Foden still look like good options for fantasy managers despite City’s troubles.

Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to Fulham last week and that defeat cost them a place in the top four. They have won their last four away games and they scored 11 goals in those games, but their next two games on the road are against City and Liverpool starting with this one. They have lost two of their last three games after winning the previous six and their next three opponents are all above them in the table.

Alexander Isak remains the best of the Newcastle players for fantasy managers with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy worth considering too.

This is a difficult game to predict, but the chances are the points will be shared.

Prediction: 2-2

Southampton v Bournemouth 

3pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton 

Southampton won 2-1 away to Ipswich last week, but they’re still seven points adrift at the foot of the table. They have lost nine of their 11 home games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals on their own patch. The win against Ipswich was their first win in 14 games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players who might make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

Bournemouth lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool last week, but they’re still only three points off the top four. They have taken 14 points from their last six away games and they scored 17 goals in those games with only two other teams scoring more goals on their travels. They were unbeaten in 11 games before losing to Liverpool and only two of their next 10 games are against teams in the top half of the table.

Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez are all looking like very good options for fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive Bournemouth victory in this game.

Prediction: 0-3

West Ham United v Brentford 

3pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham lost 2-1 away to Chelsea last week and that defeat saw them drop to 16th place. They have only won two of their last six home games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with only Southampton conceding more goals on their own ground. They have lost four of their last six games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with only the four teams below them conceding more goals.

Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player who can do well for fantasy managers.

Brentford lost 2-0 at home to Spurs last week to remain three points off the top half of the table. They have taken seven points from their last three away games after only taking one point from the previous eight, but only three other teams have scored less goals on their travels. They have only won twice in their last nine games, but they have a very good run of fixtures coming up.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa can both do very well for fantasy managers over the next few weeks.

I think this will be a close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end all square.

Prediction: 1-1

Crystal Palace v Everton

5.30pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace won 2-0 away to United last week and they’re now only four points off the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last seven home games with only the bottom two scoring less goals on their own ground. They have only lost twice in their last 13 games and they have a very good run of games coming up.

Jean-Philippe Mateta is in very good form for fantasy managers at the moment with the Palace defenders and keeper looking good too.

Everton won 4-0 at home to Leicester and drew 2-2 at home to Liverpool last week and those four points moved them up to 15th place. They won their last away game after failing to win the previous six with no other team scoring less goals on their travels. They have taken 10 points and scored 10 goals in their last four games and each of their next five opponents are in the bottom half of the table.

The Everton defenders and keeper are doing well for fantasy managers at the moment with Beto worth considering too as he’s playing well and he’s their only available striker.

I think this is a game which could go either way which probably means it will be a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Sunday February 16

Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

2pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool won 2-0 away to Bournemouth and drew 2-2 away to Everton last week to go seven points clear at the top of the table. They are unbeaten in nine home games with only Arsenal taking more points on their own ground and no other team conceding less goals at home. They’re unbeaten in 20 games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have again this week for fantasy managers with Liverpool playing twice while Cody Gakpo plus their defenders and keeper are very good choices too.

Wolves won 2-0 at home to Villa last week and that win was enough to move them out of the relegation zone. They have only taken one point from their last three away games and they conceded eight goals in those games. They had lost four games in a row before beating Villa and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only Southampton and Leicester conceding more goals.

Matheus Cunha is the Wolves player who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Liverpool win in this game.

Prediction: 4-0

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United 

4.30pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs won 2-0 away to Brentford last week and that win moved them up to 14th place. They have only taken two points from their last seven home games and they conceded 19 goals in those games, but only Brentford have scored more goals on their own patch. They won their last game after only taking one point from the previous seven with only the top two scoring more goals.

Son Heung-Min, Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro are the only fit Spurs players who should be of interest to fantasy managers at the moment.

United lost 2-0 at home to Palace last week and they’re only two points and one place ahead of Spurs going into this game. They have taken seven points from their last four away games, but only two other teams have scored less goals on their travels. They have lost seven of their last 11 games and they only scored 12 goals in those games with only four other teams scoring less goals.

Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo could do for well for fantasy managers over the next few weeks as their next three games are against teams below them in the table.

I think this will be another close game with Spurs getting a much needed victory on their own ground.

Prediction: 2-1

Wednesday February 19

Aston Villa v Liverpool 

7.30pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa play their second home game of the week and they have the opportunity to close in on the top four if they can get something from both games. Their home form has been impressive since losing their opening home game against Arsenal, but this will be a huge test for them. Their aim is to match their top four finish of last season and they need something from this game to keep pace with the teams above them.

As I mentioned above Watkins and Rogers could do well for fantasy managers this week, but they’re more likely to do so against Ipswich than Liverpool.

Liverpool play their second game of the week and they have the opportunity to increase their lead at the top of the table if they can take the maximum points from these games. They’re the only team still unbeaten away from home with no other team scoring more goals on the road. They could put the title chances of the teams chasing them to bed with two wins this week and this will be by far the hardest of their two games.

As I mentioned already Liverpool players are very good options for fantasy managers this week with Salah by far the best of them.

I think this is a game which could go either way, but Liverpool will probably take the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 24

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t have a good week last week with one perfect prediction, two correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes, but it was still enough to keep me on top of my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	JamrockRover	36	97.5	60	17	210.5
2 -	Cole	40	76.5	78	16	210.5
3 -	Gooners	44	75	66	16	201.0
4 -	nzbuddy	34	72	78	12	196.0
5 -	SammyW	38	81	60	14	193.0

My fantasy team did reasonably well last week with Mohamed Salah yet again bringing home points as my captain. He was ably assisted by David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ibrahima Konate, Bryan Mbeumo and Alexander Isak. I managed to gain some of the ground I lost last week and hopefully I can continue that trend this week.

I can’t see a better option than Salah for my captain again this week with Liverpool playing twice even if they are both far from easy away games. I used my one transfer last week to bring in a Liverpool player for their extra fixture and I’ll be doing the same this week with Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo the main candidates. There’s a very good chance I will use my triple captain chip on Salah too, but I haven’t made my mind up yet.

Saturday February 1

Nottingham Forest v Brighton And Hove Albion 

12.30pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest’s fantastic run came to an end last week when they lost 5-0 away to Bournemouth, but they’re still in third place. They have taken 13 points from their last five home games, but they have some very tough games coming up on their own ground. The defeat against Bournemouth was their first one in nine games and no other team in the top half of the table has scored less goals.

Despite their mauling last week Chris Woods, Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and the Forest defenders and keeper still look like good choices for fantasy managers for the next couple of weeks.

Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Everton last week, but they managed to hold on to their place in the top half of the table. They are unbeaten in their last five away games, but they drew four of them with no other team drawing more games on the road. They were unbeaten in six games before losing to Everton and their next two games are both very difficult starting with this one.

Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro are the Brighton players most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a close game with a draw probably the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Bournemouth v Liverpool 

3pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth won 5-0 at home to Forest last week and they’re now only one point off the top four. They have taken nine points from their last five home games and they kept clean sheets in four of those games with no other team conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken 25 points from their last 11 games and they scored 25 goals in those games while keeping five clean sheets.

Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez are all looking very good for fantasy managers at the moment with Dango Ouattara in great form recently too.

Liverpool won 4-1 at home to Ipswich last week to maintain their six point lead at the top of the table. They’re the only team still unbeaten away from home with no other team scoring more goals on their travels and only Palace conceding less. They are unbeaten in 18 games and they won 13 of them with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals.

With two games this week Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and all of the Liverpool defenders and keeper are very good options for fantasy managers.

This has the makings of a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Everton v Leicester City 

3pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton won 1-0 away to Brighton last week and that win moved them seven points clear of the relegation zone. They won their last home game after only taking one point and scoring no goals in the previous three and they have two home games this week. They have won their last two games after only winning one of the previous 12, but only Southampton have scored less goals.

With two home games this week Everton’s keeper and defenders look like good options for fantasy managers with Iliman Ndiaye worth a shout too.

Leicester came from behind to win 2-1 away to Spurs last week and that win was enough to move them out of the relegation zone. They won their last away game after losing the previous five with no other team conceding more goals on the road. They had lost seven games in a row before beating Spurs and they conceded 18 goals in those defeats with only Southampton and Wolves conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Everton will make it three wins in a row with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Ipswich Town v Southampton 

3pm GMT, Portman Road, Ipswich 

Ipswich lost 4-1 away to Liverpool last week and they’re now only one place off the foot of the table, but they’re still only one point from safety. They have lost their last two home games and they conceded eight goals in those games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have lost their last three games and they conceded 12 goals in those games with only Southampton and Everton scoring less goals.

I wouldn’t normally recommend Ipswich players to fantasy managers, but this week could be an exception for owners of Liam Delap.

Southampton lost 3-1 at home to Newcastle last week to remain rooted to the foot of the table. They’re the only team without a win away from home and no other team has scored less goals on their travels. They have only taken two points from their last 13 games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players who might be of interest to fantasy managers.

I think Ipswich will take the three points in this game and it might be enough to move them out of the bottom three.

Prediction: 3-1

Newcastle United v Fulham 

3pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle came from behind to win 3-1 away to Southampton last week and that win left them just outside the top four on goal difference. They lost their last home game after winning the previous three and they scored 10 goals in those three victories. They have won seven of their last eight games and they scored 22 goals in those games, but they play three of the four teams above them after this game.

Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy are all very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment.

Fulham lost 1-0 at home to United last week, but they managed to hold on to their place in the top half of the table. They have only lost one of their last seven away games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games on the road. They have only won twice in their last nine games, but they drew five of them with only Brighton drawing more games.

Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi are the Fulham players who should be of most interest to fantasy managers.

I think Fulham will make things difficult for Newcastle, but home advantage should see them win narrowly.

Prediction: 2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa 

5.30pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal last week and that defeat saw them drop back into the bottom three. They have lost their last two home games without scoring with only Southampton taking less points on their own patch. They have lost their last four games and they conceded 10 goals in those games while only scoring one with only Southampton conceding more goals.

Matheus Cunha is the Wolves player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

Villa drew 1-1 at home to West Ham last week and that point left them four points off the top four. They have taken four points from their last two away games after losing the previous five, but four of their next five games on their travels are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They’re unbeaten in five games and their next two games are against teams in the relegation zone, but no other team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are the Villa players who could do very well for fantasy managers in the next two games starting with this one.

I think Villa’s recent change in away results should continue with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Sunday February 2

Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur 

2pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford won 2-1 away to Palace last week and that win moved them within two points of the top half of the table. They have only taken one point from their last three home games, but only the top two have taken more points on their own ground and no other team has scored more goals at home. The win against Palace was only their second win in eight games, but they have a very good run of fixtures coming up.

Bryan Mbeumo is the Brentford player to have for fantasy managers with Yoane Wissa and Mikkel Damsgaard worth considering too.

Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Leicester last week and they are closer to the relegation zone than they are to the top half of the table. They have lost four of their last five away games with only Southampton losing more games on the road. They have only taken five points from their last 11 games and they conceded 24 goals in those games, but only Liverpool and City have scored more goals.

With so many injuries at the moment the best bets in the Spurs team for fantasy managers are probably Son Heung-Min and Dejan Kulusevski.

I think Brentford will return to winning ways at home in a close game.

Prediction: 3-2

Manchester United v Crystal Palace 

2pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United won 1-0 away to Fulham last week and that win moved them within four points of the top half of the table. They have lost four of their last five home games, but their next two games on their own patch are both against teams below them. They have won two of their last three games and five of their next six games are against teams below them in the table.

Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo are the United players most likely to return points for fantasy managers.

Palace lost 2-1 at home to Brentford last week and that defeat saw them drop two points below United in the table. They have taken 15 points from their last seven away games and they kept clean sheets in four of those games. The defeat against Brentford was only their second one in 12 games and they have a pretty good run of games coming up.

Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta and the Palace defenders and keeper all look like good options for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this will be a close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Palace take the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Arsenal v Manchester City

4.30pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal won 1-0 away to Wolves last week to stay in second place, but they’re still six points behind them and they have played a game more. They’re the only team still unbeaten at home with only Bournemouth conceding less goals on their own ground. They’re unbeaten in 13 games with no other team conceding less goals.

Ethan Nwaneri is available at a very good price and he could be the Arsenal player to have for fantasy managers over the next few weeks.

City came from behind to win 3-1 at home to Chelsea last week and that win moved them into the top four on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last three away games after only taking one in the previous five, but they have a tough run of games on the road coming up. They have taken 14 points from their last six games after only taking four points from the previous eight with only Liverpool scoring more goals.

Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Kevin de Bruyne and Josko Gvardiol are all looking good recently for fantasy managers.

This is a game both teams need to win and the chances are the spoils will go Arsenal’s way.

Prediction: 2-1

Monday February 3

Chelsea v West Ham United 

8pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea lost 3-1 away to City last week after taking an early lead and that defeat saw them drop out of the top four. They have only won once in their last three home games, but their next six home games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have only won once in their last seven games, but eight of their next 11 games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Cole Palmer is the Chelsea player most likely to perform for fantasy managers.

West Ham drew 1-1 away to Villa last week to move themselves slightly closer to the top half of the table. They have only lost two of their last six away games, but their next two away games are very difficult starting with this one. They have only won once in their last five games with only four other teams conceding more goals.

If Jarrod Bowen is fit to play he’s the best of the West Ham players for fantasy managers.

I think Chelsea will get a badly needed win in this game with a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 3-1

Wednesday 12 February 

Everton v Liverpool 

7.30pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton play their second game of the week and they’re both at home, but Liverpool look like a much tougher proposition than Leicester. David Moyes has steadied the ship since taking charge and they look likely to keep moving away from the drop zone. Getting something from this game won’t be easy though, but local derbies can be difficult to predict.

The Everton players I mentioned above could all do well for fantasy managers this week, but they are more likely to score points against Leicester than Liverpool.

Liverpool play their game in hand and it affords them the opportunity to open up a clear lead at the top of the table if they can win both games this week. A trip to Everton doesn’t look as difficult as their trip to in form Bournemouth, but Everton will be up for the game. If they can manage the six points in this gameweek then the chances of anyone else catching them will be slim.

The Liverpool players I mentioned above could all have a very good week for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a close game, but Liverpool will have too much for Everton and should take all three points.

Prediction: 0-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 23

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t do too well last week with no perfect predictions, five correct outcomes and five incorrect outcomes which was still enough to keep me on top of my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	JamrockRover	36	94.5	57	17	204.5
2 -	Cole	40	70.5	78	16	204.5
3 -	Gooners	43	69	66	15	193.0
4 -	nzbuddy	33	70.5	75	12	190.5
5 -	SammyW	38	78	57	14	187.0

I had a poor week with my fantasy team, but thankfully I wasn’t the only one and I didn’t lose too much ground overall. Mohamed Salah failed to return as my captain as the only players to get me any points were Chris Wood, Lewis Hall and Ola Aina. I will be sticking with Salah as my captain this week and hopefully I can make up some of the ground I lost on the teams ahead of me, but I’m still in the top one percent overall.

I haven’t made my mind up on whether to use my sub this week or roll it over to use two next week when Liverpool and Everton both play twice. The chances are I will try to bring a Liverpool defender and Luis Diaz once my finances allow it. There’s also the option of using my triple captain option next week when Salah has two games in the hope it gives me an extra boost in the overall rankings.

Saturday January 25

Bournemouth v Nottingham Forest 

3pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth won 4-1 away to Newcastle last week and that win left them three points off the top four. They have taken eight points from their last four home games and they only conceded one goal in those games with no other team conceding less goals on their own ground. They are unbeaten in 10 games and they scored 20 goals in those games as well as keeping four clean sheets.

Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez are still the best bets in the Bournemouth team for fantasy managers, but when Justin Kluivert has a good day he can have a really good day.

Forest hung on to win 3-2 at home to Southampton last week and that win moved them level on points with second placed Arsenal. They have won their last four away games and they kept clean sheets in their last three with only Palace conceding less goals on the road. They have taken 22 points from their last eight games and they kept clean sheets in four of them with only the two teams above them conceding less goals.

Chris Woods, Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibb-White plus all of the Forest defenders and keeper can do very well for fantasy managers.

This is a very difficult game to call, but I think a draw is the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Brighton And Hove Albion v Everton 

3pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton won 3-1 away to United last week and that win moved them up to ninth place and within six points of the top four. They haven’t won in their last four home games, but they drew three of them and no other team has drawn more games on their own patch. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous eight, but they drew six of those eight games and no other team has drawn more games.

I suggested Kaoru Mitoma might be a good option for fantasy managers last week and he proved to be so while Joao Pedro is worth considering too.

Everton won 3-2 at home to Spurs last week to move four points clear of the relegation zone. They have only taken three points from their last six away games and no other team has scored less goals on their travels. The win against Spurs was only their second win in 13 games and only Southampton have scored less goals.

I’m still not sure there are any Everton players doing enough to peak the interest of fantasy managers, but they do play twice next week.

I think Brighton will make it three wins in a row by a narrow margin in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Liverpool v Ipswich Town 

3pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool scored two very late goals to win 2-0 away to Brentford last week and that win moved them six points clear at the top of the table. They have only won once in their last three home games, but only Bournemouth have conceded less goals on their own ground. They’re unbeaten in 17 games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals. 

Despite no returns in his last two games Mohamed Salah is still a fantastic option for fantasy managers with Luis Diaz and their defenders and keeper good choices too.

Ipswich lost 6-0 at home to City last week and that defeat kept them in the bottom three on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last four away games, but this is the first of three very difficult games on the road in a row. They have only taken one point from their last three games and they conceded 10 goals in those games with only three other teams conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Ipswich players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive Liverpool victory in this game.

Prediction: 4-0

Southampton v Newcastle United 

3pm GMT, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton 

Southampton lost 3-2 away to Forest last week to leave them rooted to the foot of the table as they await their inevitable relegation. They have lost eight of their 10 home games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals on their own patch. They have only taken two points from their last 12 games with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves conceding more.

I can’t see any Southampton players who would be of interest to fantasy managers.

Newcastle lost 4-1 at home to Bournemouth last week and that defeat saw them drop out of the top four. They have won their last three away games and they scored eight goals in those games, but their next two games on their travels after this one are really tough. They had won six games in a row before losing to Bournemouth and they scored 18 goals in those games.

Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and all of the Newcastle defenders and keeper are good options for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Newcastle will win this game by at least a margin of two goals.

Prediction: 1-3

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal 

3pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves lost 3-1 away to Chelsea last week, but they managed to stay out of the relegation zone on goal difference. They have lost three of their last four home games and they conceded nine goals in those games with their next three games on their own ground all against teams in the top half of the table. They have lost their last three games and they conceded nine goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals.

Matheus Cunha is the Wolves player to have for fantasy managers with Jorgen Strand Larsen a possibility too.

Arsenal led 2-0 at home to Villa last, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw which saw them fall six points behind Liverpool at the top of the table. They have taken 12 points from their last six away games and they scored 16 goals in those games with only Palace conceding less goals on the road. They are unbeaten in 12 games, but they drew five of them and only Liverpool have conceded less goals.

The best of the Arsenal players for fantasy managers at the moment are probably their defenders even if they haven’t kept a clean sheet in four games.

I think Wolves will make things difficult for Arsenal, but the away team will take the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester City v Chelsea 

5.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City won 6-0 away to Ipswich last week and they’re now only two points behind fourth place. They have taken four points from their last two home games after losing two of the previous three and their next three home games are all against other teams in the top six. They have taken 10 points and scored 14 goals in their last four games with only two other teams scoring more goals.

Phil Foden is the in form City player for fantasy managers with Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne doing well too, but City have a very tough run of games.

Chelsea won 3-1 at home to Wolves last week and that win was enough to move them back into the top four. They have only taken two points from their last three away games and three of their next four games are on their travels with only Liverpool scoring more goals away from home. The win against Wolves was their first win in six games and they need to get something from this game to stay ahead of City.

Cole Palmer is the only Chelsea player showing enough consistency to interest fantasy managers.

This is a huge game for two teams fighting for a top four place and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them share the points.

Prediction: 2-2

Sunday January 26

Crystal Palace v Brentford 

2pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace won 2-0 away to West Ham last week and that win moved them up to 12th place as they close in on the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last six home games with only two other teams scoring less goals on their own ground. They have only lost once in their last 11 games and they are in the middle of a very good run of games.

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze are very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment with the Palace defenders and keeper looking good too.

Brentford lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool last week and they’re now five points off the top half of the table. They won their last away game after failing to win the previous nine and their next three away games starting with this one are against teams below them in the table. They have only won once in their last seven games, but their next six games are all against teams below them in the table.

Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa are the Brentford players who can do well for fantasy managers over the next few weeks.

I think this will be a close game with a draw the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 2-2

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City 

2pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 3-2 away to Everton last week and they find themselves nine points off the top half of the table and only eight points above the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last six home games and they conceded 17 goals in those games with only Brentford scoring more goals on their own ground. They have only taken one point from their last six games and they conceded 16 goals in those games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals.

James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-Min are the Spurs players who can do well for fantasy managers.

Leicester lost 2-0 at home to Fulham last week to stay one place off the bottom of the table, but they are still only two points off seventeenth place. They have lost their last five away games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals on their travels. They have lost their last seven games and they conceded 22 goals in those games while only scoring two with only two other teams conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Spurs will get a badly needed victory in this game with at least a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 3-1

Aston Villa v West Ham United 

4.30pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 away to Arsenal last week to leave them four points off the top four. They have taken 13 points from their last five home games with only three other teams taking more points on their own ground. They have taken eight points from their last four games and their next three games are all against teams in the bottom eight.

Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are the Villa players to look at for fantasy managers at the moment.

West Ham lost 2-0 at home to Palace last week to leave them in 14th place. They have taken seven points from their last five away games, but their next three away games are all very difficult starting with this one. They have lost three of their last four games and they conceded 13 goals in those games with only three other teams conceding more goals.

If he’s fit to play Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think Villa should be good enough at home to win this game by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 3-1 

Fulham v Manchester United 

7pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham won 2-0 away to Leicester last week and they’re only seven points off the top four despite being in 10th place. They have drawn their last four home games with only Brighton drawing more games on their own patch. They have only lost one of their last 10 games, but they drew six of them with only Brighton drawing more games.

Antonee Robinson is probably the most consistent Fulham player for fantasy managers with Alex Iwobi and Raul Jiminez shining on occasions too.

United lost 3-1 at home to Brighton last week and they’re now seven points off the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last eight away games, but only Palace have conceded less goals on their travels. They have only taken seven points from their last nine games and they conceded 19 goals in those games.

Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo are the United players most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think this is a game which could go either way with a draw being the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 2-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 22

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a very good week last week with three perfect predictions, five correct outcomes and only two incorrect outcomes which saw me move to the top of my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league looks.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1	JamrockRover	34	90	57	16	197.0
2 1	Cole	38	67.5	75	15	195.5
3 2	Gooners	41	63	66	14	184.0
4 -	nzbuddy	31	66	75	11	183.0
5 2	SammyW	36	75	57	14	182.0

I had a pretty good week with my fantasy team too thanks to deciding to switch the captain’s armband to Alexander Isak. He was assisted by Amad Diallo, Lucas Digne, Cole Palmer and Chris Wood as I moved up to inside the top 1 percent in the overall standings. My big decision this week will be who to make my captain with Salah and Palmer the best candidates.

The chances are I will bring Lewis Hall in with my transfer this week with Digne probably making an exit.  I plan not to make any transfers next week so I can make two the following week as both Liverpool and Everton have play twice. 

Saturday January 18

Newcastle United v Bournemouth 

12.30pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle won 3-0 at home to Wolves last week and that win was enough to move them up into the top four. They have won their last three home games without conceding a goal and they scored 10 goals in those games with only Arsenal and Bournemouth conceding less goals on their own ground. They have won their last six games and they scored 18 goals in those games while only conceding one with only the three teams above them conceding less goals.

Alexander Isak is a must have for fantasy managers at the moment with Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy and Lewis Hall very good options too.

Bournemouth drew 2-2 away to Chelsea last week and they’re only four points behind Newcastle going into this game. They have taken 11 points from their last five away games and they scored 13 goals in those games with only three other teams scoring more goals on the road. They are unbeaten in nine games and they scored 16 goals in those games while keeping four clean sheets.

Antoine Semenyo showed how well he can do for fantasy managers against Chelsea and Milos Kerkez is a good option too.

I think Bournemouth will make a real game of it, but the chances are Newcastle will take the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Brentford v Liverpool 

3pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford 

Brentford scored two late goals to draw 2-2 at home to City last week, but that point wasn’t enough to move them out of the bottom half of the table. They have only taken one point from their last three home games, but only the top two have taken more points on their own patch and no other team has scored more goals at home. They have only won once in their last six games, but they have a good run of games after this one.

Bryan Mbuemo and Yoane Wissa are both very good options for fantasy managers in home games in particular.

Liverpool came from behind to draw 1-1 away to Forest last week and they’re now only four points clear of Arsenal, but they still have a game in hand. They’re the only team still unbeaten away from home with no other team scoring more goals on their travels and only Palace and Spurs conceding less. They’re unbeaten in 16 games, but they have drawn four of the last seven and they only kept one clean sheet in those games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Despite not scoring against Forest Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers.

I think Brentford will make things difficult for Liverpool, but the away team will get the win.

Prediction: 1-2

Leicester City v Fulham 

3pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester lost 2-0 at home to Palace last week and they’re still only one place above the bottom of the table. They have lost their last three home games without conceding a goal and they have a tough run of games coming up on their own ground. They have lost their last six games and they conceded 16 goals in those games while failing to score in four of them with only Wolves and Southampton conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.

Fulham lost 3-2 away to West Ham last week, but they managed to hold on to their place in the top half of the table. They were unbeaten in five away games before losing to West Ham and no other team has drawn more games on the road. The loss to West Ham was their first defeat in nine games, but they drew six of those games with only Brighton drawing more games.

Alex Iwobi and Antonee Robinson have been the Fulham players who have done well for fantasy managers.

I think Fulham will take advantage of Leicester’s defensive issues to win this game by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 1-3

West Ham United v Crystal Palace 

 3pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham won 3-2 at home to Fulham last week and they’re now only four points off the top half of the table. They have taken seven points from their last four home games and their next three home games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table, but only

Southampton have conceded more goals on their own patch. They have a tough run of games coming up after this one and only three other teams have conceded more goals.

I’m not sure there are any West Ham players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment, but that could change over the next few weeks.

Palace won 2-0 away to Leicester last week to move eight points clear of the bottom three and they’re only two points behind West Ham going into this game. They are unbeaten in their last six away games and they have kept clean sheets in three of their last four games on their travels with no other team conceding less goals away from home. They have only lost one of their last 10 games, but they drew five of them with only Brighton scoring more goals.

With a good run of games at the moment Eberechi Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daniel Munoz are all very good choices for fantasy managers.

This looks like being a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Arsenal v Aston Villa 

5.30pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London

Arsenal came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Spurs last week and that win moved them within four points of Liverpool at the top of the table, but they have played a game more. They are the only team still unbeaten at home with no other team conceding less goals on their own ground and only three other teams scoring more. They are unbeaten in 11 games with no other team conceding less goals and only two other teams scoring more.

Arsenal players aren’t doing an awful lot for fantasy managers at the moment, but their defenders and keeper still look like good choices.

Villa won 1-0 away to Everton last week and that win moved them within three points of the top four. They won their last away game after losing the previous five with only three other teams conceding more goals on the road. They have taken 16 points from their last eight games and they have three very good games in a row after this one.

Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins both look like very good options for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this will be a close game with home advantage probably helping Arsenal to a victory.

Prediction: 2-1

Sunday January 19

Everton v Tottenham Hotspur 

2pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton lost 1-0 at home to Villa last week and they’re still only one point above the relegation zone. They have only taken one point from their last three home games and they failed to score in each of those games with only two other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their last 12 games and they failed to score in nine of them with only Southampton scoring less goals.

I can’t see any Everton players who might make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

Spurs lost 2-1 away to Arsenal last week and they’re now six points off the top half of the table. They have lost three of their last four away games, but no other team has conceded less goals on their travels. They have only taken four points from their last eight games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals. 

Son Heung-Min, Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison can all do very well for fantasy managers.

Despite their current poor run of results I think Spurs might just nick a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester United v Brighton And Hove Albion

2pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United came from behind to win 3-1 at home to Southampton last week, but they’re still four points behind the top half of the table. They had lost their previous three home games before beating Southampton, but they are in the middle of a favourable run of games on their own ground. The win against Southampton was only their second win in eight games, but they don’t play any teams in the top eight in their next six games.

Amad Diallo looks like a very good choice for fantasy managers at the moment with Bruno Fernandes worth a shout too.

Brighton won 2-0 away to Ipswich last week and that win moved them up one place to ninth in the table. They are unbeaten in their last four away games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games on the road. The win against Ipswich was their first win in nine games, but they drew six of them with no other team drawing more games.

None of the Brighton players are exactly setting the world alight for fantasy managers at the moment, but Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma have the potential to do so.

I think Brighton are more than capable of winning this game, but it will probably end in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Nottingham Forest v Southampton 

2pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest drew 1-1 at home to Liverpool last week to remain six points behind them at the top of the table. They have taken 10 points from their last four home games with only Arsenal and Bournemouth conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken 19 points from their last seven games and they kept four clean sheets in those games with only Arsenal conceding less goals.

Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Anthony Elanga and all of the Forest defenders and keeper are all looking very good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Southampton conceded three late goals to lose 3-1 away to United last week and I just cannot see them managing to beat the drop despite having 17 games left to play. They have lost nine of their 11 away games and they’re the only team without a win on their travels with no other team scoring less goals away from home. They have only taken two points from their last 11 games and they conceded 28 goals in those games with only Wolves conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Forest victory in this game.

Prediction: 3-0

Ipswich Town v Manchester City 

4.30 GMT, Portman Road, Ipswich 

Ipswich lost 2-0 at home to Brighton last week and that defeat meant they just about stayed in the relegation zone as they have scored less goals than Wolves. They have lost four of their last five home games with only Southampton scoring less goals on their own ground. They have taken seven points from their last six games, but they have a very tough run of games coming up starting with this one and only two other teams have scored less goals.

Liam Delap can do well for fantasy managers, but Ipswich aren’t scoring enough goals to consider choosing one of their attacking players.

City led 2-0 away to Brentford last week, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw to stay three points behind fourth place. They have taken four points from their last two away games after only taking one in the previous five and they have a tough run of games on the road after this one. They have taken eight points from their last four games after only taking four from the previous eight and Fulham are the only team in the top half of the table to have conceded more goals.

Erling Haaland, Phil Foden and Savio can all make a real impression for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think City will continue to put pressure on the top four by taking all three points in this game.

Prediction: 1-3

Monday January 20

Chelsea v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

8pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea scored late on to draw 2-2 at home to Bournemouth last week and those dropped points saw them drop to fifth in the table. They have only taken one point from their last two home games and they conceded four goals in those games, but their next seven games on their own patch are all against teams in the bottom half of the table. They haven’t won in five games and they only scored four goals in those games, but only two other teams have scored more goals and they have a very good run of games coming up.

Cole Palmer remains the Chelsea player to have for fantasy managers with Nicolas Jackson worth considering too.

Wolves lost 3-0 away to Newcastle last week, but they managed to stay out of the relegation zone as they have scored more goals than Ipswich. They have only won once in their last five away games with only Leicester conceding more goals on their travels. They have lost their last two games after taking seven points from the previous three and no other team has conceded more goals.

Matheus Cunha is the Wolves player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

I think Wolves will give Chelsea a fright, but home advantage should pay off for Chelsea.

Prediction: 2-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.