It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a bad week last week when I only managed three correct outcomes, and six incorrect outcomes. I didn't get any perfect scorelines, and I slipped back to fifth in my predictions league.
Hopefully I can do a little better this time around, and fourth place is still well within my sights. Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.
Chelsea Vs. Tottenham Hotspur
Saturday March 24, 12.45 p.m., GMT
Chelsea have only won four of their last 14 Premier League games, and they are currently five points adrift of fourth placed Spurs. Since the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas they have progressed in the FA Cup and the Champions League, but they lost away to Manchester City on Wednesday after taking the lead. They have won nine of their 14 home games so far, and this is a game they quite simply have to win.
Juan Mata and Frank Lampard are still the go-to players in the Chelsea team for any fantasy manager.
Spurs have only taken one point from their last four league games, and that was thanks to an injury time goal at home to Stoke City on Wednesday night. They have slipped behind Arsenal into fourth place, and they need to turn things around very soon or they will struggle to hold on to fourth. Spurs have done well away from home so far with six wins, and only the top three can beat that.
At the moment Gareth Bale seems to be the best bet among the Spurs players for fantasy managers.
I think this could be a good game with both teams needing to win, and it will end in a draw.
Prediction: 2-2
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Arsenal have won their last six Premier League games in a row, and climbed to third in the table as a result. They have won 10 of their 14 home league games so far, and only the teams above them can beat that. They have also got a very good defensive record at home, and they are clear favourites to continue their winning ways.
Robin van Persie is an absolute must for any fantasy manager, and both Theo Walcott and Thomas Vermaelen are pretty good bets too.
Aston Villa may have only won three away games in the league so far this season, but they have only lost three as well. They are not an easy team to beat away from home, and they have a good defensive record away from home too. They will work very hard to stop Arsenal playing, but they don't offer an awful lot themselves.
I don't think there are any Villa players worth including in any fantasy team at the moment.
I think Arsenal will continue their winning ways, but Villa won't make it easy for them.
Prediction: 3-1
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Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Bolton have had a traumatic week since the events at White Harte Lane last Saturday evening. I'm sure there will be an outpouring of support and emotion for Fabrice Muamaba, and hopefully he can make a complete recovery. I'm not too sure what the effects of the whole situation will have on the game.
Bolton had managed to climb out of the relegation zone by beating QPR in their last game, but they slipped back into the bottom three when their game was postponed on Tuesday night. Their home form has been poor, and only Wolves have lost more home games than them in the league.
Ryo Miyaichi looks like the Bolton player most likely to make an impact in their last 10 Premier League games.
Blackburn have taken 10 points in their last five league games, and climbed five points clear of the drop zone in the process. They have no problems scoring goals, and only the top five have scored more than them so far this season. They have only won two away games so fr this season, and only Wolves have conceded more league goals than them.
Yakubu and Junior Hoilett are the Blackburn players most likely to do well for fantasy players at the moment.
I think this will be a very close game, and it will end in a draw.
Prediction: 2-2
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Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Liverpool may have won the Carling Cup and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, but their league form is awful at the moment. They have lost four of their last five league games, and seen their chances of Champions League qualification disappear too. They have drawn more home games than any other Premier League team, and they cannot afford anything other than a win in this game.
Most of Liverpool's defenders have looked good fantasy buys until recently, and surely Steven Gerrard will return to his best form for them.
Wigan are finding it very hard to score goals and win games. They have only lost one of their last six games, but they have only won one of them too. They need to start winning some games very soon, or they will get relegated.
Victor Moses looks like the Wigan player most likely to do well for fantasy managers at the moment.
Despite Liverpool's inability to win at home I still think they will have enough to beat Wigan.
Prediction: 2-0
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Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Norwich have only managed to take one point in their last four league games, and the goals seem to have dried up for them too. They have been impressive since their promotion last summer, and they are certain to stay up for another season at least. This could be an ideal opportunity for them to get back to winning ways.
Anthony Pilkington and Grant Holt offer a good return for a small outlay for fantasy managers, but it's never easy to predict which players Paul Lambert will pick.
Wolves are in free fall and relegation looks an almost certainty for them in my opinion. They have lost their last three games without scoring a goal, and conceded 12 goals in those games. The absolute mess made over the sacking of Mick McCarthy and their inability to replace him looks to have doomed Wolves to Championship football for next season.
With Wolves performing so badly their players are best avoided for fantasy managers.
I think Norwich should get back to winning ways with a comfortable win over a Wolves team that have offered so little in recent games.
Prediction: 3-1
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Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Sunderland have done well since Martin O'Neill became their manager, but they have only won one of their last five Premier League games. The distractions of the FA Cup seem to be taking their toll, and the midweek replay coming up with Everton will be on their minds. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunderland rest a few players with that game in mind.
Simon Mignolet has done very well in goal for Sunderland, and Stephane Sessegnon is available again after suspension.
QPR looked all set to get relegated back to the Championship when they were losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night. Their fightback might just be the spur they need to help them to avoid the drop. Only Bolton have lost more away games than QPR so far this season though.
Djibril Cisse looks like he might be the player to score enough fantasy points to save QPR's Premier League place.
I think Sunderland will have enough to beat QPR even if they do rest a few players.
Prediction: 2-1
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Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Swansea have won their last three Premier League games in a row without conceding a goal. They have only lost two home games so far this season, and only Manchester City have conceded less home goals than them. They are up to eighth in the table, and there's even a possibility of European football for them next season.
There are so many Swansea players to choose from it's hard to know where to start, but Michel Vorm, Steven Caulker, Scott Sinclair and Gylfi Sigurdsson are all well worth buying for any fantasy manager.
Everton have lost their last two Premier League games, as they look to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals and a date with Liverpool. They may be tempted to rest some players ahead of their midweek replay with Sunderland, and it could make this game hard for them. They have only managed to win four of their 14 away games so far, and there have been very few goals in most games they play.
Tim Howard and Leighton Baines seem to be the most consistent Everton performers for fantasy managers.
I think Swansea will continue their winning ways, but Everton won't make it easy for them.
Prediction: 1-0
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Saturday March 24, 5.30 p.m., GMT
Stoke have won their last two home games without conceding a goal, and they got a good point away to Spurs on Wednesday night. They have a good home record, but it won't be easy for them against the second team in the table. They love to put pressure on the so-called bigger teams at home, and they will surely try to do the same thing against City.
Despite Stoke's recent form it's difficult to see any of their players worth buying for fantasy managers besides Ryan Shawcross, and I am loathe to recommend him.
City have only won two of their last eight away games, and only scored four goals in those games. It looked like their season was about to end when they were losing at home to Chelsea on Wednesday night, but the reintroduction of Carlos Tevez turned the game for them. If they are going to win the title they will have to change their away form very quickly.
Joe Hart, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are all very good fantasy buys, but Tevez might just be a good buy for the rest of the season.
I think City will struggle away from home yet again, and Stoke will take a point off them.
Prediction: 1-1
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Sunday March 25, 4 p.m.,BST
West Brom have failed to win their last two games, but they have being playing very well in recent weeks. They have only managed four home wins this season, and only Wigan have scored less home goals than them. In recent weeks they have looked more than capable of beating the majority of teams though.
Ben Foster and Peter Odemwingie are probably the best fantasy choices among the West Brom players.
Newcastle managed to bounce back from their late disappointment at Arsenal by beating Norwich in their last game. They are still just about in the hunt for a Champions League place, but they would probably settle for finishing in the top six. They have managed five wins away from home this season, but they have struggled on their travels recently.
Tim Krul, Ryan Taylor and Demba Ba are probably the best fantasy buys among the Newcastle players.
I think West Brom will get back to winning ways with a narrow victory.
Prediction: 2-1
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Monday March 26, 8 p.m., BST
United are on top of the league yet again, and they look to have the easier run-in too. They have won 11 of their 14 home games so far, and the last five home games in a row. Their experience of title fights could give them the edge they need over the next nine games.
Patrice Evra, Nani, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney are all well worth considering for fantasy managers.
Fulham don't usually travel well, and they have only won twice in 14 away games so far. They are the lowest scorers away from home too with only eight goals so far. They lost 5-0 at home to United in December, and they will be anxious to perform a lot better in this game.
Clint Dempsey and Pavel Pogrebnyak are the best fantasy bets in the Fulham team, but maybe not in this game.
I think United will rack up yet another victory to keep their lead at the top of the table.
Prediction: 3-0
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That's it for this week, but as usual feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be.
Hopefully I can do a little better this time around, and fourth place is still well within my sights. Here's a look at how my predictions league stands.
| Pos | Player | Week | Total |
| 1 | b_red_devils | 65 | 1480 |
| 2 | ahujag | 95 | 1425 |
| 3 | GGooner | 5 | 1320 |
| 4 | nitin004 | 45 | 1185 |
| 5 | JamrockRover | -15 | 1175 |
| 6 | ABlockGooner | 80 | 1025 |
| 7 | gooner2194 | 25 | 1010 |
| 8 | Rutland Gooner | 40 | 995 |
| 9 | nawa87 | 0 | 990 |
| 10 | sanziano | 25 | 935 |
Saturday March 24, 12.45 p.m., GMT
Chelsea have only won four of their last 14 Premier League games, and they are currently five points adrift of fourth placed Spurs. Since the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas they have progressed in the FA Cup and the Champions League, but they lost away to Manchester City on Wednesday after taking the lead. They have won nine of their 14 home games so far, and this is a game they quite simply have to win.
Juan Mata and Frank Lampard are still the go-to players in the Chelsea team for any fantasy manager.
Spurs have only taken one point from their last four league games, and that was thanks to an injury time goal at home to Stoke City on Wednesday night. They have slipped behind Arsenal into fourth place, and they need to turn things around very soon or they will struggle to hold on to fourth. Spurs have done well away from home so far with six wins, and only the top three can beat that.
At the moment Gareth Bale seems to be the best bet among the Spurs players for fantasy managers.
I think this could be a good game with both teams needing to win, and it will end in a draw.
Prediction: 2-2
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Arsenal Vs. Aston Villa
Saturday March 24, 3 p.m., GMT
Robin van Persie is an absolute must for any fantasy manager, and both Theo Walcott and Thomas Vermaelen are pretty good bets too.
Aston Villa may have only won three away games in the league so far this season, but they have only lost three as well. They are not an easy team to beat away from home, and they have a good defensive record away from home too. They will work very hard to stop Arsenal playing, but they don't offer an awful lot themselves.
I don't think there are any Villa players worth including in any fantasy team at the moment.
I think Arsenal will continue their winning ways, but Villa won't make it easy for them.
Prediction: 3-1
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Bolton Wanderers Vs. Blackburn Rovers
Bolton have had a traumatic week since the events at White Harte Lane last Saturday evening. I'm sure there will be an outpouring of support and emotion for Fabrice Muamaba, and hopefully he can make a complete recovery. I'm not too sure what the effects of the whole situation will have on the game.
Bolton had managed to climb out of the relegation zone by beating QPR in their last game, but they slipped back into the bottom three when their game was postponed on Tuesday night. Their home form has been poor, and only Wolves have lost more home games than them in the league.
Ryo Miyaichi looks like the Bolton player most likely to make an impact in their last 10 Premier League games.
Blackburn have taken 10 points in their last five league games, and climbed five points clear of the drop zone in the process. They have no problems scoring goals, and only the top five have scored more than them so far this season. They have only won two away games so fr this season, and only Wolves have conceded more league goals than them.
Yakubu and Junior Hoilett are the Blackburn players most likely to do well for fantasy players at the moment.
I think this will be a very close game, and it will end in a draw.
Prediction: 2-2
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Liverpool Vs. Wigan Athletic
Liverpool may have won the Carling Cup and reached the FA Cup semi-finals, but their league form is awful at the moment. They have lost four of their last five league games, and seen their chances of Champions League qualification disappear too. They have drawn more home games than any other Premier League team, and they cannot afford anything other than a win in this game.
Most of Liverpool's defenders have looked good fantasy buys until recently, and surely Steven Gerrard will return to his best form for them.
Wigan are finding it very hard to score goals and win games. They have only lost one of their last six games, but they have only won one of them too. They need to start winning some games very soon, or they will get relegated.
Victor Moses looks like the Wigan player most likely to do well for fantasy managers at the moment.
Despite Liverpool's inability to win at home I still think they will have enough to beat Wigan.
Prediction: 2-0
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Norwich City Vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers
Norwich have only managed to take one point in their last four league games, and the goals seem to have dried up for them too. They have been impressive since their promotion last summer, and they are certain to stay up for another season at least. This could be an ideal opportunity for them to get back to winning ways.
Anthony Pilkington and Grant Holt offer a good return for a small outlay for fantasy managers, but it's never easy to predict which players Paul Lambert will pick.
Wolves are in free fall and relegation looks an almost certainty for them in my opinion. They have lost their last three games without scoring a goal, and conceded 12 goals in those games. The absolute mess made over the sacking of Mick McCarthy and their inability to replace him looks to have doomed Wolves to Championship football for next season.
With Wolves performing so badly their players are best avoided for fantasy managers.
I think Norwich should get back to winning ways with a comfortable win over a Wolves team that have offered so little in recent games.
Prediction: 3-1
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Sunderland Vs. Queens Park Rangers
Sunderland have done well since Martin O'Neill became their manager, but they have only won one of their last five Premier League games. The distractions of the FA Cup seem to be taking their toll, and the midweek replay coming up with Everton will be on their minds. I wouldn't be surprised to see Sunderland rest a few players with that game in mind.
Simon Mignolet has done very well in goal for Sunderland, and Stephane Sessegnon is available again after suspension.
QPR looked all set to get relegated back to the Championship when they were losing 2-0 at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night. Their fightback might just be the spur they need to help them to avoid the drop. Only Bolton have lost more away games than QPR so far this season though.
Djibril Cisse looks like he might be the player to score enough fantasy points to save QPR's Premier League place.
I think Sunderland will have enough to beat QPR even if they do rest a few players.
Prediction: 2-1
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Swansea City Vs. Everton
Swansea have won their last three Premier League games in a row without conceding a goal. They have only lost two home games so far this season, and only Manchester City have conceded less home goals than them. They are up to eighth in the table, and there's even a possibility of European football for them next season.
There are so many Swansea players to choose from it's hard to know where to start, but Michel Vorm, Steven Caulker, Scott Sinclair and Gylfi Sigurdsson are all well worth buying for any fantasy manager.
Everton have lost their last two Premier League games, as they look to progress to the FA Cup semi-finals and a date with Liverpool. They may be tempted to rest some players ahead of their midweek replay with Sunderland, and it could make this game hard for them. They have only managed to win four of their 14 away games so far, and there have been very few goals in most games they play.
Tim Howard and Leighton Baines seem to be the most consistent Everton performers for fantasy managers.
I think Swansea will continue their winning ways, but Everton won't make it easy for them.
Prediction: 1-0
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Stoke City Vs. Manchester City
Stoke have won their last two home games without conceding a goal, and they got a good point away to Spurs on Wednesday night. They have a good home record, but it won't be easy for them against the second team in the table. They love to put pressure on the so-called bigger teams at home, and they will surely try to do the same thing against City.
Despite Stoke's recent form it's difficult to see any of their players worth buying for fantasy managers besides Ryan Shawcross, and I am loathe to recommend him.
City have only won two of their last eight away games, and only scored four goals in those games. It looked like their season was about to end when they were losing at home to Chelsea on Wednesday night, but the reintroduction of Carlos Tevez turned the game for them. If they are going to win the title they will have to change their away form very quickly.
Joe Hart, David Silva and Sergio Aguero are all very good fantasy buys, but Tevez might just be a good buy for the rest of the season.
I think City will struggle away from home yet again, and Stoke will take a point off them.
Prediction: 1-1
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West Bromwich Albion Vs. Newcastle United
West Brom have failed to win their last two games, but they have being playing very well in recent weeks. They have only managed four home wins this season, and only Wigan have scored less home goals than them. In recent weeks they have looked more than capable of beating the majority of teams though.
Ben Foster and Peter Odemwingie are probably the best fantasy choices among the West Brom players.
Newcastle managed to bounce back from their late disappointment at Arsenal by beating Norwich in their last game. They are still just about in the hunt for a Champions League place, but they would probably settle for finishing in the top six. They have managed five wins away from home this season, but they have struggled on their travels recently.
Tim Krul, Ryan Taylor and Demba Ba are probably the best fantasy buys among the Newcastle players.
I think West Brom will get back to winning ways with a narrow victory.
Prediction: 2-1
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Manchester United Vs. Fulham
United are on top of the league yet again, and they look to have the easier run-in too. They have won 11 of their 14 home games so far, and the last five home games in a row. Their experience of title fights could give them the edge they need over the next nine games.
Patrice Evra, Nani, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney are all well worth considering for fantasy managers.
Fulham don't usually travel well, and they have only won twice in 14 away games so far. They are the lowest scorers away from home too with only eight goals so far. They lost 5-0 at home to United in December, and they will be anxious to perform a lot better in this game.
Clint Dempsey and Pavel Pogrebnyak are the best fantasy bets in the Fulham team, but maybe not in this game.
I think United will rack up yet another victory to keep their lead at the top of the table.
Prediction: 3-0
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That's it for this week, but as usual feel free to tell me where I may have gone right or wrong as the case might be.
See you tomorrow.
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