Friday 20 March 2015

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 30

It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predictt the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn't do too well last week with only three correct outcomes and seven incorrect. As a result I'm down to second in my predictions league, but I'm still in with a great chance of winning it as you can see from the table below.


NC 1 (1)Rutland Gooner1445-205
Down 2 (1)Michael Sheehy1425-400
NC 3 (3)Wayne Hubbard1315-150
NC 4 (4)goonerdhanesh1250+250
NC 5 (5)sodobo1245+505


Saturday March 21

Manchester City v West Bromwich Albion 

12.45pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester

City were beaten away to struggling Burnley last week and the teams are lining up behind them in the race for second place. They have only won four of their last 11 league games and went out of the Champions League in midweek too. They have won nine of their 14 home games with only Arsenal and United scoring more goals at home, but that's the worst home record in the top four.

Sergio Aguero and David Silva both still have to be seen as good fantasy choices despite City's current form.

West Brom got a very important win at home to Stoke last week and their relegation fears are all but over now. They have taken 16 points from their last 10 games and kept clean sheets in six of those games. They have only won two of their 14 away games with only Villa scoring less goals on the road, but only four teams have a better defensive record away from home.

With West Brom's improvement at the back their defenders have to be seen as good fantasy options at the moment, but maybe not in this game.

City have to get their season back on track and I think will do so with a win by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 2-0

Aston Villa v Swansea City

3pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa had a great win away to Sunderland last week to give themselves some real breathing space at the wrong end of the table. They have won their last two games after losing the previous seven and they're three points above the drop zone. Villa have only won three of their 14 home games and they're the lowest scorers at home and away from too.

It looks like Villa might just have remembered how to score goals and Christian Benteke might be a genuine fantasy option if that is the case.

Swansea were probably a little unlucky to lose at home to Liverpool on Monday night. They have only won three of their last 11 games and have lost their last two. They have only won four of their 14 away games and they're the lowest scorers away from home in the top half of the table.

Gylfi Sigurdsson hasn't hit the heights of earlier in the season and it's not easy to see which Swansea players might do a job for fantasy managers at the moment. 

Despite their recent improvement I'm still not sold on Villa and I think Swansea will edge this game.

Prediction: 0-1

Newcastle United v Arsenal

3pm GMT, St. James's Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle were well beaten by Everton last week and have little left to play for this season. They have only won two of their last 10 games and have failed to score in three of their last four. They have only won six of their 14 home games, but no other team in the bottom half of the table has won more games at home.

I can't see any Newcastle players who might make a difference for fantasy managers right now.

Arsenal won again last week when they beat West Ham 3-0 at home, but they exited the Champions League in midweek. They have won eight of their last nine league games and have kept clean sheets in five of those games. They have won seven of their 15 away games and only the two teams above them have scored more goals away from home.

Olivier Giroud has done very well in recent weeks and has to be considered for fantasy managers along with Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil.

I think Arsenal should be strong enough to continue their great league run and win this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Southampton v Burnley

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

Southampton got a very good point away to Chelsea last week, but they are falling further from the top four by the week. They have only won two of their last seven games and they have only scored three goals in those seven games. They have won eight of their 15 home games and only Chelsea have a better defensive record at home. 

Southampton's defenders still look like the best bets for fantasy managers with Sadio Mane possibly to be considered too.

Burnley got a great win at home to City last week to give themselves some real hope in the battle to stay up. It was their first win in eight league games and their first clean sheet since the middle of November. They have only won once in their 14 away games and only QPR have conceded more goals away from home.

George Boyd has proved to be a good cheap alternative for fantasy managers while Danny Ings is also worth considering.

I think Southampton should be good enough at home to take the three points.

Prediction: 2-0

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City

3pm GMT, White Hart Lane, London 

Spurs were very poor in their 3-0 defeat away to United last week and they have dropped back to seventh place as a result. They have only taken seven points from their last five games and have only kept one clean sheet in their last 10. They have won eight of their 15 home games and only the top four have scored more goals at home.

Harry Kane remains the best fantasy choice in the Spurs team and Christian Eriksen has done well too, but maybe not so much in recent weeks.

Leicester had a great chance to get three points last week when Hull had a player sent off, but they could only manage a scoreless draw. They have only taken two points in their last seven games and have failed to score in four of them. They have lost 11 of their 15 away games and are in a perilous position seven points from safety with 10 games to play.

I just can't see any Leicester players performing consistently enough to recommend them to fantasy managers.

Both teams need to get something out of this game, but I think Spurs will be the ones to take the three points.

Prediction: 3-1

Stoke City v Crystal Palace

3pm GMT, Brittiana Stadium, Stoke

Stoke were beaten away to West Brom last week in a game from which they could easily have taken a point. They have taken 16 points from their last eight games and kept clean sheets in three of those games. They have won seven of their 14 home games and have won four of their last six at home.

Victor Moses is the Stoke player most likely to score some points for fantasy managers.

Palace won 3-1 at home to QPR last week and that result should end any relegation fears they had. They have taken 18 points from their last 11 games and they're eight points clear of the bottom three. They have only lost five of their 15 away games and have won three of the last four on the road as well as being the highest scorers away from home in the bottom half of the table.

Jason Puncheon has looked like the Palace player most likely to succeed for fantasy managers in recent weeks.

This isn't an easy game to call, but I think a draw is probably the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

West Ham United v Sunderland 

5.30pm GMT, Upton Park, London

West Ham were well beaten by Arsenal last week and their Europa League ambitions are all but gone. They have only won once in their last 12 games and they have failed to score in five of those games too. They have won seven of their 15 home games and only six teams have a better defensive record at home.

Stewart Downing has had a good season for West Ham, but the fantasy points have dried up for him and all of the West Ham players in recent weeks.

Sunderland were beaten too easily at home by Villa last week and it cost Gus Poyet his job. They have only won once in their last 12 games and have failed to score in six of those games. They have only lost five of their 14 away games, but have drawn 14 of their 29 games and the inability to turn those draws into wins is one of the reasons they are struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Costel Pantilimon has been the best fantasy performer for Sunderland, but even his points have dried up.

Both of these clubs are struggling badly for form, but I think West Ham should still have enough to increase Sunderland's woes.

Prediction: 2-0

Sunday March 22

Liverpool v Manchester United

1.30pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool

Liverpool just about won away to Swansea on Monday night to stay two points behind United. They have taken 33 points from their last 13 games and have kept clean sheets in seven of their last nine. They have won eight of their 15 home games and are the lowest scorers at home in the top seven. 

Jordan Henderson has been the best fantasy performer for Liverpool recently while all of their defenders have done very well too and Raheem Sterling can't be discounted either.

United easily disposed of Spurs last week to hold on to fourth spot. They have won six of their last eight league games and have kept clean sheets in the last three of them. They have only won four of their 15 away games though and have only scored 17 goals in those 15 games.

Wayne Rooney seems to be the United player to have at the moment now that he's been switched back to a striking role.

This is a huge game for both club's and their top four ambitions and I think Liverpool look good enough to take the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Hull City v Chelsea

4pm GMT, KC Stadium, Hull

Hull got a good point away to Leicester last week after being reduced to 10 men. They have taken nine points from their last six games and have only conceded four goals in those six games to move three points clear of the bottom three. They have only won four of their 14 home games though and only four other teams have scored less goals at home.

Dame N'Doye has done well in home games in particular since joining Hull in January and could be an outside bet for fantasy managers.

Chelsea could only draw at home to Southampton last week, but they increased their lead to six points with a game in hand after City lost their game. They have only won three of their last six league games and have only scored seven goals in those six games. No other team has taken more points away from home than Chelsea though and only City have scored more away goals.

Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and all of Chelsea's defenders still look like very good fantasy choices.

Chelsea need to get a win to get themselves back on track and I think they will do so by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 0-2

Queens Park Rangers v Everton

4pm GMT, Loftus Road, London

QPR lost yet again last week and their Premier League survival chances now look very bleak. They have lost eight of their last nine games and they're four points from safety with nine games to play. They have won five of their 15 home games and Everton are the only team in the bottom half of the table to have scored more home goals, but Sunderland are the only team to have conceded more at home.

Charlie Austin has been the best of the QPR players for fantasy managers at home in particular and Matt Phillips has done well recently too.

Everton got a much needed win at home to Newcastle last week, but they crashed out of the Europa League away from home on Thursday night. They have only won two of their last 13 league games and they failed to score in eight of those games. They have lost nine of their 15 away games and only the bottom two have lost more games away from home.

Romelu Lukaku seems to have found his scoring touch at last and could be worth considering for fantasy managers.

This game isn't easy to call, but I have a feeling it might just end in a draw.

Prediction: 2-2

That's it for this week.

See you next week.


No comments:

Post a Comment