Thursday 16 March 2017

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 29

It's that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I did alright last week with two correct predictions and two incorrect which kept me in second place in my predictions league. However, the league leader is doing a Chelsea and it looks like it will be very hard to catch him as you can see from the table below.

BadgesThis WeekPTS
 1 (1)  Karl-Yngve Lund 4+601800
 2 (2)  Michael Sheehy 5+201535
 3 (3)  Rutland Gooner 5+601525
 4 (4)  Wayne Hubbard 1+201480


Saturday March 18

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

12.30pm GMT, The Hawthorns, Birmingham

West Brom lost 3-0 at Everton last week and their recent good run seems to have come to an end. They have won eight of their 14 home games and only five other teams have scored more goals at home. They have lost their last two games without scoring, but Tony Pulis will relish a home game against a struggling Arsenal team.

Gareth McAuley has been the best of the West Brom players and is still worth considering for fantasy managers due to his goalscoring exploits.

Arsenal didn't play in the league last week, but the did progress to the semi finals of the FA Cup with a 5-0 win against non league Lincoln City. They have only lost four of their 13 away games with only City scoring more goals on the road, but they have only won once in their last six away games. They have lost three of their last four games, but only Liverpool and Chelsea have scored more goals so far.

Alexis Sanchez has been by far the best of the Arsenal players for fantasy managers and he's still the top scoring player overall while Theo Walcott has looked good recently too.

I think this will be a very close game and Arsenal might just about manage a narrow victory.

Prediction: 1-2

Crystal Palace v Watford

3pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London

Palace didn't play last week and Hull's win over Swansea means they're only one point and one place above the relegation zone. They have only taken 10 points from 13 home games with only Boro scoring less goals at home and they have lost five of the last six on their own patch. They have won their last two games though and have won three of their last five as well as keeping a clean sheet in each of those games they won.

Wilfried Zaha could be the Palace player to have for fantasy managers if they're going to win their fight to avoid the drop and their defenders have been in good form recently too.

Watford didn't play last week either, but they still have a seven point buffer between them and the bottom three and that should surely be enough to keep them up. They have only won three of their last 13 away games and have only won once in the last nine on the road. Their form has been fairly up and down, but they have only kept one clean sheet in their last 17 games.

Troy Deeney has been in good form recently for fantasy managers and is certainly worth considering.

I think this will be another very close game, but Palace's need for points might just see them take the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Everton v Hull City

3pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool

Everton won 3-0 at home to West Brom last week to move within three points of fifth placed Arsenal. They have only lost one of their 14 home games with only three teams scoring more goals at home and only two conceding less. They have taken 24 points from their last 11 games and have not yet given up all hope of breaking the top six.

Romelu Lukaku is the best of the Everton players for fantasy managers and their defenders have done very well for the last few months too.

Hull got a crucial 2-1 win at home to Swansea last week to move within one point of seventeenth placed Palace. They have lost 11 of their 14 away games and no other team has scored less goals or conceded more goals away from home. They have taken 11 points from their last eight games, but only Swansea have conceded more goals so far.

Despite their recent upturn it's still hard to see which Hull players might make a difference for fantasy managers.

I think Everton should be too strong at home for Hull and should win with a few goals to spare.

Prediction: 2-0

Stoke City v Chelsea

3pm GMT, BET365 Arena, Stoke

Stoke didn't play last week and they face a very tough game this week which could see them drop into the bottom half of the table if they lose. They have only lost three of their 14 home games and are unbeaten in their last eight at home with clean sheets in five of those games. They have only lost twice in their last nine games and have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four.

None of the Stoke players have done too much recently for fantasy managers and the chances are they won't do an awful lot in this game either.

Chelsea didn't play last week either, but they maintained their 10 point lead at the top of the table with only 11 games to go. They have only lost two of their 14 away games and no other team has conceded less goals away from home. 18 wins in their last 21 league games have left them in a position where the league is their's to lose and no other team has conceded less goals with only Liverpool scoring more.

Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Pedro have all done well for fantasy managers in recent weeks with Cesc Fabregas performing well when he plays too.

I think Chelsea will continue their fantastic day run with a narrow win in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Sunderland v Burnley

3pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Sunderland didn't play last week and they're now six points from safety with only 11 games to go. They have lost eight of their 14 home games with only Boro scoring less goals at home and only Swansea conceding more on their own ground. They have lost their last three games without scoring a goal and have only taken five points from their last 10 games with only Middlesbrough scoring less goals so far.

Jermain Defoe had been by far the best of the Sunderland players for fantasy manager, but just like them he has failed to score in five of his last six games.

Burnley led away to Liverpool last week, but ended up losing 2-1 and they're still seven points clear of the relegation zone. They have lost 12 of their 14 away games and have not won away from home yet with only Leicester and Hull scoring less goals away from home. Only four other teams have lost more games than Burnley and they haven't won in five games, but four of those were away from home and it's their home form which should keep them in the Premier League.

Burnley defenders are still good fantasy choices, but as I've said so often before that's only when they play at home.

This is a game Sunderland really have to win, but I think Burnley might just get their first away win of the season.

Prediction: 1-2

West Ham United v Leicester City

3pm GMT, London Stadium, London

West Ham lost away to Bournemouth last week and missed out on a chance to go back into the top half of the table. Only three other teams have lost more home games than West Ham and only three other teams have scored less goals at home too. They haven't won in their last four games and they haven't kept a clean sheet in their last seven.

Michail Antonio is the West Ham player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

Leicester didn't play last week, but they did their way through to the last eight of the Champions League on Tuesday night despite being only three points above the relegation zone. They haven't won any of their 13 away games and only Hull have scored less goals away from home. They have won their last two league games since Claudio Ranieri departed, but they haven't kept a clean sheet in seven.

Now that they've found some form again both Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez could be worth considering for fantasy managers.

This isn't an easy game to predict considering West Ham's home form and Leicester's away form, but I think a draw might just about be the right outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Bournemouth v Swansea City

5.30pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth

Bournemouth got a very important 3-2 win at home to West Ham last week to stop the rot and move six points away from the relegation zone. They have won six of their 14 home games and have scored more goals at home than any other team in the bottom half of the table, but their win last week was their first home win in six games. That win last week was their first one in nine games overall and only Swansea have conceded more goals.

I suggested Josh King might be a good fantasy choice last week and he didn't disappoint with three goals even if he did miss a penalty.

Swansea lost 2-1 away to Hull last week and they're still only three points above the drop zone despite their recent good run. They have lost 10 of their 14 away games and no other team has conceded more goals away from home. Only Sunderland have lost more games and no other team has conceded more goals, but they have won four of their last seven games.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Fernando Llorente (if he's fit) have been in very good form for fantasy managers while Alfie Mawsom has chipped in with three goals in his last six games which isn't bad for a defender.

I think this will be another very close game and I wouldn't be surprised to see it end in a draw.

Prediction: 2-2

Sunday March 19

Middlesbrough v Manchester United

12.00pm GMT, Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

Boro didn't play last week and find themselves second last in the table with three points to make up on seventeenth place. They have only won three of their 14 home games and they're the lowest scorers at home with only two goals and three points in their last four games at home. They haven't won in 10 games and failed to score in seven of those games and they're the lowest scorers in the league which has just cost Aitor Karanka his job.

I can't see any Boro players to interest fantasy managers at the moment.

United lost their FA Cup semi final to Chelsea on Monday and Everton are closing quickly behind them even if United are closing in on fifth placed Arsenal. They have only lost two of their 12 away games and have taken 17 points from their last seven away games with no other team conceding less goals away from home. They are unbeaten in 17 league games and have kept clean sheets in three of their last four, but their numerous draws and lack of goals is keeping them in sixth place.

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended the best prospects for fantasy managers in the United team at the moment are probably their defenders.

Even without Ibrahimovic I think United should be good enough to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 0-1

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton

2.15pm GMT, White Hart Lane, London

Spurs had an easy FA Cup quarter final win against Millwall last week, but they lost Harry Kane to an injury and that could hamper their chances of staying second in the table. They have taken more points at home than any other team with only Chelsea and Liverpool scoring more goals on their own patch and they're the only team still unbeaten at home. They have taken 29 points from their last 12 games and no other team has conceded less goals so far.

With Kane injured the best fantasy options in the Spurs team are Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and their defenders.

Southampton didn't play last week and they now have a couple of games in hand on the three teams directly above them. They have lost half of their 14 away games, but they have won their last two on the road and scored eight goals in those two games. They have lost six of their last nine games though and they're only in the top half of the table on goal difference.

Manolo Gabbiadini looks like a must have for fantasy managers with the form he has shown since joining Southampton and two extra games to paly and Dusan Tadic has found some form recently too.

I think this will be a very close game, but their home form should see Spurs get a narrow victory.

Prediction: 2-1

Manchester City v Liverpool

4.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester

City won their cup quarter final last week, but they were knocked out of the Champions League in midweek and their chances of closing the 10 point gap on Chelsea are pretty slim. They have won more games and scored more goals away from home than any other team with only three other teams conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 14 points from their last six games and kept clean sheets in five of those games.

Raheem Sterling has done well recently for fantasy managers and it's always a risk not to have Sergio Aguero in your team.

Liverpool came from behind to "win ugly" at home to Burnley last week which strengthened their place in the top four, but the two teams closet to them both have two games in hand. They have lost four of their 14 away games with only Chelsea and Arsenal scoring more goals on the road, but they have only taken two points from their last four away games. They have scored more goals than any other team, but they have only won three of their last nine games even if they have won their last two.

Sadio Mane still looks like the Liverpool player most likely to perform for fantasy managers.

I think this will be another very close affair and a draw is probably the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 2-2

That's it for this week.

See you next week.

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