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 with just one perfect prediction, two correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes, but I still moved up in my predictions league as others didn’t do well either. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.
Pos Player Res Cls Exa Slm Pts
1. SeniorBurger 25 87 69 14 195
2. Gooners 30 73.5 75 12 190.5
3. Murray1886 32 75 69 13 189
4. andy 28 84 63 12 187
5. Sam 25 81 66 13 185
I did fairly well with my fantasy team as the choice of Erling Haaland as my captain paid off. He was assisted by David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Michael Keane (despite his red card), Bruno Guimaraes, Harry Wilson and Dominic Calvert-Lewin as my team regained some of the ground it had lost recently. Haaland will probably be my captain again this week, but I’m tempted to give Hugo Ekitike the armband with a home game against Burnley.
I have yet to decide if I’m going to make any transfers this week, but I’m tempted to leave my squad as it is. I might possibly decide to sell Phil Foden as he’s just not justifying his price tag at the moment, but I’ll probably wait until next week so I can bring a striker in too.
Saturday January 17
Manchester United v Manchester City
12.3pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United drew 2-2 away to struggling Burnley last week and those dropped points saw them fall back to seventh place. They have only won once in their last five home games after winning the previous four with only five other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They have only lost one of their last nine games, but they drew five of them with only Sunderland drawing more games.
Bruno Fernandes is the United player to have for fantasy managers now that he has returned from injury.
City drew 1-1 at home to Brighton last week and that point kept them in second place with six points to make up on Arsenal. They have taken 10 points from their last four away games with only Chelsea scoring more goals on the road. They have drawn their last three games after winning the previous six with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.
Erling Haaland is the must have City player for fantasy managers with Rayan Cherki and new boy Antoine Semenyo good choices too.
I think this will be a close game with City probably winning by the odd goal.
Prediction: 1-2
Chelsea v Brentford
3pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea lost 2-1 away to Fulham last week and that defeat saw them drop to eighth in the table. They have only won two of their last six home games, but they have a very good run of games coming up on their own patch. They have only won once in their last eight games, but their next five games after this one are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.
The Chelsea defenders and keeper could do well over the next few weeks along with Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer.
Brentford won 3-0 at home to Sunderland last week and that win moved them up to fifth place and within two points of the top four. They have won their last two away games after losing the previous four with only the bottom two losing more games on their travels. They have taken 13 points and scored 13 goals in their last five games with only the top two scoring more goals.
Igor Thiago is the stand out Brentford player for fantasy managers at the moment with Nathan Collins, Kevin Schade and Caoimhin Kelleher all doing very well recently too.
I think this will be another very close game with Chelsea probably making home advantage count.
Prediction: 2-1
Leeds United v Fulham
3pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds
Leeds conceded a very late goal to lose 4-3 away to Newcastle last week, but they still have eight points to spare over the bottom three. They have taken eight points from their last four home games and they scored 11 goals in those games. They were unbeaten in seven games before losing to Newcastle, but they drew five of those games.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the in form Leeds player for fantasy managers with Anton Stach and Brenden Aaronson good options too.
Fulham won 2-1 at home to Chelsea last week and that victory moved them into the top half of the table. They have taken 10 points from their last four away games after losing the previous five, but they have some difficult away games coming up. They have taken 14 points from their last six games, but only one other team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals.
Harry Wilson is looking very good for fantasy managers at the moment with Raul Jiminez a consideration too.
I think Leeds have shown enough recently to suggest they will win this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Liverpool v Burnley
3pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool drew 0-0 away to Arsenal last week and that point left them in fourth place, but they’re 14 points off the top of the table. They have taken eight points from their last four home games and three of their next four games are on their own patch. They are unbeaten in nine games, but they drew five of them and their next two games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.
With Hugo Ekitike back from injury he could do very well for fantasy managers in this game with Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz possibilities too.
Burnley drew 2-2 at home to United last week, but they’re still one place off the bottom of the table and eight points from safety. They have only taken four points from their 10 away games with only Bournemouth conceding more goals on their travels. They have only taken three points from their last 12 games with only West Ham conceding more goals.
I’m not sure there are any Burnley players for fantasy managers to consider.
I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Liverpool victory in this game.
Prediction: 3-0
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
3pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Spurs lost 3-2 away to Bournemouth last week, but they’re only three points off the top half of the table despite being in 14th place. They have only won once in their last nine home games with only three other teams scoring less goals on their own ground. They have only won twice in their last 12 games, but their next two games are both against teams in the relegation zone.
I can’t see any Spurs players doing enough on a consistent basis to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
West Ham lost 2-1 at home to Forest last week and that defeat meant they stayed in the relegation zone and they now have seven points to make up on the team directly above them. They haven’t won in their last eight away games, but they drew four of them with only United drawing more games on the road. They haven’t won in 10 games with no other team conceding more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is the only West Ham player for fantasy managers to consider.
I think Spurs will get a badly needed win in this game with a couple of goals to spare.
Prediction: 3-1
Sunderland v Crystal Palace
3pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Sunderland lost 3-0 away to Brentford last week, but they just about held on to their spot in the top half of the table. They are one of two teams still unbeaten at home with only Palace drawing more games on their own patch and only Arsenal conceding less goals. They haven’t won in five games, but they drew four of them with only Wolves scoring less goals.
Sunderland’s defenders and keeper are very good options for fantasy managers in home games in particular with Granit Xhaka looking good too.
Palace drew 0-0 at home to Villa last week to stay in 13th place, but they’re only two points off the top half of the table. They lost their last two away games after winning the previous three and they conceded six goals in those two games after only conceding five in their previous eight away games. They have only taken two points from their last five games with only three other teams scoring less goals.
Palace’s players haven’t done an awful lot to turn the heads of fantasy managers in recent games.
I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams with a draw being the most likely outcome.
Prediction: 1-1
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
5.30pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham
Forest won 2-1 away to West Ham last week to give themselves a seven point gap above the bottom three. They have lost three of their last four home games with only two other teams conceding more goals on their own ground. They had lost four games in a row before beating West Ham with only Wolves scoring less goals.
Morgan Gibbs-White is probably the only Forest player for fantasy managers to keep an eye on at the moment.
Arsenal drew 0-0 at home to Liverpool last week and that point maintained their six point lead at the top of the table. They have won their last two away games after failing to win the previous three with no other team taking more points or conceding less goals on the road. They have only lost once in their last 18 games with no other team conceding less goals.
Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are very good choices for fantasy managers along with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
I think Arsenal will be strong enough to win what looks like being a close game.
Prediction: 1-2
Sunday January 18
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United
2pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton
Wolves drew 1-1 away to Everton last week, but they’re still six points adrift at the foot of the table and 15 points from safety. They won their last home game after failing to win the previous nine with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch and only West Ham conceding more. They have taken five points from their last three games after only taking two in the previous 18 with no other team scoring less goals and only West Ham conceding more.
Mateus Mane might just be the cheap striker fantasy managers crave to enable other purchases.
Newcastle scored a last gasp goal to win 4-3 at home to Leeds last week and that victory moved them up to sixth place with just three points to make up on the top four. They have won two of their last four away games after failing to win the previous six and their next three games on their travels after this one are all against big six teams. They have won their last three games and they scored nine goals in those games.
Bruno Guimaraes is the best of the Newcastle players for fantasy managers at the moment.
It’s difficult to predict the outcome of this game, but I think it might just end with the spoils shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Aston Villa v Everton
4.30pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham
Villa drew 0-0 away to Palace last week to leave them in third place and six points off the top of the table. They have won their last eight home games with only Arsenal conceding less goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their last three games after winning 12 of the previous 13 and they don’t play any of the big six teams in their next seven games.
Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are the Villa players to have for fantasy managers.
Everton drew 1-1 at home to Wolves last week despite having two men sent off and they’re only one point off the top half of the table. They have taken 11 points from their last six away games, but only two other teams have scored less goals on the road. They have only won once in their last six games and they will struggle to get anything out of this game too.
Everton’s defenders and keeper are worth considering for fantasy managers along with James Garner.
I think Villa’s impressive home form will continue with another narrow victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Monday January 19
Brighton And Hove Albion v Bournemouth
8pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton
Brighton drew 1-1 away to City last week and they’re only one point and one place off the top half of the table. They won their last home game after failing to win the previous three, but they have only lost one game on their own patch so far. They have only won once in their last eight games, but they drew four of them with only Sunderland drawing more games.
If he’s fit to play Yankuba Minteh is a good choice for fantasy managers along with Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma.
Bournemouth scored a last minute goal to win 3-2 at home to Spurs last week and they’re only four points off the top half of the table despite being in 15th place. They haven’t won in their last eight away games with no other team conceding more goals on their travels, but only Chelsea scoring more goals. They hadn’t won in 11 games before beating Spurs with only three other teams scoring more goals.
With Antoine Semenyo now plying his trade elsewhere Marcus Tavernier and Junior Kroupi could possibly do well for fantasy managers.
I think Brighton will get the better of a close game to take all three points.
Prediction: 3-2
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
No comments:
Post a Comment