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 badly last week with one perfect prediction, four correct outcomes and five incorrect outcomes which saw me move up a couple of places in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.
POs Player Res Cls Exa Slm Pts
1 SeniorBurger 23 85.5 69 14 191.5
2 Gooners 28 69 75 11 183
3 Murray1886 30 73.5 66 13 182.5
4 andy 29 79.5 63 12 181.5
5 Derek 35 79.5 48 15 177.5
I did reasonably well with my fantasy team too as I moved up slightly in the overall rankings. My choice of Erling Haaland as my captain didn’t pay off, but Declan Rice, Bruno Guimaraes, Matheus Cunha and Harry Wilson all did well for me. I will be going with Haaland as my captain again this week as he is so good at home in particular and surely he can’t blank for the fourth game in a row.
I kept my free transfer last week so that I have two available this week and my plan is to bring Gabriel Magalhaes back into my team. I will also have to replace Nick Woltemade as he’s out of favour at the moment with Newcastle and the chances are I will bring Dominic Calvert-Lewin in for him.
Tuesday January 6
West Ham United v Nottingham Forest
8pm GMT, London Stadium, London
West Ham lost 3-0 away to bottom club Wolves on Saturday, but they’re still only four points from safety. They have only taken one point from their last four home games with no other team conceding more goals on their own ground. They haven’t won in nine games, but they drew four of them with no other team conceding more goals.
Jarrod Bowen is the only West Ham player who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.
Forest lost 3-1 away to Villa at the weekend and they’re only one place and four points ahead of West Ham going into this game. They have lost their last three away games with only two other teams scoring less goals on the road. They have lost their last four games and only Wolves have scored less goals.
I’m still not sure there are any Forest players doing enough on a consistent basis to interest fantasy managers.
I think this will be a very close game for two teams desperate for points and Forest look the most likely to win to me.
Prediction: 1-2
Wednesday January 7
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur
7.30pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth
Bournemouth lost 3-2 at home to Arsenal on Saturday to remain in 15th place, but they still have nine points to spare over the bottom three. They haven’t won in their last five home games, but they drew three of them with only two other teams drawing more games on their own patch. They haven’t won in 11 games, but they drew five of them with only Sunderland drawing more games.
If he’s still a Bournemouth player for this game Antoine Semenyo is the Bournemouth player to have for fantasy managers.
Spurs conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to Sunderland on Sunday to leave them in the bottom half of the table, but they’re only one point off the top half. They have only won once in their last five away games, but only Arsenal have taken more points on their travels. They have only won two of their last 11 games, but their next three opponents are all in the bottom six starting with this game.
I’m not sure which Spurs players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment, but Micky Van de Ven is probably the best bet.
This isn’t an easy game to call, but I think it will probably end all square.
Prediction: 1-1
Brentford v Sunderland
7.30pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London
Brentford won 4-2 away to Everton last week and that victory moved them up to seventh place. They have taken 14 points from their last six home games with only the top three taking more points on their own ground. They have taken 10 points from their last four games and they scored 10 goals in those games.
Igor Thiago is the best player in the Brentford team for fantasy managers with Nathan Collins and Kevin Schade looking good recently too.
Sunderland scored a late goal to draw 1-1 away to Spurs at the weekend, but they dropped to just below Brentford on goal difference. They haven’t won in their last five away games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games on the road and only Wolves scoring less goals. They have only won twice in their last 11 games, but they drew seven of them with no other team drawing more games, but only three other teams scoring less goals.
Sunderland’s defenders and keeper are very good options for fantasy managers along with Granit Xhaka.
I think Brentford will continue their movement up the table with another win in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
7.30pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace lost 2-0 away to Newcastle on Sunday which saw them fall to 14th place, but they’re only one point off the top half of the table. They have only taken two points from their last five home games with only Burnley scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only taken one point from their last five games and they conceded 11 goals in those games.
I’m not sure there are any Palace players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
Villa won 3-1 at home to Forest on Saturday to stay in third place and six points off the top of the table. They lost their last away game after winning the previous four and they have a good run of games coming up on their travels. They have won 13 of their last 15 games and they don’t play any of the big six in their next eight games.
Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins are the Villa players who can do very well for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Villa will have just enough to win this game narrowly.
Prediction: 1-2
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers
7.30pm GMT, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool
Everton lost 4-2 at home to Brentford on Sunday and that defeat saw them drop back into the bottom half of the table. They have lost four of their last six home games, but four of their next five home games are against teams in the bottom six. They have only won once in their last five games, but they should still move back into the top half of the table if they win this game.
Everton’s defenders and keeper still look like good choices for fantasy managers despite shipping four goals against Brentford.
Wolves won 3-0 at home to West Ham on Saturday to manage their first victory of the season, but they’re still firmly rooted to the foot of the table. They’re the only team without an away win and they drew their last away game after losing the previous six with no other team scoring less goals on the road. They have taken four points from their last two games after losing the previous 11 with no other team scoring less goals and only West Ham conceding more.
Mateus Mane could just be the low cost striker fantasy managers are looking for, but it’s always a risk to pick Wolves players.
I think Everton will bounce back from their defeat against Brentford to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Fulham v Chelsea
7.30pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London
Fulham got a last minute goal to draw 2-2 at home to Liverpool on Sunday and they’re now only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have only won once in their last four home games, but they will fancy their chances against managerless Chelsea. They have taken 11 points from their last five games and they will go level on points with Chelsea if they win this game.
Harry Wilson showed yet again against Liverpool that he’s a very good option for fantasy managers with Raul Jiminez a consideration too.
Chelsea got a last minute goal to draw 1-1 away to City at the weekend and that point was enough to keep them in fifth place. They haven’t won in their last four away games, but no other team has scored more goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last eight games, but only three other teams have scored more goals.
Pedro Neto is probably the Chelsea player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.
I think Fulham will be good enough at home to get a point from this game.
Prediction: 1-1
Manchester City v Brighton And Hove Albion
7.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester
City conceded a last minute goal to draw 1-1 at home to Chelsea on Sunday and they’re now six points behind Arsenal at the top of the table. They had won eight home games in a row before drawing with Chelsea with no other team scoring more goals on their own ground and only Arsenal conceding less. They have taken 20 points from their last eight games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.
Despite not scoring in three games Erling Haaland is still a very good choice for fantasy managers along with the City defenders and keeper plus Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders.
Brighton won 2-0 at home to Burnley on Saturday to move into the top half of the table on goal difference. They have only taken one point from their last three away games and they have more tough games on the road coming up. The win against Burnley was their first win in seven games and they will do well to get anything out of this game.
If he’s fit to play Yankuba Minteh can do well for fantasy managers and Danny Welbeck should be considered too.
I think City will put their consecutive draws behind them to win this game by a couple of goals.
Prediction: 3-1
Burnley v Manchester United
8.15pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley lost 2-0 away to Brighton on Saturday to remain one place off the foot of the table and six points from safety. They have only taken one point from their last six home games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only taken two points from their last 11 games with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.
I can’t see any Burnley players to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
United came from behind to draw 1-1 away to Leeds on Sunday and that point was enough to keep them in sixth place, but it wasn’t enough to keep Ruben Amorim in his job. They have only lost one of their last seven away games with no other team drawing more goals on their travels. They have only lost one of their last eight games, but they drew four of them with only two other teams drawing more games.
Matheus Cunha is the only only United player who looks like performing for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think United will be good enough to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 0-2
Newcastle United v Leeds United
8.15pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle
Newcastle won 2-0 at home to Palace on Sunday and those three points moved them into the top half of the table. They have taken 17 points from their last seven home games with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They have taken 17 points from their last nine games and their next two games are against teams in the bottom five.
Bruno Guimaraes is the Newcastle player to have for fantasy managers at the moment with Anthony Gordon a possibility too.
Leeds drew 1-1 at home to United at the weekend to stay two places above the bottom three and they now have eight points to spare. They haven’t won in their last seven away games, but they have drawn the last three with only two other teams conceding more goals on the road. They are unbeaten in seven games, but they drew five of them with only two other teams drawing more games.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is doing very well for fantasy managers while Anton Stach has looked good too.
I think Newcastle should be good enough at home to take the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Thursday January 8
Arsenal v Liverpool
8pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal came from behind to win 3-2 away to Bournemouth on Saturday and that victory moved them six points clear at the top of the table. They’re one of two teams still unbeaten at home with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals on their own patch. They have won their last five games and they scored 12 goals in those games with only City scoring more goals and no other team conceding less.
Gabriel Magalhaes looks like almost a must have for fantasy managers at the moment with the rest of the Arsenal defence and keeper good choices too along with Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard.
Liverpool conceded a last minute goal to draw 2-2 away to Fulham on Sunday, but they are still in fourth place with a three point gap to the next team. They have taken eight points from their last four away games after losing the previous four with only three other teams conceding more goals on their travels. They are unbeaten in eight games, but they drew four of them and they really need to get something from this game.
Florian Wirtz is looking like a good option for fantasy managers at the moment along with Ryan Gravenberch.
I think Arsenal will make home advantage pay to win this game by a narrow margin.
Prediction: 2-1
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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