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 no perfect predictions, three correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes which saw me drop 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. Murray1886 40 106.5 93 17 256.5
2. Sam 32 109.5 96 17 254.5
3. Gooners 39 102 96 15 252
4. robbieg 38 117 75 18 248
5. SeniorBurger 35 114 78 16 243
I did fairly well with my fantasy team last week as I moved up in the overall rankings for the fourth week in a row to just inside the top 1% of teams. My choice of Hugo Ekitike as my captain didn’t pay off, but Joao Pedro, David Raya, Gabriel Magahlaes, Bruno Fernandes and Antoine Semenyo all got me points. I’m not sure who my captain will be this week, but I might just go with Ekitike again.
I’m going to hold back on my transfers this week so I’ll have three next week when both Arsenal and Manchester City aren’t playing along with Wolves and Crystal Palace. I still have all four of my chips for the second half of the season available and I intend to start using them in Gameweek 32.
Saturday March 14th
Burnley v Bournemouth
3pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley
Burnley lost 2-0 away to Everton last week and they’re now nine points from safety with just nine games left to play. They have only taken three points from their last seven home games with no other team taking less points on their own ground. They have only won once in their last 20 games with no other team conceding more goals.
I can’t see any Burnley players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
Bournemouth drew 0-0 at home to Brentford last week and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken nine points from their last five away games with only Burnley conceding more goals on the road. They are unbeaten in nine games, but they drew five of them with no other team drawing more games.
Marcus Tavernier, Rayan Vitor, Marcos Senesi and James Hill are all doing well for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Bournemouth will continue their push for European football by taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 1-3
Sunderland v Brighton And Hove Albion
3pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Sunderland won 1-0 away to Leeds last week and they’re now only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have lost their last two home games after after being unbeaten in their previous 12 with only the top two conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken four points from their last two games after losing four of the previous five with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.
Sunderland’s keeper and defenders are good choices for fantasy managers in home games along with Enzo Le Fee.
Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal last week and they’re three points and three places behind Sunderland going into this game. They won their last away game after failing to win the previous six with only three other teams winning less games on their travels. They had won two games in a row before losing to Arsenal and three of their next four opponents are in the bottom half of the table.
Now that he’s back from injury Yasin Ayari could be a good option for fantasy managers.
I think this will be a very close game with a draw being the most likely outcome.
Prediction: 1-1
Arsenal v Everton
5.30pm Emirates Stadium, London
Arsenal won 1-0 away to Brighton last week to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points, but they have played a game more than the teams chasing them. They have won 11 of their 14 home games with only City taking more points and scoring more goals on their own ground and no other team conceding less goals. They have taken 17 points and scored 17 goals in their last seven games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals.
Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are very good choices for fantasy managers along with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Everton won 2-0 at home to Burnley last week to stay in eighth place. They have taken 14 points from their last six away games with only Arsenal and Chelsea taking more points on the road and only Arsenal conceding less goals. They have taken 15 points from their last nine games, but four of their next six games are against teams in the top six.
James Garner, Iliman Ndiaye, Kiernon Dewsbury-Hall, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford are all worth considering for fantasy managers.
I think Arsenal will keep their gap at the top of the table with another victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Chelsea v Newcastle United
5.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London
Chelsea won 4-1 away to Villa last week and they’re now only three points off third place. They have taken nine points and scored 10 goals in their last five home games, but it’s their home form which is keeping them out of the top four. They have only won once in their last four games after winning the previous four with only the top two scoring more goals.
Joao Pedro is in great form for fantasy managers at the moment with Cole Palmer a possibility too.
Newcastle won 2-1 at home to United last week despite playing half of the game with 10 players and that win moved them within one point of the top half of the table. They have taken seven points from their last five away games, but only three other teams have taken less points on their travels and only two other teams have scored less goals. They have lost five of their last seven games and they conceded 16 goals in those games.
I’m not sure there are any Newcastle players doing enough at the moment to turn the heads of fantasy managers.
I think Newcastle will make a game of it, but Chelsea will get the win.
Prediction: 2-1
West Ham United v Manchester City
8pm GMT, London Stadium, London
West Ham won 1-0 away to Fulham last week and they’re now only in the relegation zone on goal difference. They have taken five points from their last three home games after only taking one in the previous five, but only Wolves have conceded more goals on their own ground. They have taken 14 points from their last eight games, but only Burnley have conceded more goals and they’re in the middle of a tough run of games.
Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are the West Ham players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.
City twice led at home to Forest last week, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw which saw them fall seven points behind Arsenal at the top of the table, but they still have a game in hand. They have taken seven points from their last three away games with only Arsenal and Chelsea scoring more goals on the road and only Arsenal and Everton conceding less. They have taken 17 points and scored 14 goals in their last seven games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.
Antoine Semenyo is the in form City player for fantasy managers with Nico O’Reilly, Rayan AIT-Nouri, March Guehi and Matheus Nunes all good options while it’s difficult to recommend Erling Haaland in his current form.
I think City will be good enough to get the better of West Ham in this game.
Prediction: 1-3
Sunday March 15
Crystal Palace v Leeds United
2pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London
Palace came from behind to win 3-1 away to Spurs last week and that win moved them within two points of the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last nine home games with only Spurs and Wolves winning less games on their own patch and only Forest scoring less goals. They have won three of their last five games after failing to win the previous nine, but only three other teams have scored less goals.
Ismaila Sarr is the Palace player most likely to do well for fantasy managers at the moment.
Leeds lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland last week and they’re now only three points above the bottom three. Only Wolves have won less games on their travels, but they have drawn six of their last seven away games and no other team has drawn more. They have lost their last two games after only losing two of the previous 14 with only the bottom three conceding more goals.
I’m not sure there are any Leeds players who can do well for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think this will be another close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.
Prediction: 1-1
Manchester United v Aston Villa
2pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester
United lost 2-1 away to 10 man Newcastle last week, but they managed to stay in third place on goal difference. They have won their last four home games and they scored nine goals in those games with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. The defeat against Newcastle was their first defeat in 12 games and five of their next six games are against teams in the top half of the table.
Bruno Fernandes is in great form for fantasy managers at the moment with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko worth considering too.
Villa lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea last week, but they’re only behind United on goal difference going into this game. They have only won once in their last five away games and they have actually conceded more goals than they have scored on their travels. They have only won three of their last 11 games, but five of their next seven games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Morgan Rogers is the Villa player most likely to impress for fantasy managers at the moment.
I think United will strengthen their hold on third place by taking the three points in this game.
Prediction: 2-1
Nottingham Forest v Fulham
2pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham
Forest twice came from behind to draw 2-2 away to City last week and that point was enough to keep them out of the relegation zone on goal difference. They haven’t won in their last six home games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only taken three points from their last six games, but two of their next four games are against teams fighting against relegation like themselves.
Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are the Forest players to own for fantasy managers at the moment.
Fulham lost 1-0 at home to West Ham last week, but they just about managed to stay in the top half of the table on goal difference. They won their last away game after losing the previous three with only the bottom two losing more games on their travels. They have lost four of their last six games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with only one other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.
Harry Wilson (if he’s fit to play) and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players who can do well for fantasy managers.
This is a difficult game to call with a draw being the most likely outcome.
Prediction: 1-1
Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur
4.30pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool
Liverpool lost 2-1 away to bottom of the table Wolves last week, but they’re still only three points off third place. They have only won two of their last five home games, but they have some good games coming up on their own ground. They had won four of their previous five games before losing to Wolves with only four other teams scoring more goals.
Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike are probably the best of the Liverpool players for fantasy managers at the moment.
Spurs lost 3-1 at home to Palace last week after having a man sent off when they were 1-0 up and they’re now only one point above the bottom three. They have only taken two points from their last five away games and they conceded nine goals in those games, but they have taken 19 of their 29 points so far on the road. They have only taken four points from their last 11 games and they conceded 23 goals in those games, but only one other team in the bottom half of the table has scored more goals.
I can’t see any Spurs players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Liverpool will continue their push for a top four finish while piling more misery on Spurs by winning this game.
Prediction: 3-1
Monday March 16
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers
8pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London
Brentford drew 0-0 away to Bournemouth last week to stay in seventh place and keep their European chances very much alive. They have only taken one point from their last three home games after taking 17 in the previous seven, but they have a good run of home games coming up. They have taken 11 points from their last six games and their next two games are both against teams fighting the drop.
Igor Thiago is a very good choice for fantasy managers while Dango Ouattara can do a job for them too.
Wolves won 2-1 at home to Liverpool last week, but they’re 12 points from safety with just eight games left to play. They’re the only team without an away win with no other team scoring less goals on their travels. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous eight with no other team scoring less goals and only Burnley and West Ham conceding more.
I can’t see any Wolves players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.
I think Brentford will keep their fantastic season going with another victory in this game.
Prediction: 2-0
That’s it for this week.
See you next week.
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