Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 31

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I did fairly well in midweek with two perfect predictions, four correct outcomes and four incorrect outcomes, but I still dropped to third place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	Cole	53	108	102	23	286.0
2 1	Gooners	57	103.5	93	23	276.5
3 1	JamrockRover	47	123	84	22	276.0
4 -	TeeBee	55	103.5	87	21	266.5
5 -	nzbuddy	46	108	90	19	263.0

I had a reasonably good week with my fantasy team as my choice to use my wildcard sort of paid off and I moved up to my highest position of the season just inside the top 50,000. Picking Omar Marmoush as my captain paid off too as Mohamed Salah had a rare off week. The chances are I’ll go back to Salah this week though.

In using my wildcard I set my team up for the upcoming double gameweeks with an emphasis on Palace, Newcastle, City and Arsenal players and I intend to use my bench boost chip in one of those weeks. My final chip is my free hit and I have saved that for the FA Cup semi final weekend when two games will be called off. It does mean I won’t have any chips to use in the last four rounds of games and that could have a negative effect on my overall position.

Saturday April 5

Everton v Arsenal 

12.30pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton lost 1-0 away to Liverpool on Wednesday night to leave them in 15th place in the table. They are unbeaten in their last five home games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games on their own ground. They were unbeaten in nine games before losing to Liverpool, but they are in the middle of a very tough run of games.

I’m not sure there are any Everton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

Arsenal won 2-1 at home to Fulham on Tuesday night to remain 12 points behind Liverpool at the top of the table with just eight games left to play. They’re unbeaten in their last 10 away games, but they drew five of them with no other team drawing more games on the road. They have only lost once in their last 20 games and no other team has conceded less goals.

Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino are the Arsenal players who can do the most for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this will probably be a very close game with Arsenal winning by one goal.

Prediction: 1-2

Crystal Palace v Brighton And Hove Albion 

3pm BST, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace got a late goal to draw 1-1 away to Southampton on Wednesday night and they’re now only four points off the top half of the table with an extra game to play. They won their last two home games after failing to win the previous three with only the bottom three winning less games and scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only lost two of their last 12 games and they play twice in each of the next two gameweeks after this one.

Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta are the Palace players who can do well for fantasy managers along with their keeper and defenders.

Brighton lost 3-0 at home to Villa in midweek and they now have five points to make up on the top four. They have only lost one of their last eight away games, but that was a 7-0 defeat against Forest and all of their remaining games on their travels are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They had taken 13 points from their previous five games before losing to Villa and they have a great chance to gain points on the teams above in their next four games.

I’m not sure there are any Brighton players doing enough at the moment to interest fantasy managers, but Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma could prove me wrong.

This is a game which could go either way with a draw probably the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Ipswich Town v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

3pm BST, Portman Road, Ipswich 

Ipswich won 2-1 away to Bournemouth on Wednesday night to stay nine points from safety with just eight games left to play. They have lost their last five games and they conceded 18 goals in those games with only Southampton conceding more goals on their own ground. They had only taken two points from their previous 10 games before beating Bournemouth with only the two teams below them scoring less and conceding more goals.

Liam Delap is the only Ipswich player who might be of interest to fantasy managers.

Wolves won 1-0 at home to West Ham on Tuesday night to keep their nine point lead over Ipswich in the fight to avoid relegation. They have won their last two away games after losing the previous three with only Leicester conceding more goals on the road. They have taken 13 points from their last seven games and they will almost certainly guarantee their survival if they win this game.

Jorgen Strand Larsen is the Wolves player most likely to perform for fantasy managers at the moment.

Ipswich have to win this game to have any chance of staying up and I think they will do just that.

Prediction: 2-1

West Ham United v Bournemouth 

3pm BST, London Stadium, London 

West Ham lost 1-0 away to Wolves on Tuesday night to stay two places and 14 points above the relegation zone. They have lost three of their last four home games and they failed to score in each of those defeats with only four other teams losing more games on their own patch. They have lost seven of their last 12 games with only the four teams below them conceding more goals. 

Jarrod Bowen is the only West Ham player of any interest to fantasy managers.

Bournemouth lost 2-1 at home to Ipswich on Wednesday night and their chances of qualifying for European football are fading fast. They have only taken one point from their last two away games after taking 17 in the previous seven with only Liverpool scoring more goals on their travels. They have only taken one point from their last five games, but their four defeats were all by only one goal.

If he’s fit to play Justin Kluivert is the best option in the Bournemouth team for fantasy managers with Milos Kerkez, Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson worth considering too.

I think Bournemouth will bounce back from their recent disappointments with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest 

5.30pm BST, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa won 3-0 away to Brighton on Wednesday night and they’re only four points off the top four. They are unbeaten in 14 home games, but they drew seven of them with no other team drawing more games on their own ground. They have won three of their last four games, but no other team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals and they play three of the teams above them in their next four games starting with this one.

Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio are all looking pretty good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Forest won 1-0 at home to United on Tuesday night to maintain their six point gap over fifth place. They won their last away game after losing the previous three, but only Liverpool have taken more points on the road. They have won their last three games and they kept clean sheets in three of their last four games.

If he’s fit to play Chris Woods is a good option for fantasy managers with Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and the Forest defenders and keeper good choices too.

I think Villa will put themselves right back in the fight for a top four finish by taking the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Sunday April 6

Brentford v Chelsea 

2pm BST, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford lost 2-1 away to Newcastle on Wednesday night, but they’re still only three points off the top of the table as the team directly above them lost too. They have only taken two points from their last seven home games after being unbeaten in the previous eight with only Liverpool scoring more goals on their own patch. They’re in the middle of a tough run of games with only the bottom five conceding more goals.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa continue to perform week in and week out for fantasy managers.

Chelsea won 1-0 at home to Spurs on Thursday night and that victory was enough to keep them in the top four. They have only taken two points and scored three goals in their last seven away games and they need to change that if they’re going to hold on to their place in the top four. They have won three of their last four games, but they were all at home and three of their next four games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Cole Palmer is still the Chelsea player most likely to do well for fantasy managers with their defenders and keeper doing well too.

This is a tough game to call, but the chances are the spoils will be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Fulham v Liverpool 

2pm BST, Craven Cottage, London

Fulham lost 2-1 away to Arsenal on Tuesday night which saw them fall to ninth place in the table. They have only won two of their last eight home games, but they drew four of them and they play two of the top four in their next two games on their own ground starting with this one. They have lost three of their last five games and they need to find more consistency if they are going to qualify for European football for next season.

I’m still not sure there are any Fulham players showing enough consistency to recommend them to fantasy managers.

Liverpool won 1-0 at home to Everton on Wednesday night to maintain their 12 point lead at the top of the table and go a game closer to their inevitable league title. They’re the only team still unbeaten away from home with no other team scoring more goals on the road. They’re unbeaten in 26 games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers while Luis Diaz and the Liverpool defenders and keeper are worth a shout too.

I think Liverpool will take another step towards the Premier League trophy with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Tottenham Hotspur v Southampton 

2pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 1-0 away to Chelsea on Thursday night and they will probably have to win their remaining eight games to have a chance of finishing in the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last 10 home games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals on their own patch. They have only taken one point from their last four games after winning the previous three, but only Liverpool and City have scored more goals and only the bottom four have lost more games.

Son Heung-Min, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are the Spurs players looking most likely to perform for fantasy managers.

Southampton conceded a last gasp goal to draw 1-1 at home to Palace on Wednesday night and they will be relegated if they lose this game and Wolves beat Ipswich. They have lost five of their last six away games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with no other scoring less goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last 20 games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Spurs win in this game.

Prediction: 3-0

Manchester United v Manchester City 

4.30pm BST, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United lost 1-0 away to Forest on Tuesday night and they’re looking less likely to make the top half of the table with each passing game. They have only won two of their last eight home games and they have already lost six games on their own ground. They were unbeaten for four games before losing to Forest, but they play two of the teams chasing a top four finish in their next two games starting with this one.

Bruno Fernandes remains the one United player capable of returning any points for fantasy managers.

City won 2-0 at home to Leicester on Wednesday night and they’re still only one point off the top four. They have taken 10 points from their last six away games after only taking one point in the previous five. They’re still struggling for consistency with only three wins in their last seven games and only Liverpool have scored more goals.

With Erling Haaland suspended Omar Marmoush looks like a very good choice for fantasy managers while Josko Gvardiol is worth considering too.

I think City might just have enough to get the better of a very close game.

Prediction: 1-2

Monday April 7

Leicester City v Newcastle United 

8pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester lost 2-0 away to City on Wednesday night and they’re almost certainly going to be relegated within the next few weeks. They have lost their last seven home games without scoring and they conceded 18 goals in those games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have lost 14 of their last 15 games and they haven’t scored in their last five games with only Southampton scoring less and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

Newcastle won 2-1 at home to Brentford in midweek to remain two points off the top six. They have won five of their last seven away games with only the top three taking more points on their travels. They have won three of their last four games and their next three games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy are the Newcastle players who look the part for fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Newcastle victory in this game. 

Prediction: 0-3

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 30

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I did pretty well last time out with two perfect predictions, three correct outcomes and three incorrect outcomes which saw me move up to second place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	Cole	53	100.5	96	22	271.5
2 1	JamrockRover	45	120	78	21	264.0
3 1	Gooners	57	94.5	90	22	263.5
4 1	TeeBee	54	99	78	20	251.0
5 1	nzbuddy	46	99	87	18	250.0

I had a good week with my fantasy team too as my choice to bring in Bruno Fernandes and make him my captain really paid dividends. The only other players to get me points were David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Milos Kerkez and Bryan Mbeumo, but it was enough to reverse most of my poor week last week and move my team back into the top 60,000 in the overall rankings. I still have three chips left to play and I’m hoping to push on even further from now until the end of the season.

With that in mind I will of course be bringing Mohamed Salah back in this week and the player to go in the opposite direction will be Cole Palmer. My decisions will be made late enough though as I’ll have one eye on the upcoming double Gameweeks after the FA Cup quarter finals. I have no doubt Salah will be my captain and there’s a chance I’ll use my wildcard chip too.

Tuesday April 1

Arsenal v Fulham 

7.45pm BST, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal won 1-0 at home to Chelsea in their last game to move 12 points behind Liverpool at the top of the table, but they have virtually no chance of catching them with just nine games to go. They have only lost one home game this season with only Liverpool taking more points on their own ground and only Forest conceding less goals. They hadn’t won their previous three games before beating Chelsea and no other team has conceded less goals.

The Arsenal defenders and keeper are very good options for fantasy managers at the moment.

Fulham won 2-0 at home to Spurs last time out and they’re now only four points off fourth place. They have won three of their last four away games, but this will be a tough task for them. They have won four of their last six games, but they play the top two in their next two games starting with this one.

I’m still not sure there are any Fulham players doing enough on a consistent basis to interest fantasy managers.

I think this will be a very close game with Arsenal taking the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v West Ham United 

7.45pm BST, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves won 2-1 away to Southampton in their last game and that victory moved them nine points clear of the relegation zone with nine games left to play. They have only won once in their last five home games with only four other teams conceding more goals on their own patch. They have taken 10 points from their last six games, but only the three teams below them have conceded more goals.

With Matheus Cunha still suspended Jorgen Strand Larsen is the Wolves player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

West Ham drew 1-1 away to Everton last time out and they are eight points and one place above Wolves going into this game. They have taken four points from their last two away games and three of their last five games on their travels are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have taken seven points from their last four games and they will fancy their chances against one of the teams below them in the table.

Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Nottingham Forest v Manchester United 

8pm BST, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest won 4-2 away to Ipswich in their last game to stay in third place and they now have six points to spare over fifth place in the race for a top four finish. They have taken 20 points from their last eight home games and they kept clean sheets in five of those games with no other team conceding less goals on their own ground. They have taken seven points from their last three games after losing three of the previous four and seven of their remaining nine games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

If he’s fit to play Chris Wood is a very good option for fantasy managers with Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White and all of the Forest defenders and keeper good choices too.

United won 3-0 away to Leicester in their last game to move within seven points of the top half of the table. They have taken 12 points from their last seven away games with only Palace and Arsenal conceding less goals on the road. They have taken eight points and scored nine goals in their last four games, but this is the first of three very tough games in a row.

Bruno Fernandes is the United player to have for fantasy managers at the moment.

I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams, but the chances are Forest will take the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Wednesday April 2

Bournemouth v Ipswich Town

7.45pm BST, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth lost 2-1 at home to Brentford in their last game and that defeat saw them drop to 10th place, but they’re only five points off the top four. They have lost their last three home games and they only scored one goal in those games with no other team in the top half of the table scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only taken one point from their last four games, but four of their next five games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez and Evanilson are the Bournemouth players who can do very well for fantasy managers.

Ipswich lost 4-2 at home to Forest last time out and they’re now nine points from safety with just nine games left to play. They have only taken two points from their last six away games and their next three games on their travels are all against teams in the top half of the table. They have only taken two points from their last 10 games and they conceded 29 goals in those games with only the two teams below them scoring less and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Ipswich players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth will get a badly needed win with a few goals to spare in this game.

Prediction: 3-0

Brighton And Hove Albion v Aston Villa

7.45pm BST, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton twice came from behind to draw 2-2 away to City in their last game and that point moved them within two points of the top four. They have won their last three home games, but only Villa have drawn more games on their own ground. They have taken 13 points from their last five games and they have a fairly good run of games coming up which could see them move into the top four.

Both Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro look like good options for fantasy managers at the moment with Georginio Rutter worth considering too.

Villa didn’t play in the last round of games, but they’re still only four points off the top four as other results went their way. They have taken seven points from their last five away games after losing the previous five with only the bottom four conceding more goals on the road. They only lost twice in their last 11 games, but they drew five of them with no team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are the best of the Villa players for fantasy managers.

There won’t be too much between these two teams, but the chances are Brighton will make home advantage play.

Prediction: 2-1

Manchester City v Leicester City 

7.45pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City drew 2-2 at home to Brighton in their last game and they’re now only one point behind fourth placed Chelsea. They have only taken one point from their last two home games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals on their own patch. They have only taken seven points from their last six games, but their next six games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.

With Erling Haaland injured Omar Marmoush is the City player to have for fantasy managers with Josko Gvardiol a possibility too.

Leicester lost 3-0 at home to United last time out and they’re now nine points from safety with only nine games left to play. They have lost eight of their last nine away games with no other team conceding more goals on their travels and only Southampton and Everton scoring less. They have lost 13 of their last 14 games and they failed to score in 11 of those games with only Southampton scoring less and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I think it’s just a matter of how many goals City can put past Leicester in a routine victory.

Prediction: 4-0

Newcastle United v Brentford 

7.45pm BST, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle didn’t play in the last round of games as they were busy winning the Carabao Cup Final. They won their last home game after losing the previous two and five of their remaining six home games are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have lost four of their last seven games, but five of their next six games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

With an extra game coming up shortly Alexander Isak, Jacob Murphy and Dan Burn are all looking live very good options for fantasy managers.

Brentford won 2-1 away to Bournemouth in their last game and they’re now only three points off the top half of the table. They have won their last five away games and they scored 14 goals in those games, but this is the first of two very difficult games on the road. They have taken 10 points from their last five games, but they will do very well to get anything from their next three games.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are the Brentford players to own for fantasy managers.

I think Newcastle will just about manage to put an end to Brentford’s impressive away run.

Prediction: 2-1

Southampton v Crystal Palace 

7.45pm BST, St. Mary’s Stadium, Southampton 

Southampton lost 2-1 at home to Wolves in their last game and they’re now 17 points from safety with nine games left to play. They have lost their last nine home games and they conceded 31 goals in those games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals on their own patch. They have lost 11 of their last 12 games and they conceded 34 goals in those games with no other team conceding more or scoring less goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players who can make any sort of impression for fantasy managers.

Palace didn’t play in the last round of games, but they’re only five points off the top half of the table with an extra game to play. They have taken 19 points from their last seven away games and they only conceded one goal in those games with no other team conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 18 points from their last eight games and they kept clean sheets in five of those games.

With that extra game coming up soon Jean-Philippe Mateta (if he’s fit to play), Ismaila Sarr and all of the Palace defenders and keeper look like good choices for fantasy managers.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Palace win in this game.

Prediction: 0-3

Liverpool v Everton 

8pm BST, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool didn’t play in the last round of games as they were getting beaten by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final. They have won their last four home games and no other team has taken more points or scored more goals on their own ground. They are unbeaten in 25 games and no other team has scored more goals with only Arsenal conceding less.

Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold very good options too.

Everton drew 1-1 at home to West Ham in their last game and they could move up as far as 13th with the right result in this game. They have taken eight points from their last four away games, but no other team has scored less goals on the road. They are unbeaten in nine games, but they have drawn five of their last six with no other team drawing more games and only the bottom three scoring less goals.

Beto might be the only Everton player for fantasy managers to keep an eye on at the moment given his price, but their fixtures are very difficult.

I think Liverpool will edge closer to their inevitable league title with a win by a couple of goals in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Thursday April 3

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur 

8pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea lost 1-0 away to Arsenal last time out, but they managed to hold on to their place in the top four. They have won their last four home games and they scored 10 goals in those games with their next three games on their own patch all against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have lost four of their last seven games, but they have a good run of games coming up.

None of the Chelsea players are doing much for fantasy managers at the moment, but that could change over the next few weeks.

Spurs lost 2-0 away to Fulham in their last game and they have all their eggs in the Europa League basket at this point. They lost their last away game, but they won the previous two with only the bottom two losing more games on their travels. They have only taken one point from their last three games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals.

Despite their lowly position Son Heung-Min, James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Dejan Kulusevski can all do well for fantasy managers.

This isn’t an easy game to call, but the chances are Chelsea will take the three points by a narrow margin.

Prediction: 2-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

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 had a very bad week last week with no perfect predictions, three correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes which saw me drop to third place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	Cole	52	96	96	22	266.0
2 1	Gooners	55	91.5	90	22	258.5
3 1	JamrockRover	44	117	72	20	253.0
4 -	nzbuddy	44	97.5	87	18	246.5
5 -	TeeBee	52	96	75	19	242.0

I didn’t have a good week with my fantasy team either and if it wasn’t for having Mohamed Salah as my captain it would have been a disaster. This is going to be another difficult week with four teams not playing due to the Carabao Cup Final and fielding 11 players will be a challenge for many players. There is always the option of using my free hit, but I think I will save that for FA Cup semi final weekend when up to eight teams might not be playing.

With Salah not playing this week I am tempted to sell him and bring in Bruno Fernandes, but I will bring Salah back in next week if I make that move. Otherwise I will have to sell the suspended Matheus Cunha, but I can’t see a striker who I want this week with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ollie Watkins both idle.

Saturday March 15

Everton v West Ham United 

3pm GMT, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton drew 1-1 away to Wolves last week and they now have 16 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 with only Villa drawing more games on their own patch. They are unbeaten in eight games and they scored 16 goals in those games with only the bottom three scoring less goals.

Beto is probably the best of the Everton players for fantasy managers at the moment as they have a very tough run of games coming up.

West Ham lost 1-0 at home to Newcastle last week and they’re behind Everton on goal difference going into this game. They have taken eight points from their last six away games, but only three other teams have scored less goals on their travels. They had won two games in a row before losing to Newcastle and they have every chance of taking all three points in their next two games.

Jarrod Bowen is the only West Ham player who should be of interest to fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this will be a close game and Everton will probably make home advantage tell.

Prediction: 2-1

Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest 

3pm GMT, Portman Road, Ipswich 

Ipswich lost 1-0 away to Palace last week and they’re now six points from safety with 10 games left to play. They have lost their last four home games and they conceded 14 goals in those games with only Southampton scoring less and conceding more goals on their own ground. They have only taken two points from their last nine games and they conceded 23 goals in those games.

I can’t see any Ipswich players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

Forest won 1-0 at home to City last week to hold on to third place and keep their top four chances firmly alive. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded 11 goals in those games, but four of their remaining games on the road are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They had only taken one point from their previous three games before beating City, but eight of their last 10 games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White are all good options for fantasy managers along with the Forest defenders and keeper.

I think Forest will have too much for Ipswich and should win a close game.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester City v Brighton And Hove Albion 

3pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City lost 1-0 away to Forest last week and that defeat saw them drop out of the top four. They lost their last home game after winning the previous three and six of their remaining 10 games are on their own patch. They have lost three of their last five games, but four of their next five games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Erling Haaland would seem to be the go to City player for fantasy managers at the moment with Josko Gvardiol worth considering too.

Brighton won 2-1 at home to Fulham last week and that win moved them within three points of the top four. They have only lost one of their last seven away games, but that was a 7-0 defeat against Forest with only three other teams scoring more goals on their travels. They have won their last four games and they scored 11 goals in those games with only one other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma are the Brighton players to have for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Brighton will run City close, but the home team will take the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Southampton v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

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

Southampton lost 3-1 away to Liverpool last week and they’re rooted to the foot of the table with games running out. They have lost their last eight home games and they conceded 29 goals in those games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals on their own ground. They have lost 10 of their last 11 games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals and relegation will be as good as guaranteed if they lose this game.

I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

Wolves drew 1-1 at home to Everton last week and that point moved them six points above the relegation zone. They won their last away game after only taking one point from the previous four with only the bottom two conceding more goals on the road. They have taken seven points from their last five games and they play the three teams below them in their next six games which could see them garner enough points to guarantee their survival.

With Matheus Cunha suspended Jorgen Strand Larsen could be the Wolves player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think Wolves will win a tight game and move well clear of the bottom three.

Prediction: 1-2

Bournemouth v Brentford 

5.30pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth drew 2-2 away to Spurs last week, but they’re still only five points off the top four. They have lost their last two home games without scoring and no other team in the top half of the table has scored less goals on their own patch. They have only taken four points from their last five games after taking 25 points from the previous 11, but five of their next six games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez and Evanilson are all very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment.

Brentford lost 1-0 at home to Villa last week, but they’re still within four points of the top half of the table. They have won their last four away games and they scored 12 goals in those games and they have only conceded one goal in their last five games on their travels. They have a very tough run of games coming up with four of the top six to play in their next six games.

Both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa can do very well for fantasy managers despite their difficult upcoming fixtures.

I think Bournemouth will get back to winning ways with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Sunday March 16

Arsenal v Chelsea 

1.30pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal drew 1-1 away to United last week and they’re now 15 points behind Liverpool at the top of the table with any chance of them gone at this stage. They lost their last home game after being unbeaten in the previous 12 with only Forest and Bournemouth conceding less goals on their own ground. They haven’t won in three games and no other team has conceded less goals, but only Everton have drawn more games.

Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are good choices for fantasy managers with a good run of games coming up.

Chelsea won 1-0 at home to Leicester last week and that win moved them back into the top four. They have only taken two points from their last six away games and they only scored three goals in those games. Four of their next five games after this one are against teams in the bottom half of the table and only Liverpool and Spurs have scored more goals.

Cole Palmer has been the go to Chelsea player for fantasy managers, but he hasn’t done much in his last seven games.

I think this will be another very close game with Arsenal probably winning it.

Prediction: 1-0

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur 

1.30pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham lost 2-1 away to Brighton last week, but they managed to hold on to 10th place and they’re only seven points off the top four. They have only won once in their last seven home games and four of their last five games on their own patch are against big six teams. Their form has been up and down with four wins and four defeats in their last eight games and they have a very tough run of games coming up.

I’m not sure which Fulham players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment when none of them impressing too much and a tough run of games coming up.

Spurs came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Bournemouth last week and they’re still eight points off the top half of the table with games running out. They have won their last two away games and they scored six goals in those two games with six of their last 10 games on their travels. They have only won three of their last 12 games, but only Liverpool have scored more goals.

Son Heung-Min, Brennan Johnson and James Maddison can all do very well for fantasy managers.

I think Fulham might just be strong enough at home to take the three points in this game. 

Prediction: 2-1

Leicester City v Manchester United 

7pm GMT, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester lost 1-0 away to Chelsea last week and they’re now six points from safety with 10 games left to play. They have lost their last six home games and they conceded 15 goals in those games without scoring any. They have lost 12 of their last 13 games with only Southampton scoring less and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players who might make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

United drew 1-1 at home to Arsenal last week and they’re still eight points from the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last five away games with only Everton and Southampton scoring less goals on the road. They are unbeaten in three games, but their next three games after this one are all against teams in the top six.

Bruno Fernandes is the United player to have for fantasy managers.

I think United will be too good for Leicester and will win by at least a couple of goals.

Prediction: 1-3

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 28

It’s that time of the week when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a very good week last week with three perfect predictions, five correct outcomes and two incorrect outcomes which saw me stay in second place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Rank	Player	Res	Cls	Exa	Slm	Pts
1 -	Cole	50	90	90	20	250.0
2 -	JamrockRover	42	115.5	72	20	249.5
3 -	Gooners	55	88.5	81	21	245.5
4 -	nzbuddy	41	91.5	84	16	232.5
5 1	TeeBee	52	90	72	18	232.0

I did fairly well with my fantasy team too as I moved up to my highest overall ranking of the season. Mohamed Salah managed something as my captain with Bryan Mbeumo, David Raya, Gabriel Magalhaes, Ola Aina and Ibrahima Konate all adding points along with Arnie Slot as my assistant manager. Salah will be my captain again this week with a home game against Southampton and Cole Palmer could be an option for the armband too as he plays at home to Leicester.

I need to make a few changes to my squad with four teams not playing next week as well as injuries and suspensions taking their toll. There is the option of using my free hit next week, but I will probably save it for the FA Cup semi final weekend. The most likely change for me this week is Milos Kerkez coming in for Lewis Hall or Omar Marmoush for Matheus Cunha.

Saturday March 8

Nottingham Forest v Manchester City

12.30pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham

Forest drew 0-0 at home to Arsenal in their last game to stay in third place, but they’re only one point ahead of City going into this game. They have taken 17 points from their last seven home games with no other team conceding less goals on their own ground. They have only won once in their last five games and they conceded 11 goals in those games, but they have a good run of games after this one.

Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White are the Forest players to have at the moment for fantasy managers.

City won 1-0 away to Spurs last time out to close the gap on two of the three teams ahead of them. They have taken 10 points from their last five away games after only taking one point in the previous five. They have taken 19 points from their last nine games and they scored 25 goals in those games with only Liverpool scoring more goals.

Erling Haaland is the best of the City players for fantasy managers with Omar Marmoush worth considering too.

I think this will be a very close game with a draw being the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Brighton And Hove Albion v Fulham 

3pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton won 2-1 at home to Bournemouth in their last game and they’re only four points behind fourth place.  They have won their last three home games after failing to win the previous five with only Villa drawing more games on their own patch. They have won their last three games and they scored nine goals in those games with only Everton drawing more games.

Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro are the Brighton players who are looking good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Fulham won 2-1 away to Wolves last time out and they’re only one point behind Brighton going into this game. They have won their last three away games with only the top three taking more points on their travels. They have won four of their last six games, but they have a tough run of games coming up.

Antonee Robinson is the best bet in the Fulham team for fantasy managers.

With these two teams so fond of drawing games a draw would seem to be the most obvious result in this game.

Prediction: 1-1

Crystal Palace v Ipswich Town 

3pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace won 4-1 at home to Villa in their last game to move up to 12th place in the table. They won their last home game after only taking one point from the previous three with only the bottom three scoring less goals on their own ground. They have only lost twice in their last 10 games and their next two opponents are both in the bottom three, but they don’t play next week.

With Jean-Philippe Mateta injured the Palace defenders and keeper are the probably the players to look at for fantasy managers.

Ipswich lost 3-2 away to 10 man United last time out and they’re five points from safety with 11 games left to play. They have only taken two points from their last five away games and they conceded 11 goals in those games. They have only taken one point from their last seven games and they conceded 22 goals in those games with only Southampton and Leicester conceding more goals.

Liam Delap is the only Ipswich player for fantasy managers to even consider.

I think Palace should be good enough at home to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Liverpool v Southampton 

3pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool won 2-0 at home to Newcastle in their last game to move 13 points clear at the top of the table and the league is as good as over already. They’re unbeaten in their last 11 home games with no other team taking more points or conceding less goals on their own patch. They’re unbeaten in 24 games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Mohamed Salah is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with all of their defenders and keeper great choices too along with Luis Diaz.

Southampton lost 4-0 away to Chelsea last time out to remain rooted to the foot of the table and it’s just a matter of when their relegation is confirmed at this stage. They have only taken five points from their 14 away games with no other team scoring less goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last 17 games with no other team scoring less or conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Southampton players to recommend to fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive Liverpool victory in this game.

Prediction: 4-0

Brentford v Aston Villa

5.30pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford drew 1-1 at home to Brentford in their last game and they’re now four points off the top half of the table. They have only taken two points from their last six home games, but no other team has scored more goals on their own ground. They have taken 10 points from their last five games and they only conceded four goals in those games.

Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa are the Brentford players who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

Villa lost 4-1 away to Palace last time out to drop to 10th place, but they’re still only five points off the top four. They have only taken four points from their last nine away games with only four other teams taking less points on the road. They have only won once in their last seven games, but they drew four of them with no other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are the Villa players to have for fantasy managers.

I think Brentford will make home advantage count to take the three points against a Villa team who aren’t travelling well at the moment.

Prediction: 2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton 

8pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves lost 2-1 at home to Fulham in their last game, but they’re still five points above the bottom three. They have lost three of their last four home games, but five of their remaining six games on their own patch are against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have won two of their last four games after losing the previous four, but they could struggle for the next few games with Matheus Cunha suspended.

With Cunha suspended it’s difficult to see any other Wolves players who might do well for fantasy managers, but Jorgen Strand Larsen might be a possibility.

Everton drew 1-1 away to Brentford last time out and they are 10 points ahead of Wolves going into this game, but only one place above them. They have taken seven points from their last three away games, but no other team has scored less goals on their travels. They have taken 15 points and scored 15 goals in their last seven games, but only the bottom three have scored less goals.

The Everton defenders and keeper are looking good for fantasy managers at the moment with Beto an option too.

I think Everton’s resurgence will continue with a narrow win in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Sunday March 9

Chelsea v Leicester City 

2pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea won 4-0 at home to Southampton in their last game and they’re only one point off the top four. They have won their last three home games and they scored nine goals in those games with five of their last six home games against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have only won three of their last 11 games, but only one of their next five opponents are in the top half of the table.

Cole Palmer is the best of the Chelsea players for fantasy managers.

Leicester lost 2-0 away to West Ham last time out and they’re five points from safety, but it’s hard to see how they can get even those five points before the end of the season on current form. They have lost seven of their last eight away games with no other team conceding more goals on the road. They have lost 11 of their last 12 games and they conceded 31 goals in those games with only Southampton scoring less and conceding more goals.

I can’t see any Leicester players to recommend to fantasy managers.

I can’t see anything other than a comfortable Chelsea victory in this game.

Prediction: 3-0

Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth 

2pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 1-0 at home to City in their last game and they’re still nine points off the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last nine home games and they conceded 21 goals in those games, but only Brentford have scored scored more goals on their own patch. They had won three games in a row before losing to City and only Liverpool have scored more goals.

Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-Min, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are the Spurs players who can all do well for fantasy managers.

Bournemouth lost 2-1 away to Brighton last time out, but they’re still within four points of fourth place. They lost their last away game after taking 17 points from the previous seven and only three other teams have taken more points on their travels. They have lost three of their last four games after being unbeaten in the previous 11 and six of their next seven games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo and Milos Kerkez are the Bournemouth players to have for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth have enough to take the game to Spurs and manage a narrow victory.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester United v Arsenal 

4.30pm GMT. Old Trafford, Manchester 

United won 3-2 at home to Ipswich in their last game despite playing with 10 men for much of the game, but they still need to make up nine points to move into the top half of the table. They have lost five of their last seven home games and their next two games on their own ground are against last season’s top two. They have only won four of their last 14 games and four of their next five games are against teams in the top six.

Bruno Fernandes is the United player who can make an impression for fantasy managers at the moment.

Arsenal drew 0-0 away to Forest last time out and their chances of winning the league are now gone. They are unbeaten in their last nine away games and they have kept clean sheets in their last three games on the road with only Palace conceding less goals away from home. They have only lost once in their last 17 games, but they have failed to score in their last two games and no other team has conceded less goals.

The Arsenal defenders and keeper are all good choices for fantasy managers with Ethan Nwaneri a possibility too.

I think Arsenal will be too strong for United and should take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Monday March 10

West Ham United v Newcastle United 

8pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham won 2-0 at home to Leicester in their last game to move up to 15th place, but they’re still nine points off the top half of the table. They won their last home game after only winning one of the previous five and their next two games on their own patch are very difficult. They have won their last two games without conceding a goal after only winning two of the previous 10, but only four other teams have conceded more goals.

Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player who can do really well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Newcastle lost 2-0 away to Liverpool last time out, but they are still only three points off fourth place. They lost their last two away games without scoring a goal, but they won the previous four and their next two games on their travels are against teams in the bottom six. They have lost four of their last six games while  conceding 16 goals in those games and they don’t play next week.

With Alexander Isak possibly injured and Anthony Gordon suspended Jacob Murphy is probably the Newcastle player most likely to perform for fantasy managers.

I don’t think there will be too much between these two teams and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.

Prediction: 1-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.