Predictions For Premier League Gameweek Eight

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a reasonable week last time out with six correct outcomes and four incorrect outcomes which saw me move up one 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 -	hitch	12	27	33	6	78.0
2 1	Cole	14	27	27	7	75.0
3 1	IcemanRazor	11	28.5	27	6	72.5
4 3	Gooners	13	27	24	6	70.0
5 4	Sam	12	30	21	6	69.0

My choice of Erling Haaland as my fantasy captain didn’t pay off last week as he failed to score for the second game in a row. Thankfully Bukayo Saka, Danny Welbeck, Cole Palmer and Lucas Digne came to the rescue and I managed to move up in the overall standings. The chances are Haaland will be my captain again this week with City travelling to the worst defence in the league.

I brought Palmer in for Mohamed Salah last week and it paid off and I’ll probably bring Bryan Mbeumo in for Luis Diaz this week. That will leave me with no Liverpool players despite them being on top of the table, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

Saturday October 19

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United 

12.30pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs led 2-0 away to Brighton last week, but they ended up losing 3-2 to drop back to ninth place. They have won two of their three home games with only Liverpool conceding less goals on their own ground and they have a good run of home games coming up. They have lost three of their last five games, but only three other teams have scored more goals.

Brennan Johnson is the in form Spurs player for fantasy managers with James Maddison, Dominic Solanke and Son Heung-Min (if he’s fit to play) good options too.

West Ham won 4-1 at home to Ipswich last time out and they’re only two points behind Spurs going into this game. They’re still unbeaten away from home with only Liverpool conceding less goals on the road. The win against Ipswich was their first win in five games and they have a very tough run of games coming up.

Jarrod Bowen is the West Ham player to have for fantasy managers while Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio have both done well at a good price.

I think Spurs will get back to winning ways with a couple of goals to spare in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Fulham v Aston Villa

3pm BST, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham led early on away to City last week, but they ended up losing 3-2 which still left them three points off the top four. They are unbeaten at home with only three other teams conceding less goals on their own patch. The defeat against City was their first loss in six games and only four other teams have conceded less goals.

Emile Smith Rowe and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players for fantasy managers to look out for while Antonee  Robinson should be considered too.

Villa drew 0-0 at home to United last time out and that point kept them in fifth place, but they’re now four points behind the leaders. They are still unbeaten on their travels with seven points from three games, but their away games are about to get a lot harder. They have taken 11 points from their last five games, but they only kept their first clean sheet against United.

Ollie Watkins is the Villa player to have for fantasy managers with Morgan Rogers performing very well at a good price too.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Ipswich Town v Everton

3pm BST, Portman Road, Ipswich

Ipswich lost 4-1 away to West Ham in their last game, but they’re still a point above the relegation zone as other results went their way. They’re one of five teams without a home win, but they have drawn two of their three games on their own ground. They’re one of four teams without a win with no other team drawing more games and only three other teams scoring less goals.

Liam Delap is the Ipswich player who has being impressing for fantasy managers so far.

Everton drew 0-0 at home to Newcastle last week and that point moved them two points above the bottom three. They have only taken one point from their three away games with only Brentford scoring less goals on the road and only three other teams conceding more. They’re unbeaten in three games and they have a very good run of games coming up, but only Wolves have conceded more goals and only four other teams have scored less.

Dwight McNeil has been the best of the Everton players for fantasy managers with Dominic Calvert-Lewin worth looking at too considering their upcoming fixtures.

I think Everton should be good enough to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester United v Brentford 

3pm BST, Old Trafford, Manchester 

Untied drew 0-0 away to Villa last time out and they’re already 10 points off the top of the table after only seven games. They have lost two of their three home games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their last six games with only Southampton scoring less goals, but they have some good games coming up.

United’s defenders and keeper have all done fairly well so far for fantasy managers and that could continue over their next few games.

Brentford won 5-3 at home to Wolves in their last game and they’re only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They’re one of two teams without a point on their travels and no other has scored less goals away from home. The win against Wolves was their first win in four games and they have a very good run of games coming up with only three other teams scoring more goals.

Bryan Mbeumo is the Brentford player who can make a real difference for fantasy managers.

I think United will make home advantage pay and get a badly needed win in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Newcastle United v Brighton And Hove Albion

3pm BST, St. James’ Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle drew 0-0 away to Everton in their last game after missing a penalty, but they’re still only two points behind fourth place. They’re one of six teams still unbeaten at home with only Liverpool conceding less goals on their own ground. They haven’t won in three games and their next three games are against teams above them with only six other teams scoring less goals.

Harvey Barnes is the Newcastle player most likely to succeed for fantasy managers at the moment with Alexander Isak a possibility if he returns from injury.

Brighton came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at home to Spurs last week and they’re ahead of Newcastle on goal difference going into this game. They haven’t won in their last two away games and they have two very difficult games on the road in a row starting with this one. The win against Spurs was their first win in five games, but they drew three of them with only Forest and Ipswich drawing more.

Danny Welbeck has been in very good form for fantasy managers while Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter are possible choices too.

Newcastle should be good enough at home to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Southampton v Leicester City 

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

Southampton lost 3-1 away to Arsenal in their last game after taking the lead and they’re only off the foot of the table on goal difference. They’re one of five teams without a home win so far and no other team has scored less goals on their own ground. They’re one of four teams without a win with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves conceding more.

I’m not sure there are any Southampton players doing enough to turn the heads of fantasy managers at the moment, but Tyler Dibling could be one to watch.

Leicester won 1-0 at home to Bournemouth last week to get their first win of the season and move themselves three points clear of the bottom three. They have only taken one point away from home so far, but their next two games on their travels are against the two other newly promoted teams. They will fancy their chances of getting something from their next three games starting with this one and they have scored in each of their seven games so far.

Facundo Buonanotte looks like he could be a very good choice for fantasy managers at a nice price with James Justin impressing recently and Jamie Vardy always a threat.

This is a huge game for two of the newly promoted teams and I think Leicester have shown enough so far to suggest they will win it.

Prediction: 1-2

Bournemouth v Arsenal 

5.30pm BST, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth lost 1-0 away to Leicester last time out to make it theee defeats in their last four games. Their next two home games are against last season’s top two and only three other teams have conceded less goals on their own ground. They have five points to spare over the bottom three, but they’re going into a very testing run of games.

Antoine Semenyo is the Bournemouth player most likely to make a difference for fantasy managers.

Arsenal came from behind to win 3-1 at home to Southampton in their last game and that kept them a point behind Liverpool at the top of the table. They’re one of six teams still unbeaten away from home with only Liverpool conceding less goals on the road. They’re one of two teams still unbeaten with only City and Chelsea scoring more goals and only Liverpool conceding less.

Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Magahlaes are the Arsenal players who have had a real impact for fantasy managers.

I think Arsenal will continue their unbeaten start to the season with another three points in this game.

Prediction: 0-2

Sunday October 20

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester City 

2pm BST, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves lost 5-3 away to Brentford last week and that defeat left them rooted to the foot of the table with only one point from seven games. They’re the only team without a point at home and no other team has conceded more goals on their own patch. They have scored in each of their last six games and only two other teams in the bottom half of the table have scored more goals, but no other team has conceded more.

Once their fixtures improve the Wolves players to target for fantasy managers will be Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

City came from behind to win 3-2 at home to Fulham in their last game and they’re only one point behind Liverpool at the top of the table. They’re one of six teams unbeaten away from home with only Liverpool conceding less goals on their travels. They haven’t kept a clean sheet in six games, but they have a very good run of games coming up and no other team has scored more goals.

Erling Haaland is a must have for fantasy managers and Mateo Kovacic looks like he could be worth a shout too.

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

Prediction: 1-4

Liverpool v Chelsea 

4.30pm BST, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool won 1-0 away to Palace last week and that win was enough to keep them one point ahead of City and Arsenal at the top of the table. Their only defeat so far came at home to Forest and no other team has conceded less goals on their own ground. No other team has won more games or conceded less goals, but they have some tough games coming up starting with this one.

Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are probably the best of the Liverpool players for fantasy managers, but all of their defenders and keeper are good choices too along with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Forest in their last game and that point was enough to keep them in the top four on goal difference ahead of Villa. They’re one of two teams still with a 100% record away from home and no other team has scored more goals on the road. They’re unbeaten in their last six games with only City scoring more goals, but this is the first of four very difficult games in a row.

Cole Palmer is the Chelsea player of choice for fantasy managers with Nicolas Jackson a good option too.

I think Liverpool will keep their place at the top of the table by winning this game with a couple of goals in hand.

Prediction: 3-1

Monday October 21

Nottingham Forest v Crystal Palace 

8pm BST, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest drew 1-1 away to Chelsea last week and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table. They haven’t won at home so far with only two other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only lost one of their seven games, but they drew four of them with no other team drawing more games and only Liverpool conceding less goals.

Chris Wood is looking very good for fantasy managers and he’s still available at a good price.

Palace lost 1-0 at home to Liverpool last time out and they’re still in the bottom three without a win. They have a reasonable run of away games coming up, but only one other team has scored less goals on their travels. They have drawn three of their seven games, but only Southampton have scored less goals and they need to get their first win very soon.

Eberechi Eze should be the Palace player to impress for fantasy managers, but not until they can get their shooting boots on at least.

I think Forest will continue their impressive start to the season with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek Seven

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 four correct outcomes and six incorrect outcomes which saw me drop to 12th 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 -	hitch	9	22.5	33	5	69.5
2 3	IcemanRazor	8	28.5	24	6	66.5
3 4	Cole	11	21	27	6	65.0
4 2	lousaurus	11	22.5	24	6	63.5
5 1	nzbuddy	9	19.5	30	4	62.5

As bad as my predictions went last week my fantasy team was even worse with just Mohamed Salah and Antoine Semenyo scoring points as my overall rank fell badly. My choice of Erling Haaland as my captain didn’t work out, but the chances are I’ll go with him again this week as City play at home and he has six goals in the three home games he has played so far. 

Besides that I need to find a way to get Cole Palmer into my team with Chelsea scoring so many goals at the moment. I have two free transfers and the chances are I will have to sacrifice Salah or Bukayo Saka to bring Palmer in. I hope it’s worth the risk, but I feel I need to do something to make up for last week.

Saturday October 5

Crystal Palace v Liverpool 

12.30pm BST, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace lost 2-1 away to Everton last week after leading and they’re still looking for their first win of the season. They have drawn two and lost one of their three home games, but only two other teams have scored less goals on their own ground. They’re one of five teams without a win and only Southampton have scored less goals.

On current form I can’t see any Palace players doing enough to interest fantasy managers.

Liverpool won 2-1 away to Wolves last week and that win was enough to move them back to the top of the league. They’re one of two teams still with a 100% record away from home with no other team conceding less goals on the road and only Chelsea scoring more. They have won five of their six games and no other team has conceded less goals, but they face two of the other top four teams in their next three games.

Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and all of the Liverpool defenders and keeper are looking like very good choices for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Liverpool will keep their place at the top of the table with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Arsenal v Southampton 

3pm BST, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal needed two added time goals to win 4-2 at home to Leicester last week and that win moved them up to third place. They have taken seven points from their first three home games with no other team taking more points on their own patch and only City scoring more goals. They’re one of two teams still unbeaten with only Liverpool conceding less goals and only Chelsea and City scoring more.

Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and all of Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are doing very well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Southampton lost 3-1 away to Bournemouth last week and they’re only off the foot of the table on goal difference. They’re one of two teams without a point away from home with no other team scoring less goals on their travels and only Everton and Leicester conceding more. They’re one of five teams without a win with no other team scoring less goals and only Wolves and Everton conceding more.

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

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

Prediction: 3-0

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

3pm BST, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford drew 1-1 at home to West Ham last week to keep themselves safely in mid table. They have taken seven points from their three home games with no other team taking more points on their own ground and they have a very good run of home games coming up. They haven’t won in three games and they haven’t kept a clean sheet yet with only four other teams conceding more goals.

Bryan Mbeumo is the Brentford player to have for fantasy managers at the moment.

Wolves lost 2-1 at home to Liverpool last week and that defeat left them at the foot of the table with just one point from their first six games. Their only point so far came away from home with no other team scoring less goals on the road, but they don’t go to any of the big six until the end of the year. They have lost their last three games and no other team has conceded more goals which is not a record they would want with City visiting them in their next game.

Matheus Cunha can do well for fantasy managers when their fixtures eventually improve after their next game.

I think Brentford will be strong enough at home to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Leicester City v Bournemouth 

3pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester conceded two added time goals to lose 4-2 away to Arsenal last week and they’re still waiting for their first win of the season. They have drawn two of their three home games and they will think they have a chance of getting their first win in this game. They’re one of five teams without a win with only Wolves and Leicester conceding less goals.

Jamie Vardy is probably the cut price option in the Leicester team who could do something for fantasy managers.

Bournemouth won 3-1 at home to Southampton last week to leave them in the middle of the table with eight points from their first six games. They have taken four points from their three away games and they have a good run of games on the road until the new year. They had lost their previous two games before beating Southampton and they play three of the top five in their next three games after this one.

Antoine Semenyo is the Bournemouth player who can make a difference for fantasy managers

I think this will be a very close game with Bournemouth probably emerging with a narrow victory.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester City v Fulham 

3pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City drew 1-1 away to Newcastle last week and that draw cost them their place at the top of the table, but they’re only a point behind Liverpool. They have taken seven points from their three home games with no other team scoring more goals on their own ground and they have a good run of home games coming up. They are one of two teams still unbeaten with only Chelsea scoring more goals and they have a very good run of games until late in November.

Erling Haaland is still a must have for fantasy managers despite not scoring last week, but I can’t see any of their other players being consistent enough just yet.

Fulham won 1-0 away to Forest last week and that win moved them up to sixth place in the table. They have taken four points from their three away games, but no other team has scored less goals on the road. They have taken 11 points from their last five games and they kept their first clean sheet last week with only Liverpool conceding less goals.

Emile Snith Rowe, Armand Traore and maybe even Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players looking the part for fantasy managers at the moment.

I can’t see anything other than a City win in this game with at least a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 3-1

West Ham United v Ipswich Town 

3pm BST, London Stadium, London 

West Ham came from behind to draw 1-1 away to Palace last week and they have only won once in their first six games. They’re one of two teams without a home point with only Wolves conceding more goals on their own patch. They haven’t won in four games and they play big six teams in their next two games after this one which means they could really do with all three points in this game.

Jarrod Bowen is the best of the West Ham players for fantasy managers while Tomas Soucek is a good option at a nice price.

Ipswich came from behind to draw 2-2 at home to Villa last week, but they’re still looking for their first win of the season. Two of their four points have come away from home, but no other team has scored less goals on their travels. They’re one of five teams still without a win and only Southampton have scored less goals, but they have a good chance of getting that first win in each of their next four games starting with this one.

Liam Delap showed against Villa that he’s a good option for fantasy managers at a very good price.

I think Ipswich will make a game of it, but West Ham will get a much needed win in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Everton v Newcastle United 

5.30pm BST, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton recorded their first win of the season when they came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Palace last week and it was enough to move them out of the bottom three. They had lost their first two home games before beating Palace last week with only two other teams conceding more goals on their own ground. Only Wolves have conceded more goals so far, but their upcoming games will give them a great chance to climb a lot higher in the league.

Dwight McNeil lived up to my prediction for fantasy managers last week while Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be worth considering too.

Newcastle came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to City last week and they’re only two points off the top four. They have taken four points from their last two away games and five of their next six games on their travels are against teams who finished in the bottom half of the table last season or were promoted. They haven’t won in two games and they play two of the big six in their next four games.

Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak (if he’s fit) all look like good options for fantasy managers.

This is a game which could go either way, but the chances are the spoils will be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Sunday October 6

Aston Villa v Manchester United 

_{2pm BST, Villa Park, Birmingham} 

Villa drew 2-2 away to Ipswich last week and missed their chance to move up to second place, but they’re only two points behind the leaders. They have won their last two home games and they scored six goals in those games. Only Chelsea and City have scored more goals, but they play three of the big six in their next five games.

Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers are looking like they’re the best choices in the Villa team for fantasy managers while Jhon Duran could be an option too despite playing from the bench.

United lost 3-0 at home to Spurs last week after going down to 10 men in the first half and they have now dropped to 13th place. They have taken four points from their last two away games, but they play two of last season’s top four in their next four away games. They have lost three of their six games with only Southampton scoring less goals.

Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot have been the best of the United players so far for fantasy managers, but after last week’s performance their defensive players might not be the best options.

I think Villa will build on their impressive start to the season with another three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Chelsea v Nottingham Forest 

2pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea won 4-2 at home to Brighton last week and that win was enough to move them into the top four. That win against Brighton was their first home win of the season and their next three home games after this one are all very difficult. They have taken 13 points from their last five games with no other team scoring more goals, but they have four very tough games in a row after this game.

Cole Palmer looks like an absolute must have for fantasy managers after his four goals last week while Nicolas Jackson has been in very good form too.

Forest lost their unbeaten run last week when they lost 1-0 at home to Fulham, but they are still in the top half of the table. They’re still unbeaten away from home with only Chelsea and Liverpool taking more points on the road and only Liverpool conceding less goals. They will do well to get anything from this game, but only Liverpool have conceded less goals and they have a good run of games coming up.

Chris Wood has been the best of the Forest players so far for fantasy managers.

I think Chelsea will make it four wins in a row with another win in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Brighton And Hove Albion v Tottenham Hotspur 

4.30pm BST, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton’s unbeaten start to the season came to an abrupt end last week when they lost 4-2 away to Chelsea, but they held on to their place in the top half of the table. They’re still unbeaten at home, but they have drawn their last two games and they face two of the big six in their next three games on their own patch. After winning their first two games they haven’t won in four and it won’t be easy to get anything from this game either.

Danny Welbeck and Karou Mitoma are the Brighton players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

Spurs won 3-0 away to United last week and that win put them a point and a place ahead of Brighton going into this game. The win against United was their first away win of the season and they will be looking to build on that in this game. They have won their last two games after only winning one of their first four with only Chelsea and City scoring more goals.

If he’s fit to to play Son Heung-Min is the best of the Spurs players for fantasy managers with Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke all looking good too.

This looks like a hard game to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.

Prediction: 2-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek Six

It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t have the greatest week last week with one perfect prediction, three correct outcomes and six incorrect outcomes which saw me drop another 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 -	hitch	8	18	33	5	64.0
2	lousaurus	7	21	24	5	57.0
3 1	SammyW	10	22.5	18	6	56.5
4 3	nzbuddy	7	18	27	4	56.0
5 4	IcemanRazor	5	27	18	5	55.

I didn’t have the greatest week with my fantasy team last week, but I didn’t lose too much ground and I’m still inside the top 1% of managers. My choice of Mohamed Salah as my captain sort of paid off with his assist and he was helped by Gabriel Magahlaes, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Luis Diaz, Danny Welbeck and Erling Haaland. The chances are I will revert to giving the captain’s armband to Haaland as it’s just impossible to bet against him at the moment.

The fixtures are looking very good for Arsenal at the moment and their players are looking like great choices. Morgan Rogers eventually returned some points for fantasy managers while players like Ola Aina, Welbeck, Smith Rowe, Harvey Barnes, Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood are good options too.

Saturday September 28

Newcastle United v Manchester City 

12.30pm BST, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle lost 3-1 away to Fulham last week to put an end to their unbeaten start to the season and see them drop to sixth in the league. They have won their two home games so far, but their next three home games are against teams who are all unbeaten. Only the top three scored more goals last season, but they haven’t been so lethal in front of goal so far this season.

Harvey Barnes is the in form Newcastle player at the moment with Antony Gordon and Alexander Isak still capable of stepping up.

City came from behind to get a 2-2 draw at home to 10 man Arsenal last week and that point was enough to keep them at the top of the table. They have won their first two away games and no other team took more points or scored more goals away from home last season. They may have dropped their first points of the season against Arsenal, but no other team has scored more goals so far and they have a very good run of games after this one.

Haaland is an absolute must have for fantasy managers while Savio Savinho might be worth considering too.

I think Newcastle will make a game of it, but the chances are City will win narrowly.

Prediction: 1-2

Arsenal v Leicester City 

3pm BST, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal held on with 10 men to draw 2-2 away to City last week, but they dropped to fourth in the table as other teams around them won their games. Only Liverpool took more points on their own ground last season and their next two home games are against newly promoted teams starting with this one. They are one of four teams still unbeaten with only Liverpool conceding less goals.

Bukayo Saka is a very good option for fantasy managers at the moment with all of the Arsenal defenders and David Raya great choices too. 

Leicester drew 1-1 at home to Everton last week to make it three points from their first five games. This will be one of their most difficult away games, but their next two games on the road are against the other two newly promoted teams. They are one of six teams without a win so far, but they have scored in all of their games. 

Jamie Vardy is the Leicester player most likely to make a difference for fantasy managers while Stephy Mavididi has done well in their last two games.

I think Arsenal should be good enough to win this game by at least a couple of goals.

Prediction: 3-1

Brentford v West Ham United 

3pm BST, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford lost 3-1 away to Spurs last week to make it three defeats in their first five games. They have won both of their home games though and they have a very good run of home games coming up. Only the bottom two teams have conceded more goals, but they will still fancy their chances on their own patch.

With Yoane Wissa injured for a couple of months Bryan Mbeumo is the Brentford player to have for fantasy managers.

West Ham lost 3-0 at home to Chelsea last week and they’re a point behind Brentford going into this game. All four of their points so far have come away from home, but only two other teams conceded more goals on their travels last season. Only the bottom two have conceded more goals and they play two of the big six in their next three games after this one.

Jarrod Bowen is the best of the West Ham players for fantasy managers.

I think Brentford should be able to use their home advantage to take all three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Chelsea v Brighton And Hove Albion 

3pm BST, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea won 3-0 away to West Ham and that victory moved them up to fifth place. They have only taken one point from their two home games, but they will hope to change that with their next two games being on their own ground. Since losing their first game they have taken 10 points from four games and they scored 11 goals in those games with only City scoring more goals.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are the Chelsea players to have for fantasy managers.

Brighton drew 2-2 at home to Forest last week to remain unbeaten after five games. They have already drawn away to Arsenal and their next three away games are all very tough starting with this one. Five of their next six games are against teams who finished in the top seven last season and they will do very well to maintain their unbeaten record over those games.

Danny Welbeck is the Brighton player looking best for fantasy managers at the moment with Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro (if he’s fit to play) good choices too.

I think this will be a very close game with Chelsea probably emerging with the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Everton v Crystal Palace 

3pm BST, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Everton drew 1-1 away to Leicester last week to get their first point of the season and it was enough to get them off the foot of the table alphabetically. They have lost both of their home games with only Wolves and West Ham conceding more goals on their own patch. They have a very good run of games coming up and they will hope to build on the point they got last week.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has looked good recently for fantasy managers with Dwight McNeil impressing too.

Palace drew 0-0 at home to United last week and they’re still waiting for their first win of the season. Only two teams scored less goals away from home last season, but they don’t play any of the big six on the road until next February. They need to get their first win of the season and they will think they have a good chance of getting it in this game.

None of the Palace players have done much for fantasy managers so far, but Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta both have the potential to do so.

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

Nottingham Forest v Fulham 

3pm BST, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest drew 2-2 away to Brighton last week to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. They only won five home games last season and they still haven’t won at home this season despite being unbeaten. They have a good run of games coming up and only Liverpool and Arsenal have conceded less goals.

Chris Wood looks to be the pick of the Forest players for fantasy managers with their keeper and defenders looking quite good too.

Fulham won 3-1 at home to Newcastle last week and they’re only a point behind Forest going into this game. They only won four away games last season and they have only taken one point from their first two games on their travels this season. They haven’t kept a clean sheet so far this season, but they only conceded one goal in each of their five games.

Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore are the Fulham players doing the business for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Forest should have enough on their own ground to take all the points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool 

5.30pm BST, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves conceded three goals in the last 20 minutes to lose 3-1 away to Villa last week and that defeat saw them drop to the foot of the table. They have lost both of their home games so far and they conceded eight goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals on their own ground. They play both of the top two in their next three games and things could get even worse for them with no other team conceding more goals.

Both Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen could do well for fantasy managers, but not for at least a few weeks.

Liverpool won 3-0 at home to Bournemouth last week and that victory moved them up to second place one point behind City. They have won both of their away games so far without conceding a goal and no other team has conceded less goals on the road. They have two good games in a row before they play four of the teams directly below them in the table.

Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz are in great form for fantasy managers along with all of the Liverpool defenders and their keeper.

I think Liverpool will add to Wolves’ woes by winning this game with a few points to spare.

Prediction: 0-3

Sunday September 29

Ipswich Town v Aston Villa 

2pm BST, Portman Road, Ipswich 

Ipswich scored in added time to draw 1-1 away to Southampton last week and they have three points from their first five games. No other team has scored less goals on their own patch, but they play two of the other teams without a win in their next two home games after this one. They have drawn their last three games to stay clear of the relegation zone, but only Southampton have scored less goals.

I’m not sure there are any Ipswich players doing enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.

Villa came from behind to win 3-1 at home to Wolves last week and that victory moved them up to third place and within a point of the leaders. They have won both of their away games so far and they will feel they can win the next two as well. They are in the middle of a very good run of games with only City and Chelsea scoring more goals.

Ollie Watkins is still the Villa player to have for fantasy managers while Morgan Rogers finally came good last week.

I think Villa’s impressive start to the season will continue with another victory in this game.

Prediction: 1-3

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur 

4.30pm BST, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United drew 0-0 away to Palace last week and they’re already six points off the top of the table after only five games. Two of their next three home games are against other big six teams and no other team has scored less goals on their own ground so far. They have only won twice in their first five games and they really need to take the three points in this game.

United’s defenders and keeper are looking good for fantasy managers at the moment, but their attacking players haven’t done too much so far.

Spurs won 3-1 at home to Brentford last week and they’re only above United on goal difference going into this game. They have only taken one point away from home so far and three of their next four games are on the road. They had lost two games in a row before beating Brentford and they have a good run of games after this one.

Son Heung-Min and James Maddison are the form Spurs players for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this is a game which could go either way and the chances are both teams will take a point.

Prediction: 1-1

Monday September 30

Bournemouth v Southampton 

8pm BST, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth lost 3-0 away to Liverpool last week and they have only won once in their first five games. They have only taken one point from their first two home games, but they were against much tougher opposition than Southampton. Their next two games starting with this one are against newly promoted teams and then their fixtures get very difficult.

Antoine Semenyo is the Bournemouth player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

Southampton conceded at the death to get their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw at home to Ipswich last week and that point was enough to keep them off the foot of the table. They’re one of two teams without a point on their travels and no other team has scored less goals away from home. They play last season’s top two in their next three games after this one with no other team scoring less goals and only the bottom two conceding more.

I can’t see any Southampton players who can do enough to interest fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth should be strong enough at home to win this game.

Prediction: 2-0

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek Five

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, five correct outcomes and four incorrect outcomes which saw me drop one place to 10th 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	hitch	6	15	27	4	52.0
2 1	SammyW	9	19.5	15	6	49.5
3 -	robbieg	7	25.5	9	5	46.5
4 1	lousaurus	5	16.5	21	4	46.5
5 1	TeeBee	8	18	15	4	45.0

My choice of Erling Haaland as my fantasy captain paid off yet again last week as his two goals helped my team to move up to just outside the top 1% in the overall standings. He was ably assisted by Lucas Digne, Gabriel Magahlaes, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe in a week that went badly for a lot of managers, but quite well for me. I had intended making no transfers last week, but the possible absence of Joao Pedro saw me opt to use my wildcard at the last minute.

I can’t afford to use any transfers this week as I need to let them build up so I will have to make do with the squad I have. It’s a brave decision not to choose Haaland as my captain, but I think Mohamed Salah will probably get the armband this week. There are still some bargains to be had for fantasy managers, but I’m glad I had Smith Rowe from the start as his value looks set to climb considerably.

Saturday September 21

West Ham United v Chelsea 

12.30pm BST, London Stadium, London 

West Ham scored a very late goal to draw 1-1 away to Fulham last week, but they have only managed one win in their opening four games. They have lost their two home games so far with only Wolves and Everton conceding more goals on their own ground. Only the three relegated teams conceded more goals last season and they play three of the big six in their next five games.

Jarrod Bowen has shown yet again that he’s the best option in the West Ham team for fantasy managers.

Chelsea scored a late goal to win 1-0 away to Bournemouth last week for their second win of the season which saw them move within two points of the top four. They have won their two away games so far with no other team scoring more goals on the road. They are in the middle of a good run of games with only City scoring more goals.

Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson are still the pick of the bunch in the Chelsea team for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a very close game and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.

Prediction: 2-2

Aston Villa v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

3pm BST, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at home to Everton last week and make it three wins from their first four games. Their only defeat so far came at home to Arsenal, but they have a very good run of home games until just before Christmas. They haven’t kept a clean sheet yet, but only City and Chelsea have scored more goals.

Ollie Watkins is the best choice in the Villa team for fantasy managers, but Jhon Duran, Omadou Onana and Lucas Digne are all worth considering too.

Wolves lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle last week after leading with only 15 minutes left which left them in the bottom three with only one point to their name. That single point so far came away from home, but they will struggle to get anything from this game. Three of their next four games starting with this one are against teams who finished in the top four last season and only Everton have conceded more goals.

Mario Lamina, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha could all do well for fantasy managers when their fixtures improve in a few weeks.

I think Villa should be strong enough to take the three points in this game and make it four wins from their first five games.

Prediction: 3-1

Fulham v Newcastle United 

3pm BST, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to West Ham last week and they have only lost one of their first four games. Four of their five points have come at home, but their next two home games are very tough. They haven’t kept a clean sheet yet and they have a difficult run of games over the next few weeks.

Emile Smith Rowe is the Fulham player to have for fantasy managers with Antonee Robinson and Adama Traore worth considering too.

Newcastle came from behind to win 2-1 away to Wolves last week and they’re now in third place only two points off the top of the table. Only three other teams conceded more goals on their travels last season, but they have taken four points from their first two away games. They have scored in all of their games so far without really convincing, but they have the ability to do even better.

Alexander Isak still looks like the best bet in the Newcastle team for fantasy managers with Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon good options too.

This looks like being a very close game and the chances are it will end in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Leicester City v Everton 

3pm BST, King Power Stadium, Leicester 

Leicester led 2-0 away to Palace last week, but they had to settle for a point with a 2-2 draw and they’re still without a win after four games. They have only taken one point from two very hard home games, but their next three home games are all ones they will feel they can win starting with this one. They haven’t kept a clean sheet yet, but they have also managed to score in each of their games.

Jamie Vardy has done enough to suggest he could do well for fantasy managers and he’s available at a very good price too.

Everton led 2-0 away to Villa last week, but they ended up losing 3-2 for the second week in a row to leave them rooted to the foot of the table. Only Sheffield United scored less goals away from home last season and no other team has conceded more goals on the road so far. They don’t play any of the big six in their next eight games, but no other team has conceded more goals.

Despite Everton’s poor start to the season Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dwight McNeil have both done well for fantasy managers at a good price.

This is a big game for two teams looking for their first win at the wrong end of the table and I have a feeling Everton might just win narrowly.

Prediction: 1-2

Liverpool v Bournemouth 

3pm BST, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool’s perfect start to the season came to an end last week when they lost 1-0 at home to Forest and they dropped to fourth place. No other team took more points at home last season and the defeat to Forest was a huge shock which they cannot afford to repeat if they want to challenge for the league. No other team has conceded less goals so far and they will be expected to win their next three games starting with this one.

Mohamed Salah is the best of the Liverpool players for fantasy managers with Luis Diaz impressing too.

Bournemouth played very well at home to Chelsea last week, but they failed to take their chances including a missed penalty and ended up losing 1-0. They have taken four points from their first two away games, but games on the road don’t get much more difficult than this one. The defeat against Chelsea was their first defeat of the season and they play all of last season’s top four in their next six games.

Antoine Semenyo is the Bournemouth player to have at the moment for fantasy managers.

I think Liverpool will bounce back from their setback last week to win this game with a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 2-0

Southampton v Ipswich Town

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

Southampton missed a penalty at home to United last week when the scores were still level and they ended up losing 3-0 to leave them just off the foot of the table on goal difference. They are the only team who haven’t scored at home so far, but their next three home games are against the two other promoted teams and the only team below them in the table. They’re one of two teams without a point with only Everton and Wolves conceding more goals and no other team scoring less.

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

Ipswich held on for a very good point in a 0-0 draw away to Brighton last week and that point was enough to keep them out of the relegation zone. They will be hoping to get something from this game following last week’s excellent point and they have a chance of getting something from their next two games on their travels too. They have done well to get two draws so far, but only Southampton have scored less goals and they won’t stay up if they can’t find the net more often.

For fantasy managers looking for a cut price striker Liam Delap might just fit the bill.

This is a huge game for two newly promoted teams struggling at the wrong end of the table and I think Ipswich have shown enough so far to suggest they will take the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Tottenham Hotspur v Brentford 

3pm BST, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 1-0 at home to bitter rivals Arsenal last week and they have only won once in their opening four games. They were the only team not to draw at home last season and their next five home games are all ones they will be favourites to win. They have lost their last two games, but they have a very good schedule until late in November.

Son Heung-Min and Pedro Porto are the Spurs players most likely to turn the heads of fantasy managers.

Brentford lost 2-1 away to City last week after taking an early lead to make it two wins and two defeats to start the season. They have lost their two away games so far with no other team scoring less goals on the road. After this game they have a very good run of games for the next couple of months.

With Yoane Wissa out for a while Bryan Mbeumo is the Brentford player who should be of most interest to fantasy managers.

I think Brentford will make Spurs work very hard and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them get a point.

Prediction: 1-1

Crystal Palace v Manchester United 

5.30pm BST, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Leicester last week, but they only have two points as they still wait for their first win. Their next three home games are against big six teams and they could find themselves struggling for points in those games. Only Brighton drew more games last season and only the bottom three have conceded more goals so far.

Eberechi Eze is the pick of the bunch in the Palace team for fantasy managers while Jean-Philippe Mateta showed last week that he could be worth having too.

United won 3-0 away to Southampton last week after Andre Onana saved a penalty when the scores were still level to make it two wins from their first four games. They lost as many away games as they won last season and they conceded more goals on the road than they scored. Their next two games after this one are against teams who finished in the top five last season and we might have an idea of how good they are after those games.

None of the United players have been outstanding so far for fantasy managers, but Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are worth watching at a good price with Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo all possibilities too.

This is another game which could be very close and the chances are the points will be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Sunday September 22

Brighton And Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest 

2pm BST, Goodison Park, Liverpool 

Brighton could only draw 0-0 at home to lowly Ipswich last week, but they’re still unbeaten with eight points from their first four games. They have a mixed bag of home games coming up and they could do with taking the three points in this game after failing to do so against Ipswich last week. They play five of last season’s top seven in their next six games after this game and they will do well to be near the top of the table after those games.

Joao Pedro (if he’s fit to play), Danny Welbeck and Kaoru Mitoma are all good options for fantasy managers.

Forest had a fantastic 1-0 win away to Liverpool last week to remain unbeaten with eight points from their first four games too. They have won their two away games without conceding a goal and they will fancy their chances after seeing Ipswich take a point off Brighton last week. They only play one of the big six in their next seven games with only Arsenal and Liverpool conceding less goals.

Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Ola Aina are all looking like good choices for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Brighton will make home advantage count with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Manchester City v Arsenal 

4.30pm BST, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City came from behind to win 2-1 at home to Brentford last week and that win kept them at the top of the table with four wins from four games. They were the only team unbeaten at home last season with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals on their own ground. They have only kept one clean sheet in their first four games, but they have scored 11 goals in those games with Erling Haaland bagging nine of them.

Haaland is an absolute must have for fantasy managers, but none of the other City players are setting the world alight at the moment.

Arsenal won 1-0 away to Spurs last week to move up to second place two points behind City. They have won their opening two away games without conceding a goal and no other team conceded less goals on the road last season. They have had some very difficult games to start the season and this will be the toughest of all, but their next two games after this one are against newly promoted teams.

Bukayo Saka continues to deliver game after game for fantasy managers with Kai Havertz and all of Arsenal’s defenders and keeper very good options too.

This looks like being a really close game between the top two in the league and I think the points will probably be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.