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 good week with my predictions last week as I managed three perfect predictions, four correct outcomes and three incorrect outcomes which saw me move up a couple of places in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Pos  Player                   Res   Cls     Exa    Slm    Pts

1.    Murray1886          40     103.5   90      17     250.5

2.    Sam                      32      95      106    17      250

3.   Gooners                 39      99       96     15      249

4.   robbieg                  37     111       75     17      240

5.   SeniorBurger         34    111       78      16      239

I had a pretty good week with my fantasy team too as I moved up in the overall rankings for the third week in a row to just outside the top 1% of almost 13 million players. My choice of Bruno Fernandes as my captain really paid off and he was ably assisted by Gabriel Magahlaes, Virgil van Dijk, Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo, Declan Rice and Harry Wilson. 

The chances are I will go with the same captain again this week as Erling Haaland is a doubt for City, but I could be tempted to go with Semenyo too. I had intended to hold on to my transfers this week, but I might decide to bring Hugo Ekitike in for Haaland as Haaland doesn’t play in Gameweek 31. 

Tuesday March 3

Bournemouth v Brentford 

7.30pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Sunderland on Saturday and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table. They have taken eight points and scored eight goals in their last four home games with only the top two losing less games on their own ground. They are unbeaten in eight games after failing to win their previous 11 with no other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

James Hill, Rayan Vitor, Marcos Senesi, Marcus Tavernier and Kroupi Junior can all do a good job for fantasy managers.

Brentford scored a last minute goal to win 4-3 away to Burnley at the weekend after initially leading 3-0 and that win kept them in seventh place. They have taken 16 points and scored 14 goals in their last seven away games and they’re the only team not to draw a game on the road. They have taken 10 points from their last five games and they have a good run of games coming up.

Igor Thiago is the best of the Brentford players for fantasy managers with Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade possibilities too.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Everton v Burnley 

7.30pm GMT, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool 

Everton won 3-2 away to Newcastle on Saturday to hold on to eighth place in the table. They have only taken two points from their last six home games with only the bottom five losing more games on their own patch. They have only lost two of their last eight games, but only four other teams have scored less goals.

Kiernon Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner, Iliman Ndiaye, James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford are all worth considering for fantasy managers.

Burnley conceded a last minute goal to lose 4-3 at home to Brentford at the weekend and they’re still eight points from safety with just 10 games left to play. They have taken four points from their last two away games after failing to win the previous seven with no other team conceding more goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last 19 games with no other team conceding more goals.

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

I think Everton will just about manage their first home win in a while.

Prediction: 2-1

Leeds United v Sunderland 

7.30pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds 

Leeds lost 1-0 at home to City on Sunday, but they still have six points to spare over the bottom three. They have lost two of their last three home games after being unbeaten in the previous five, but those two defeats were against the top two. They have only lost three of their last 15 games with only the bottom three conceding more goals.

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

Sunderland drew 1-1 away to Bournemouth at the weekend and they’re only two points off the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last nine away games with only three other teams taking less points on the road and only Wolves scoring less goals. The point against Bournemouth was their first point in four games with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.

Enzo Le Fee and Granit Xhaka are the Sunderland players most likely to produce for fantasy managers.

I think Leeds will take the three points in this game to move themselves even further away from the relegation zone.

Prediction: 2-1

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool 

8.15pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves won 2-0 at home to Villa on Friday night, but they’re still so far adrift at the foot of the table that relegation is a certainty. They have taken eight points from their last six home games after only taking one in the previous nine, but no other team has conceded more goals on their own patch. They have only lost one of their last four games, but no other team has scored less goals with only Burnley and West Ham conceding more.

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

Liverpool won 5-2 at home to West Ham on Saturday and that win moved them up to fifth place. They have only lost one of their last eight away games, but they have some difficult away games coming up towards the end of the season. They have taken 12 points and scored 12 goals in their last five games and their next three games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike are the Liverpool players to own for fantasy managers at the moment. 

I think Liverpool will be too good for Wolves and should win by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 1-3

Wednesday March 4

Aston Villa v Chelsea 

7.30pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa lost 2-0 away to Wolves on Friday night and that defeat put an end to their title hopes as well as dropping them into fourth place. They have taken four points from their last two home games after losing the previous two with only the top two conceding less goals on their own ground. They have only won two of their last eight games and their next two games are both against teams competing for a top four place with Villa.

Morgan Rogers is probably the only Villa player who can do well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Chelsea lost 2-1 away to Arsenal on Sunday and had yet another man sent off which saw them fall to sixth in the table. They have only won two of their last eight away games, but no other team has scored more goals on the road. They haven’t won in three games after winning the previous four and three of their next five opponents are in the top five.

Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are probably the best of the bunch in the Chelsea team for fantasy managers.

There probably won’t be too much between these two teams with a draw being the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Brighton And Hove Albion v Arsenal 

7.30pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton won 2-1 at home to Forest on Sunday and they’re now only two points off the top half of the table. They won their last home game after only winning one of the previous seven with no other team drawing more games on their own patch. They have won their last two games after only winning one of the previous 13 with only one other team in the bottom half of the table scoring more goals.

Arsenal won 2-1 at home to Chelsea at the weekend to maintain their five point lead at the top of the table, but they have played a game more than the teams chasing them. They have taken 15 points and scored 15 goals in their last seven away games with no other team taking more points or conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 14 points and scored 16 goals in their last six games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals.

Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are good choices for fantasy managers along with Declan Rice (if he’s fit to play) and Viktor Gyokeres.

I think Brighton will run Arsenal very close, but Arsenal will take all three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Fulham v West Ham United 

7.30 GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham won 2-1 at home to Spurs on Sunday and those three points moved them up to ninth place. They have taken 13 points and scored 10 goals in their last six home games and their next two games on their own ground are against teams in the bottom three. They have won their last two games after losing the previous three and their next three opponents are all in the bottom four.

Harry Wilson and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

West Ham lost 5-2 away to Liverpool on Saturday to remain in the relegation zone, but they still only have two points to make up on seventeenth place. They have lost two of their last three away games and they conceded eight goals in those games, but they have taken more points on the road than at home. They had only lost one of their previous six games before losing to Liverpool, but they have some very tough games coming up with only Burnley conceding more goals.

Jarrod Bowen remains the best bet in the West Ham team for fantasy managers.

I think Fulham will make it three wins in a row in this game by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 3-1

Manchester City v Nottingham Forest 

7.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City won 1-0 away to Leeds on Saturday to stay five points behind Arsenal at the top of the table, but they still have a game in hand. They are unbeaten in 13 home games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken 16 points from their last six games and they scored 12 goals in those games while keeping three clean sheets with only Arsenal conceding less and scoring more goals.

If he’s fit to play Erling Haaland is a very good option for fantasy managers along with Antoine Semenyo and all of City’s defenders and keeper.

Forest lost 2-1 away to Brighton on Sunday to remain one place and two points above the relegation zone. They have lost their last two away games after winning the previous two with only two other teams scoring less goals on their travels. They have only taken two points from their last five games with only Wolves scoring less goals.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are the Forest players who can perform for fantasy managers.

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

Prediction: 2-0

Newcastle United v Manchester United 

8.15pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle lost 3-2 at home to Everton on Saturday and that defeat meant they stayed in the bottom half of the table. They have lost their last three home games after being unbeaten in the previous eight with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They have lost five of their last six games and they conceded 15 goals in those games.

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

United won 2-1 at home to Palace on Sunday and that win was enough to move them up to third place. They are unbeaten in their last five away games, but they drew three of them and they still have some difficult games on the road left to play. They are unbeaten in 11 games and they scored 19 goals in those games with only the top two scoring more goals.

Bruno Fernandes is a great choice for fantasy managers along with Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha.

I think this is a game which could go either way and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the spoils shared.

Prediction: 2-2

Thursday March 5

Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace 

8pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 2-1 away to Fulham on Sunday to remain two places and four points above the bottom three. They have only taken two points from their last six home games and they conceded 13 goals in those games with only Wolves taking less points on their own patch. They have only taken four points from their last 10 games and they conceded 20 goals in those games.

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

Palace lost 2-1 away to United on Sunday after going ahead early on and they’re still a lot closer to the top half of the table than the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last six away games, but only two other teams have conceded less goals on their travels. They have won two of their last four games after failing to win the previous nine, but only three other teams have scored less goals.

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

This is another game which could go either way with a draw being the most likely result.

Prediction: 1-1

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 did reasonably well with my predictions last week with no perfect predictions, five correct outcomes and five 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.

Pos  Player                Res    Cls    Exa    Slm    Pts

1.     Murray1886        37     102     81      16     236

2.     Gooners             36      97.5    87      14     234.5

3.     Sam                    29     105      84      16     234

4.     SeniorBurger      31     106.5   78      15     230.5

5.     robbieg               35     108      69      16     228

I did reasonably well with my fantasy team too as my choice of Joao Pedro as my captain paid off and I moved up yet again in the overall standings. Harry Wilson and Erling Haaland were my only other players to perform last week so I have used two of my three available transfers to bring Virgil van Dijk and Raul Jiminez into my squad. I am hoping not to use any transfers for the next few weeks as I have so many players not playing in Gameweek 31 due to the Carabao Cup Final.

The chances are Bruno Fernandes will be my captain this week with Haaland a possibility too. I have decided on my strategy for my four remaining chips and they will all get used from Gameweeks 32 to 36 most likely.

Friday February 27

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Aston Villa

8pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves lost 1-0 away to Palace last week and they’re now 17 points from safety with just 10 games left to play. They have only won once at home so far with no other team taking less points or conceding more goals on their own ground. They haven’t won in eight games, but they drew four of them with no other team scoring less goals and only Burnley conceding more.

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

Villa scored a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to Leeds last week to remain in third place, but they’re now closer to the teams chasing them than the teams above them. They have only won once in their last four away games, but they have a good run of games on the road for the rest of the season and only Arsenal have taken more points away from home. They have only taken 12 points from their last nine games with only the top two conceding less goals.

Morgan Rogers is the Villa player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a close game with Villa probably taking the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Saturday February 28

Bournemouth v Sunderland 

12.30pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth drew 0-0 away to West Ham last week and that point moved them up to eighth place. They have taken seven points from their last three home games with only the top two losing less games on their own patch. They’re unbeaten in their last seven games after failing to win the previous 11 with only four other teams conceding more goals.

James Hill, Marcos Senesi, Krupi Junior, Rayan Vitor and Amine Adli are all offering very good value for fantasy managers at the moment.

Sunderland lost 3-1 at home to Fulham last week, but they’re still only one point off the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last eight away games and they conceded 15 goals in those games with only Wolves scoring less goals on their travels. They have lost five of their last seven games and they conceded 14 goals in those games with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.

Enzo Le Fee and Granit Xhaka are the Sunderland players to watch for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth should be good enough to get the better of Sunderland in this game.

Prediction: 2-0

Burnley v Brentford 

3pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley 

Burnley scored a late goal to draw 1-1 away to Chelsea last week, but they still have eight points to make up on 17th place. They have only taken three points from their last nine home games and they conceded 17 goals in those games with no other team conceding more goals on their own ground. They have only won once in their last 18 games with no other team conceding more goals.

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

Brentford lost 2-0 at home to Brighton last week to remain in seventh place, but they’re now eight points off fourth place. They have won four of their last five away games and they scored 10 goals in those games, but only the bottom two have lost more games on the road. They have only taken one point from their last two games after winning six of the previous nine and they have a good run of games coming up.

Igor Thiago is the best of the Brentford players for fantasy managers at the moment with Dango Ouattara a possibility too.

I think this will be a close game with Brentford getting the win.

Prediction: 1-2

Liverpool v West Ham United 

3pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool scored a last gasp goal to win 1-0 away to Forest last week and those three points kept them in sixth place within three points of the top four. They have only won once in their last four home games, but they have a good run of games coming up on their own patch. They have won three of their last four games after failing to win the previous five and their next three games are all against teams in the bottom five.

Virgil van Dijk and Florian Wirtz are the Liverpool players for fantasy managers to consider at the moment.

West Ham drew 0-0 at home to Bournemouth last week to move within two points of safety with 11 games still to go. They have won two of their last three away games after failing to win the previous eight, but they have some very tough away games for the rest of the season. They have only lost one of their last six games with only the two teams below them conceding more goals.

Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are the West Ham players who can perform for fantasy managers.

I think Liverpool will be too good for West Ham and should win by a couple of goals.

Prediction: 2-0

Newcastle United v Everton 

3pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle lost 2-1 away to City last week and that defeat saw them drop back into the bottom half of the table. They have lost their last two home games after being unbeaten in the previous eight with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. They have lost four of their last five games and they conceded 12 goals in those games with no other team in the bottom half of the table scoring more goals. 

Malick Thiaw is probably the only Newcastle player doing enough at the moment to interest fantasy managers.

Everton lost 1-0 at home to United last week, but they remained in the top half of the table and one point above Newcastle going into this game. They have only lost once in their last nine away games with no other team conceding less goals on the road. They have only won two of their last eight games with only three other teams scoring less goals.

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

I think Newcastle will make their home advantage pay with a narrow victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Leeds United v Manchester City 

5.30pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds

Leeds drew 1-1 away to Villa last week and they’re now six points above the relegation zone and climbing in the right direction. They have taken 14 points from their last seven home games and they scored 15 goals in those games. They have only lost two of their last 14 games and they have only failed to score twice in their last 17 games.

None of the Leeds players are doing enough on a consistent basis to turn the heads of fantasy managers.

City won 2-1 at home to Newcastle last week to remain in second place five points behind Arsenal and they have a game in hand. They have taken 14 points from their last seven away games, but they have lost more games on their travels than the rest of the top five. They have taken 13 points from their last five games after failing to win the previous four with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Erling Haaland, Nico O’Reilly, Matheus Nunes, Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo are all looking very good for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Leeds will give City a run for their money, but City will take the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

Sunday March 1

Brighton And Hove Albion v Nottingham Forest 

2pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton got a much needed 2-0 win away to Bournemouth last week to move an awful lot closer to the top half of the table than to the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last seven home games, but they drew four of them with no other team drawing more games on their own ground. The win against Brentford was only their second win in 14 games, but they drew six of them with only Bournemouth drawing more games.

None of the Brighton players have been impressive in recent weeks for fantasy managers.

Forest conceded a very late goal to lose 1-0 at home to Liverpool last week and that defeat means they’re now only two points above the bottom three. They have won two of their last three away games after losing the previous three with only two other teams scoring less goals on the road. The have only won two of their last 11 games with only Wolves scoring less goals.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are the Forest players who can perform for fantasy managers at the moment.

This is a game which could go either way and the chances are it will end in a home win.

Prediction: 2-1

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur 

2pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham won 3-1 away to Sunderland last week and that victory moved them back into the top half of the table. They lost their last home game after taking 10 points from the previous four and their next three games on their own patch are all against teams in the bottom five. They won their last game after losing the previous three and their next four opponents are all in the bottom five.

Danny Wilson and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players for fantasy managers to have at the moment.

Spurs lost 4-1 at home to Arsenal last week and they’re now only four points and two places above the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last eight away games, but they have taken almost two thirds of their points this season on their travels. They haven’t won in nine games and they conceded 18 goals in those games, but five of their next seven games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

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

I think the Spurs problems will continue as Fulham take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Manchester United v Crystal Palace 

2pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United won 1-0 away to Everton last week to remain in fourth place and they’re now only three points off third place. They have taken 15 points from their last seven home games and they scored 14 goals in those games with only the top two scoring more goals on their own ground. They are unbeaten in 10 games with only the top two scoring more goals, but only two other teams in the top half of the table have conceded more.

Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot and Bryan Mbeumo are all looking good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Palace won 1-0 at home to Wolves last week to move within two points of the top half of the table and they’re now a very healthy 10 points above the bottom three. They won their last away game after only taking one point in the previous four and their next three away games are all against big six teams. They have won two of their last three games after failing to win the previous nine with only two other teams scoring less goals.

Ismaila Sarr might be the only Palace player for fantasy managers to consider right now.

I think United will continue their impressive results under their temporary manager with another win in this game.

Prediction: 2-0

Arsenal v Chelsea 

4.30pm GMT, Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal won 4-1 away to Spurs last week to maintain their five point lead at the top of the table, but the teams chasing them all have a game in hand. They have only won once in their last three home games after winning the previous seven with no other team conceding less goals on their own patch and only City scoring more. They have taken 11 points from their last five games and they scored 14 goals in those games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals.

Gabriel Magahlaes, Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres are the Arsenal players for fantasy managers to have at the moment.

Chelsea conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 at home to struggling Burnley last week and that point was enough to keep them in fifth place on goal difference. They have won their last two away games after failing to win the previous five with only Arsenal taking more points on their travels and no other team scoring more goals. They have taken 14 points and scored 14 goals in their last six games with only the top two scoring more goals.

Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer are the Chelsea players most likely to do the business for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Arsenal will keep their gap at the top of the table with by a narrow margin in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 27

​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 a good week last week with no perfect predictions, just two correct outcomes and nine incorrect outcomes which saw me drop a couple of places in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Pos  Player                Res    Cls    Exa    Slm    Pts

1.     Murray1886       36     96       81      15     228

2.     SeniorBurger     30     103.5   78     15     226.5

3.     Sam                   28     99       84      15     226

4.     Gooners             35     93       84      13     225

5.     andy                   31    106.5   72      13     222.5

I had a fairly good week with my fantasy team though as I regained a fair amount of the ground I had lost recently to move to just outside the top 200,00 places overall which isn’t too bad out of almost 13 million players. My choice of Gabriel Magahlaes as my captain didn’t really pay off as he could have done a lot better considering Arsenal played twice. Thankfully Marc Guehi, Declan Rice, Antoine Semenyo and Joao Pedro did the business to move me in the right direction.

I’m looking to continue that improvement this week and the way to do so could be with Chelsea players. Unfortunately I don’t have enough funds or available transfers to bring Cole Palmer in, but I do have Trevoh Chalobah, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro and the chances are Pedro will get the armband with a home game against the worst defence in the league. I might just hold off on any transfers this week as my team will need surgery in a few weeks when Arsenal and City play in the Carabao Cup Final.

Saturday February 21

Aston Villa v Leeds United 

3pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa won 1-0 at home to Brighton last week and that victory moved them within eight points of the top of the table with a game in hand. They won their last home game after losing the previous two and they only scored one goal in those three games, but only the top two have conceded less goals on their own ground. They have only won two of their last six games and they only scored four goals in those games, but only the two teams above them have conceded less goals.

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

Leeds came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 away to Chelsea last week and that draw kept them six points above the relegation zone. Only Wolves have taken less points away from home with only Burnley and Bournemouth conceding more goals on the road. They have only lost two of their last 13 games, but they drew seven of them with only Bournemouth and Brighton drawing more games.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the Leeds player most likely to do well for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a close game with Villa most likely taking the three points.

Prediction: 2-1

Brentford v Brighton And Hove Albion 

3pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to league leaders Arsenal last week and they remain in seventh place. They have only taken one point from their last two home games after taking 17 points from their previous seven. They have taken seven points from their last three games after losing the previous two and they have a very good run of games coming up.

Igor Thiago is the Brentford player most likely to return points for fantasy managers.

Brighton lost 1-0 away to Villa last week and they’re now only four places and seven points above the bottom three. They have only taken two points from their last six away games with only three other teams taking less points on their travels. They have only won once in their last 13 games with no other team drawing more games.

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

I think Brentford should continue their impressive season with another three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Chelsea v Burnley 

3pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea let a two goal lead slip at home to Leeds last week and they had to settle for a 2-2 draw which leaves them one point off fourth place. They have taken seven points from their last three home games, but it’s their home results which are keeping them out of the top four. They had won four games in a row before drawing with Leeds with only the top two scoring more goals.

Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Trevoh Chalobah are all doing very well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Burnley came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 away to Palace last week, but they’re still nine points from safety with just 12 games left to play. They had only taken two points from their previous seven away games before beating Palace and no other team has conceded more goals on the road. They hadn’t won in 16 games before beating Palace and no other team has conceded more goals.

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

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

Prediction: 3-0

West Ham United v Bournemouth 

5.30pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham conceded a last ditch goal to draw 1-1 at home to United last week and that draw means they are still three points from safety. They have taken four points from their last two home games after only taking one in the previous five and they still have to play the top two on their own patch. They have taken 10 points from their last five games after failing to win the previous 10 with only the two teams below them conceding more goals, but they have some difficult games coming up.

Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are the West Ham players who can do well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Bournemouth came from behind to win 2-1 away to Everton last week and that victory moved them back into the top half of the table. They have won their last two away games after failing to win the previous nine with only Burnley conceding more goals on their travels. They have taken 14 points and scored 12 goals in their last six games, but only three other teams have conceded more goals.

Junior Krupi, Amine Adli and Rayan Vitor are the Bournemouth players worth considering for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth might just have enough to win this game narrowly.

Prediction: 1-2

Manchester City v Newcastle United 

8pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City won 3-0 at home to Fulham last week and they’re now only five points behind Arsenal at the top of the table with a game in hand too. They’re unbeaten in their last 12 home games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals on their own ground. They have taken 10 points and scored nine goals in their last four games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guehi and Rayan Cherki are all looking good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Newcastle won 2-1 away to Spurs last week and those three points moved them back into the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken seven points from their last four away games after only winning once in the previous nine, but only three other teams have scored less goals on the road. They won their last game after losing the previous three, but three of their next four games are against big six teams starting with this one.

With Bruno Guimaraes injured Malick Thiaw could be the Newcastle player to watch for fantasy managers, but not in this game.

I can’t see anything other than a comprehensive City win in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Sunday February 22

Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

2pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace lost 3-2 at home to Burnley last week after taking a 2-0 lead to leave themselves eight points above the drop zone. They have only taken three points from their last eight home games with only Burnley scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only won once in their last 11 games, but three of their next four games are against teams below them in the table.

Ismaila Sarr is probably the only Palace player for fantasy managers to consider at the moment.

Wolves drew 0-0 away to Forest and then came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Arsenal last week, but they’re still rooted to the foot of the table and certain to be relegated. They’re the only team without an away win with no other team scoring less goals on their travels, but they have drawn three of their last four away games. They have only lost three of their last nine games, but they drew five of them with no other scoring less goals.

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

I think this will be a close game with Palace probably taking all the points.

Prediction: 2-1

Nottingham Forest v Liverpool 

2pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest drew 0-0 at home to Wolves last week and that cost yet another manager his job and left them three points above the relegation zone. They have drawn their last three home games, but only Burnley have scored less goals on their own ground. They have only won twice in their last 10 games with only Wolves scoring less goals and they have some very tough games coming up.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are the Forest players most likely to do well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Liverpool won 1-0 away to Sunderland last week and they’re now only three points off the top four. They have only lost once in their last seven away games and their next three games on the road are all against teams at the wrong end of the table. They have only won two of their last eight games, but they drew four of them and their next five games are all against teams in the bottom seven. 

Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Virgil van Dijk are the Liverpool players for fantasy managers to watch at the moment.

I think Liverpool will continue their pursuit of a top four place with another three points in this game.

Prediction:

Sunderland v Fulham 

2pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland 

Sunderland lost 1-0 at home to Liverpool last week and that defeat saw them drop into the bottom half of the table on goal difference. They were unbeaten at home before that defeat against Liverpool with only the top two conceding less goals on their own patch. They have lost four of their last six games with only two other teams scoring less goals.

Sunderland’s defenders and keeper can do very well for fantasy managers in home games in particular.

Fulham lost 3-0 away to City last week and that defeat saw them drop into the bottom half of the table on goal difference. They have lost their last three away games and they conceded seven goals in those games with only two other teams conceding more goals on their travels. They have lost four of their last five games and they conceded 10 goals in those games, but their next five games are all against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Harry Wilson is the Fulham player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

I think this will be a very close game and the chances are the spoils will be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal 

4.30pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 2-1 at home to Newcastle last week to leave them two places and five points above the relegation zone and cost their manager his job. They have only won once in their last 11 home games with only Wolves taking less points on their own ground. They have only taken four points from their last eight games and they conceded 14 goals in those games, but they will be hoping for the new manager bounce in this game. 

I can’t see any Spurs players doing enough at the moment to interest fantasy managers.

Arsenal drew 1-1 away to Brentford and then let a two goal lead slip to draw 2-2 away to Wolves last week which leaves them five points clear at the top of the table, but they have played a game more than the teams chasing them. They have taken 12 points from their last six away games with no other team taking more points or conceding less goals on the road. They have only won two of their last seven games, but they drew four of them with no other team conceding less goals and only City scoring more.

Declan Rice and Gabriel Magahlaes are probably the best bets in the Arsenal team for fantasy managers.

This is a game which could go either way, but I think Arsenal will just about win it.

Prediction: 1-2

Monday February 23

Everton v Manchester United 

8pm GMT, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool 

Everton lost 2-1 at home to Bournemouth last week despite taking the lead, but they managed to hold on to their place in the top half of the table. They have only taken two points from their last five home games with only four other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only lost twice in their last nine games, but they drew four of them with no other team in the top half of the table scoring less goals.

Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner and Kieron Dewsbury-Hall are all worth considering for fantasy managers.

United scored a last gasp goal to draw 1-1 away to West Ham last week and that point was enough to keep them in the top four. They have only lost one of their last 10 away games, but they drew five of them with no other team drawing more games on their travels and only Chelsea and Bournemouth scoring more goals. They had won four games in a row before drawing with West Ham and the have a very good run of games coming up with only the top two scoring more goals.

Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are all doing well for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think this will be a close game with United probably taking the three points.

Prediction: 1-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 26

​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 worst week last week with one perfect prediction, four correct outcomes and five incorrect outcomes which saw me remain in eighth place in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Pos  Player                  Res    Cls    Exa    Slm    Pts

1.     Sam                     28       96      84     15      223

2.     Murray1886         35       94.5   78     15      222.5

3.     SeniorBurger       30      102     75     15      222

4.     Gooners               35      88.5    81     13      217.5

5.    andy                      31     103.5  69      13      216.5

I had a reasonably good week with my fantasy team this week, but I slipped ever so slightly in the overall rankings. That slip was mainly due to taking a four point hit to bring in Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez as the players who I replaced actually returned more points. I think those transfers will pay off over the next few weeks though and I hope to start climbing up the rankings again.

Bruno Fernandes did very well as my captain and I think he will be my captain again as United are away to struggling West Ham this week. The other options would be Erling Haaland or Joao Pedro, but I’m also tempted to go for one of my Arsenal players as they play twice this week. I have my team set up for that double Gameweek for Arsenal so I think I will keep my free transfer until next week.

Tuesday February 10

Chelsea v Leeds United 

7.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea won 3-1 away to Wolves on Saturday and they’re still only one point off fourth place. They have only lost once in their last seven home games and their next three games on their own ground are all against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have won their last four games and they scored 11 goals in those games with only three other teams scoring more goals.

Cole Palmer looks like he might just be back for fantasy managers with Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and the Chelsea defenders and keeper good choices too.

Leeds won 3-1 at home to Forest on Friday and that win kept them six points clear of the bottom three. They have only taken four points from their last nine away games with only the bottom two taking less points on the road. They have taken 18 points from their last 12 games and they have a very tough run of games coming up.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the best of Leeds players for fantasy managers.

I think Chelsea will continue their pursuit of a top four finish with another three points in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Everton v Bournemouth 

7.30pm GMT, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool 

Everton came from behind to win 2-1 away to Fulham on Saturday and that win moved them up to eighth place. They have only taken two points from their last four home games with only four other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They are unbeaten in five games, but they drew three of them with only the top three conceding less goals.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and James Garner can do very well for fantasy managers with James Tarkowski and Jordan Pickford worth considering too.

Bournemouth drew 1-1 at home to Villa at the weekend and they’re only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have only lost one of their last five away games, but they drew three of them and no other team has conceded more goals on their travels. They have taken 11 points and scored 10 goals in their last five games with only the bottom three conceding more goals.

Junior Kroupi is a very good choice for fantasy managers with new boy Rayan Vitor worth a shout too.

This isn’t an easy game to predict, but I think the points will be shared.

Prediction: 1-1

Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United 

7.30pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs lost 2-0 away to United on Saturday after playing most of the game with 10 men and they’re now only three places and six points above the relegation zone. They have only won once in their last 11 home games with only Wolves taking less points on their own ground. They haven’t won in seven games and they’re in the middle of a tough run of fixtures.

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

Newcastle lost 3-2 at home to Brentford at the weekend after initially taking the lead and that defeat saw them drop to 12th place, but they’re only one point off the top half of the table. They have only won two of their 12 away games with only three other teams taking less points on the road and only two other teams scoring less goals. They have lost their last three games and they conceded 9 goals in those games, but four of their next five games are against big six teams.

Now that he has recovered from injury Bruno Guimaraes is the Newcastle player who can make a difference for fantasy managers.

This is a game which could go either way and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

West Ham United v Manchester United 

8.15pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham won 2-0 away to Burnley on Saturday and that win moved within three points of safety. They have only won once in their last six home games with only Wolves taking less points and conceding more goals on their own patch. They have won three of their last four games and they scored nine goals in those games, but only Burnley have conceded more goals.

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

United won 2-0 at home to Spurs at the weekend and that win meant they stayed in the top four. They have only lost once in their last nine away games with only Chelsea and City scoring more goals on their travels. They have won their last four games and they scored 10 goals in those games with only the top two scoring more goals.

Bruno Fernandes is almost a must have for fantasy managers at the moment with Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha good options too.

I think West Ham will give United a real test, but United will win narrowly.

Prediction: 1-2

Wednesday February 11

Aston Villa v Brighton And Hove Albion

7.30pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa drew 1-1 away to Bournemouth on Saturday after taking the lead and they’re still in third place, but they’re now nine points off the pace. They have lost their last two home games without scoring after winning the previous eight with only the two teams above them conceding less goals on their own ground. They have only won two of their last seven games and they failed to score in three of those games with only the top two conceding less goals.

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

Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Palace on Sunday and that defeat saw them fall to 14th place, but they’re only three points off the top half of the table. They have only taken two points from their last five away games and their next two games on the road are against teams in the top seven. They have only won once in their last 12 games, but they drew six of them  with no other team drawing more games.

I don’t think there are any Brighton players doing enough for fantasy managers to consider them at the moment.

I think Villa will get the better of Brighton in a very close game.

Prediction: 2-1

Crystal Palace v Burnley 

7.30 GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace won 1-0 away to Brighton on Sunday and that win moved them up to 13th place and within two points of the top half of the table. They haven’t won in their last seven home games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. The win against Brighton was their first win in 10 games, but they play the bottom two in their next two games beginning with this one.

Ismaila Sarr looks like he could be the Palace player to do well for fantasy managers since his return from injury and the AFCON.

Burnley lost 2-0 at home to West Ham on Saturday and they’re now 11 points from safety with games running out quickly. They have only taken two points in their last seven away games with no other team losing more games or conceding more goals on their travels. They haven’t won in 16 games with only Wolves scoring less goals and no other team conceding more.

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

I think Palace will make it two wins in a row with a couple of goals to spare in this game.

Prediction: 2-0

Manchester City v Fulham 

7.30pm GMT, Etihad Stadium, Manchester 

City came from behind to win 2-1 away to Liverpool on Sunday to stay in second place with six points to make up on the leaders. They are unbeaten in their last 11 home games, but they drew the last two with only Arsenal scoring more goals on their own ground and no other team conceding less. They have only won two of their last seven games, but no other team has scored more goals and only Arsenal have scored less.

Erling Haaland showed against Liverpool why he still has to be included by fantasy managers with Marc Guehi, Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki worth a shout too.

Fulham lost 2-1 at home to Everton on Saturday after scoring first, but they held on to their place in the top half of the table on goal difference. They have lost their last two away games after taking 10 points from the previous four and they have some very tough games on the road left to play. They have lost three of their last four games with no other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

Harry Wilson and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players most likely to return points for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think City will put some pressure on Arsenal by taking the three points in this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

7.30pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest lost 3-1 away to Leeds on Friday and they’re now only three points above the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last four home games with only three other teams taking less points on their own patch. The defeat against Leeds was their first one in five games with only Wolves scoring less goals and three of their next six games are against big six teams.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are the Forest players to own for fantasy managers.

Wolves lost 3-1 at home to Chelsea on Saturday to leave themselves rooted to the foot of the table and awaiting their inevitable relegation. They’re the only team without an away win with no other team scoring less goals on their travels. They have lost their last three games and they only scored two goals in their last five with no other team scoring less goals and only Burnley conceding more.

Wolves play twice this week, but it’s still difficult for fantasy managers to choose any of their players with Mateus Mane the possible exception.

I think Forest will get a very welcome three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-0

Sunderland v Liverpool 

8.15pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland 

Sunderland lost 3-0 away to Arsenal on Saturday and they’re still in the top half of the table. They are the only team still unbeaten at home with only the top two conceding less goals on their own ground. They have only won twice in their last nine games with only four other teams scoring less goals.

Brian Brobbey and Enzo Le Fee can do well for fantasy managers as can the Sunderland defenders and keeper in home games.

Liverpool conceded two late goals to lost 2-1 at home to City on Sunday and they’re now five points off the top four. They haven’t won in their last three away games with only one other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals on the road. They have only won once in their last seven games, but they only play one of the other big six teams in their next nine games.

Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are probably the best of the bunch in the Liverpool team for fantasy managers.

I think Sunderland will continue their unbeaten run at home, but they will have to settle for a draw in this game.

Prediction: 1-1

Thursday February 12

Brentford v Arsenal 

8pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford came back from 1-0 down to win 3-2 away to Newcastle on Saturday and they’re only behind sixth placed Liverpool on goal difference. They lost their last home game after taking 17 points in the previous seven and this is by far their most difficult game left on their own patch. They have taken 19 points and scored 17 goals in their last nine games and they have a very good run of games after this one.

Igor Thiago is the Brentford player to have for fantasy managers.

Arsenal won 3-0 at home to Sunderland at the weekend to maintain their six point lead at the top of the table. They have taken 10 points from their last four away games with no other team taking more points or conceding less goals on their travels. They have taken 23 points from their last 10 games with no other team conceding less goals and only City scoring more.

Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are great choices for fantasy managers along with Declan Rice while Viktor Gyokeres has looked good recently too.

I think Brentford will give Arsenal a real run for their money, but the away team will nick a win.

Prediction: 1-2

Wednesday February 18

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal 

8pm GMT, Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton 

Wolves play their second game of the Gameweek and it’s probably one of their most difficult games of the season. They have lost their last two home games after taking four points in the previous two while no other team has lost more games, scored less or conceded more goals on their own ground. It’s just a matter of time before they’re relegated and this game will probably bring that outcome a little closer.

As I mentioned previously Mane is the only Wolves player for fantasy managers to really consider and that’s because of his price and the two games this week.

Arsenal play their second away game of the Gameweek and they will be looking to take maximum points from them so they can put a gap between them and City. They have the best away record in the league and they should improve that record in this game. Playing in four competitions at this stage of the season is difficult though and their chances could depend on their ability to cope with those demands.

With two games this week Arsenal players are at a premium for fantasy managers and they could do very well despite both of their games being away from home.

I think Arsenal will be too strong for Wolves and will win by at least a couple of goals.

Prediction: 0-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.