Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 31

​It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I didn’t have the best week last week with no perfect predictions, four correct outcomes and six incorrect outcomes, but I managed to move up two places in my predictions league as others struggled too. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands and I’m only two places and five points off fifth spot.

Pos  Player               Res    Cls      Exa    Slm    Pts

1.    Murray1886       40     109.5    93      17     259.5

2.    Gooners             39     108       96      15     258

3.    Sam                    32     112.5    96     17     257.5

4.    robbieg               38     120       75     18     251

5.    TeeBee               40     106.5    87     15     248.5

I didn’t have a great week with my fantasy team either mainly due to picking Hugo Ekitike as my captain over Bruno Fernandes. I will be moving that armband back to Bruno this week in an attempt to make up some of the points I lost. I’m still in a very strong position overall, but I will have to finish the season really well to get anywhere near my ranking of last season.

With that in mind I have let my transfers build up as much as possible over the last few weeks to make sure I can field a strong team this week as Arsenal, Manchester City, Wolves and Crystal Palace don’t have a game due to the Carabao Cup Final. I plan to bring in Anthony Gordon and Malick Thiaw of Newcastle as well as Joachim Anderson of Fulham as I like the fixtures both Newcastle and Fulham have. The plan after that is to use my wildcard to strengthen my squad in time to use my bench boost and finally to use my free hit on FA Cup semi final week. That should leave me with my triple captain to use for someone playing twice in one week near the end of the season.

Friday March 20

Bournemouth v Manchester United 

8pm GMT, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth 

Bournemouth drew 0-0 away to Burnley last week and that point left them in the top half of the table on goal difference. They’re unbeaten in their last five home games, but they drew three of them with no other team drawing more games on their own ground. They are unbeaten in their last 10 games, but they drew six of them with no other team drawing more games.

Bournemouth’s keeper and defenders are all doing very well for fantasy managers at the moment, but they have some tough games coming up.

United won 3-1 at home to Villa last week and that victory strengthened their hold on third place. They lost their last away game after being unbeaten in the previous five with only Palace drawing more games on the road. They have only lost once in their last 13 games with only the top two scoring more goals.

Bruno Fernandes is an absolute must have for fantasy managers with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko good choices too.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Saturday March 21

Brighton And Hove Albion v Liverpool 

12.30pm GMT, AMEX Stadium, Brighton 

Brighton won 1-0 away to Sunderland last week to move within one point of the top half of the table. They have only won twice in their last nine home games, but they drew four of them with only Bournemouth and Palace drawing more games on their own patch. They have won three of their last four games, but three of their next four games are against big six teams.

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

Liverpool conceded a last minute goal to draw 1-1 at home to Spurs last week, buy they’re still only two points off the top half of the table. They lost their last away game against Wolves, but they had won two in a row on their travels before that and they have actually conceded more away goals than they have scored. They have only taken one point from their last two games after winning the previous three and their next four games are all against teams below them in the table.

Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai and Hugo Ekitike are the Liverpool players for fantasy managers to consider at the moment.

This is a difficult game to call, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see it end in a draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Fulham v Burnley 

3pm GMT, Craven Cottage, London 

Fulham drew 0-0 away to Forest last week and that point wasn’t enough to keep them in the top half of the table. They have lost two of their last three home games, but only four other teams have won more games on their own ground. They have only won two of their last seven games and their next five games after this one are all against teams above them in the table.

Harry Wilson and Joachim Andersen are the best of the Fulham players for fantasy managers, but any Fulham player could do well in this game.

Burnley drew 0-0 at home to Bournemouth last week, but they are still nine points from safety with just eight games left to play. They have taken four points from their last three away games, but no other team has conceded more goals on the road. They have only won once in their last 21 games with no other team conceding more goals and only three other teams scoring less.

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

I think Fulham should win this game with at least a couple of goals to spare.

Prediction: 2-0

Everton v Chelsea 

5.30pm GMT, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool 

Everton conceded two very late goals to lose 2-0 away to Arsenal last week, but they held on to their place in the top half of the table. They won their last home game after failing to win the previous six with only four other teams scoring less goals on their own patch. They have lost three of their last five games and four of their next five games are against teams above them in the table.

Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski (if he’s fit to play), Iliman Ndiaye, James Garner and Kiernon Dewsbury-Hall can all do a job for fantasy managers at a good price.

Chelsea lost 1-0 at home to Newcastle last week and that defeat saw them drop to sixth place. They have won three of their last four away games with no other team scoring more goals on their travels. They have only won once in their last five games and they play two of the teams above in their next two games after this one.

Joao Pedro is the outstanding Chelsea player for fantasy managers at the moment with Cole Palmer worth considering too.

I think Chelsea might just have enough to take the three points in this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Leeds United v Brentford 

8pm GMT, Elland Road, Leeds

Leeds drew 0-0 away to Palace last week and that draw left them three points above the relegation zone. They have lost three of their last four home games and they failed to score in each of those defeats, but their next two games on their own ground after this one are both against teams in the bottom three. They haven’t won in five games, but they drew three of them with only the bottom three conceding more goals.

I’m not sure there are any Leeds players doing enough at the moment to turn the heads of fantasy managers.

Brentford led 2-0 at home to Wolves last week, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw which saw them stay in seventh place. They have taken 10 points from their last four away games, but three of their remaining four games on the road are against teams in the top five. They have only won once in their last five games, but they drew three of them and their next three games are against teams below them in the table.

Igor Thiago is the Brentford player who can make a real difference for fantasy managers.

With both of these teams drawing so many games recently that seems like the most likely outcome in this game.

Prediction: 1-1

Sunday March 21

Newcastle United v Sunderland 

12pm GMT, St. James’s Park, Newcastle 

Newcastle won 1-0 away to Chelsea last week and that win moved them back into the top half of the table. They won their last home game after losing the previous three with only the top three scoring more goals on their own patch. They have won their last two games after losing five of the previous six and seven of their last eight games are against teams below them in the table.

Malick Thiaw and Anthony Gordon are the Newcastle players looking good for fantasy managers at the moment.

Sunderland lost 1-0 at home to Brighton last week and they’re two points and four places behind Newcastle going into this game. They won their last away game after failing to win the previous nine with only Wolves scoring less goals on their travels. They have lost four of their last six games and they failed to score in three of those games with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.

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

I think this will be a close game with Newcastle more than likely taking all the points.

Prediction: 2-1

Aston Villa v West Ham United 

2.15pm GMT, Villa Park, Birmingham 

Villa lost 3-1 away to United last week, but they managed to hold on to fourth place as neither of the teams directly below them won their games. They have only won once in their last five home games, but their next three opponents on their own ground are all in the bottom half of the table. They have lost their last three games and they conceded nine goals in those games with only one other team in the top half of the table scoring less goals.

Morgan Rogers is the best of the Villa players for fantasy managers, but he hasn’t done much in recent games.

West Ham drew 1-1 at home to City last week, but they’re still in the relegation zone on goal difference. They have won three of their last five away games and they have taken more points on the road than at home. They have taken 15 points from their last nine games after failing to win the previous 10, but they have some tough games to finish the season.

With Crysencio Summerville injured Jarrod Bowen is the best of the West Ham players for fantasy managers.

This is a game which could go either way and I have a feeling it will end all square.

Prediction: 2-2

Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest 

2.15pm GMT, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 

Spurs scored a last minute goal to draw 1-1 away to Liverpool last week and that was enough to keep them one point above the relegation zone. They have only taken two points from their last seven home games and they conceded 16 goals in those games with no other team taking less points on their own ground. They haven’t won in their last 12 games and they conceded 24 goals in those games, but no other team in the bottom half of the table has scored more goals.

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

Forest drew 0-0 at home to Fulham last week and that point kept them out of the bottom three on goal difference. They have only taken one point from their last three away games after winning the previous two with only two other teams scoring less goals on their travels. They haven’t won in seven games, but they drew four of them with only Wolves scoring less goals.

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

I think Forest will create even more problems for Spurs by winning this game.

Prediction: 1-2

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

Predictions For Premier League Gameweek 30

​It’s that time of the week again when I attempt to predict the outcomes of the upcoming Premier League games. I had a bad week last week with no perfect predictions, three correct outcomes and seven incorrect outcomes which saw me drop a couple of places in my predictions league. Here’s a look at how the top five in that league stands.

Pos  Player              Res     Cls     Exa     Slm     Pts

1.    Murray1886      40      106.5    93     17      256.5

2.    Sam                  32       109.5    96     17      254.5

3.    Gooners            39       102       96     15      252

4.    robbieg             38       117       75     18      248

5.    SeniorBurger    35       114       78     16      243

I did fairly well with my fantasy team last week as I moved up in the overall rankings for the fourth week in a row to just inside the top 1% of teams. My choice of Hugo Ekitike as my captain didn’t pay off, but Joao Pedro, David Raya, Gabriel Magahlaes, Bruno Fernandes and Antoine Semenyo all got me points. I’m not sure who my captain will be this week, but I might just go with Ekitike again.

I’m going to hold back on my transfers this week so I’ll have three next week when both Arsenal and Manchester City aren’t playing along with Wolves and Crystal Palace. I still have all four of my chips for the second half of the season available and I intend to start using them in Gameweek 32.

Saturday March 14th

Burnley v Bournemouth 

3pm GMT, Turf Moor, Burnley 

Burnley lost 2-0 away to Everton last week and they’re now nine points from safety with just nine games left to play. They have only taken three points from their last seven home games with no other team taking less points on their own ground. They have only won once in their last 20 games with no other team conceding more goals.

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

Bournemouth drew 0-0 at home to Brentford last week and that point was enough to keep them in the top half of the table on goal difference. They have taken nine points from their last five away games with only Burnley conceding more goals on the road. They are unbeaten in nine games, but they drew five of them with no other team drawing more games.

Marcus Tavernier, Rayan Vitor, Marcos Senesi and James Hill are all doing well for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think Bournemouth will continue their push for European football by taking the three points in this game.

Prediction: 1-3

Sunderland v Brighton And Hove Albion

3pm GMT, Stadium of Light, Sunderland 

Sunderland won 1-0 away to Leeds last week and they’re now only outside the top half of the table on goal difference. They have lost their last two home games after after being unbeaten in their previous 12 with only the top two conceding less goals on their own patch. They have taken four points from their last two games after losing four of the previous five with only Wolves and Forest scoring less goals.

Sunderland’s keeper and defenders are good choices for fantasy managers in home games along with Enzo Le Fee.

Brighton lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal last week and they’re three points and three places behind Sunderland going into this game. They won their last away game after failing to win the previous six with only three other teams winning less games on their travels. They had won two games in a row before losing to Arsenal and three of their next four opponents are in the bottom half of the table.

Now that he’s back from injury Yasin Ayari could be a good option for fantasy managers.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Arsenal v Everton 

5.30pm Emirates Stadium, London 

Arsenal won 1-0 away to Brighton last week to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points, but they have played a game more than the teams chasing them. They have won 11 of their 14 home games with only City taking more points and scoring more goals on their own ground and no other team conceding less goals. They have taken 17 points and scored 17 goals in their last seven games with no other team scoring more or conceding less goals. 

Arsenal’s defenders and keeper are very good choices for fantasy managers along with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

Everton won 2-0 at home to Burnley last week to stay in eighth place. They have taken 14 points from their last six away games with only Arsenal and Chelsea taking more points on the road and only Arsenal conceding less goals. They have taken 15 points from their last nine games, but four of their next six games are against teams in the top six. 

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

I think Arsenal will keep their gap at the top of the table with another victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Chelsea v Newcastle United 

5.30pm GMT, Stamford Bridge, London 

Chelsea won 4-1 away to Villa last week and they’re now only three points off third place. They have taken nine points and scored 10 goals in their last five home games, but it’s their home form which is keeping them out of the top four. They have only won once in their last four games after winning the previous four with only the top two scoring more goals.

Joao Pedro is in great form for fantasy managers at the moment with Cole Palmer a possibility too.

Newcastle won 2-1 at home to United last week despite playing half of the game with 10 players and that win moved them within one point of the top half of the table. They have taken seven points from their last five away games, but only three other teams have taken less points on their travels and only two other teams have scored less goals. They have lost five of their last seven games and they conceded 16 goals in those games.

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

I think Newcastle will make a game of it, but Chelsea will get the win.

Prediction: 2-1

West Ham United v Manchester City 

8pm GMT, London Stadium, London 

West Ham won 1-0 away to Fulham last week and they’re now only in the relegation zone on goal difference. They have taken five points from their last three home games after only taking one in the previous five, but only Wolves have conceded more goals on their own ground. They have taken 14 points from their last eight games, but only Burnley have conceded more goals and they’re in the middle of a tough run of games.

Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville are the West Ham players who can make a difference for fantasy managers at the moment.

City twice led at home to Forest last week, but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw which saw them fall seven points behind Arsenal at the top of the table, but they still have a game in hand. They have taken seven points from their last three away games with only Arsenal and Chelsea scoring more goals on the road and only Arsenal and Everton conceding less. They have taken 17 points and scored 14 goals in their last seven games with no other team scoring more goals and only Arsenal conceding less.

Antoine Semenyo is the in form City player for fantasy managers with Nico O’Reilly, Rayan AIT-Nouri, March Guehi and Matheus Nunes all good options while it’s difficult to recommend Erling Haaland in his current form.

I think City will be good enough to get the better of West Ham in this game.

Prediction: 1-3

Sunday March 15

Crystal Palace v Leeds United 

2pm GMT, Selhurst Park, London 

Palace came from behind to win 3-1 away to Spurs last week and that win moved them within two points of the top half of the table. They have only won once in their last nine home games with only Spurs and Wolves winning less games on their own patch and only Forest scoring less goals. They have won three of their last five games after failing to win the previous nine, but only three other teams have scored less goals.

Ismaila Sarr is the Palace player most likely to do well for fantasy managers at the moment.

Leeds lost 1-0 at home to Sunderland last week and they’re now only three points above the bottom three. Only Wolves have won less games on their travels, but they have drawn six of their last seven away games and no other team has drawn more. They have lost their last two games after only losing two of the previous 14 with only the bottom three conceding more goals.

I’m not sure there are any Leeds players who can do well for fantasy managers at the moment.

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

Prediction: 1-1

Manchester United v Aston Villa

2pm GMT, Old Trafford, Manchester 

United lost 2-1 away to 10 man Newcastle last week, but they managed to stay in third place on goal difference. They have won their last four home games and they scored nine goals in those games with only three other teams scoring more goals on their own ground. The defeat against Newcastle was their first defeat in 12 games and five of their next six games are against teams in the top half of the table.

Bruno Fernandes is in great form for fantasy managers at the moment with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko worth considering too.

Villa lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea last week, but they’re only behind United on goal difference going into this game. They have only won once in their last five away games and they have actually conceded more goals than they have scored on their travels. They have only won three of their last 11 games, but five of their next seven games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Morgan Rogers is the Villa player most likely to impress for fantasy managers at the moment.

I think United will strengthen their hold on third place by taking the three points in this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Nottingham Forest v Fulham 

2pm GMT, City Ground, Nottingham 

Forest twice came from behind to draw 2-2 away to City last week and that point was enough to keep them out of the relegation zone on goal difference. They haven’t won in their last six home games with no other team scoring less goals on their own patch. They have only taken three points from their last six games, but two of their next four games are against teams fighting against relegation like themselves.

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

Fulham lost 1-0 at home to West Ham last week, but they just about managed to stay in the top half of the table on goal difference. They won their last away game after losing the previous three with only the bottom two losing more games on their travels. They have lost four of their last six games and they conceded 11 goals in those games with only one other team in the top half of the table conceding more goals.

Harry Wilson (if he’s fit to play) and Raul Jiminez are the Fulham players who can do well for fantasy managers.

This is a difficult game to call with a draw being the most likely outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur 

4.30pm GMT, Anfield, Liverpool 

Liverpool lost 2-1 away to bottom of the table Wolves last week, but they’re still only three points off third place. They have only won two of their last five home games, but they have some good games coming up on their own ground. They had won four of their previous five games before losing to Wolves with only four other teams scoring more goals.

Virgil van Dijk and Hugo Ekitike are probably the best of the Liverpool players for fantasy managers at the moment.

Spurs lost 3-1 at home to Palace last week after having a man sent off when they were 1-0 up and they’re now only one point above the bottom three. They have only taken two points from their last five away games and they conceded nine goals in those games, but they have taken 19 of their 29 points so far on the road. They have only taken four points from their last 11 games and they conceded 23 goals in those games, but only one other team in the bottom half of the table has scored more goals.

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

I think Liverpool will continue their push for a top four finish while piling more misery on Spurs by winning this game.

Prediction: 3-1

Monday March 16

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

8pm GMT, Gtech Community Stadium, London 

Brentford drew 0-0 away to Bournemouth last week to stay in seventh place and keep their European chances very much alive. They have only taken one point from their last three home games after taking 17 in the previous seven, but they have a good run of home games coming up. They have taken 11 points from their last six games and their next two games are both against teams fighting the drop.

Igor Thiago is a very good choice for fantasy managers while Dango Ouattara  can do a job for them too.

Wolves won 2-1 at home to Liverpool last week, but they’re 12 points from safety with just eight games left to play. They’re the only team without an away win with no other team scoring less goals on their travels. They have won their last two games after failing to win the previous eight with no other team scoring less goals and only Burnley and West Ham conceding more.

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

I think Brentford will keep their fantastic season going with another victory in this game.

Prediction: 2-0

That’s it for this week.

See you next week.

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.