By Simon Wright – Follow
me on Twitter @Siwri88
In a new
weekly feature, I play The Predictor as I forecast this weekend’s Premier
League games and how I think they will play out.
Manchester United v Crystal Palace –
Saturday, 14 September – 12.45pm (Live on BT Sport)
It has been a
difficult start for David Moyes at Manchester United with just four points from
three games, and the Red Devils will be hurting from their defeat to Liverpool
last time out. It will be interesting to
see what line-up he fields against Crystal Palace, a game they must win just to
quieten any of the doubters.
Palace played
well last time out against Sunderland, but they simply won’t have anything to
stop United here. I’m going for a
routine and comfortable home victory.
SIMON PREDICTS: Manchester United 3-0 Crystal Palace
Aston Villa v Newcastle United –
Saturday, 14 September – 3pm
This is a
close game to call. Villa have had a
tough start as they’ve had to play Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool in their first
three games. Paul Lambert’s side
equipped themselves well in these matches and the win at the Emirates on the
opening weekend was very impressive.
Even though two narrow defeats have followed, I’m really not overly concerned
about the Midlands side this season.
Newcastle
made no permanent signings of any note this summer, but they held onto Yohan
Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa. You have to
feel that if they will beat the drop this season, these two French
internationals must lead the way with consistently strong performances.
A surprise
perhaps with some, but I reckon Newcastle will edge this one 2-1. They won at Villa Park by the same scoreline
in January, and their record on the road in Birmingham is pretty good in recent
seasons.
SIMON PREDICTS: Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle United
Fulham v West Brom – Saturday, 14
September – 3pm
This is
probably the first time in his successful career in management that Steve
Clarke has been under some pressure.
West Brom have yet to score this season in the league, sit bottom and have just one point to their name.
He did well
to keep Shane Long on transfer deadline day, and strengthen with the late
arrivals of Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon. Fulham have been very unimpressive so
far, and have failed to build on a solid opening day victory at Sunderland.
There are a
lot of players in this game who can deliver the stunning football, or wander
around the field without a care in the world.
The likes of Berbatov, Sessegnon and Taarabt spring to mind. The Baggies will break their goalscoring
duck, but Fulham’s strong home form will see them over the line for a narrow
2-1 victory.
SIMON PREDICTS: Fulham 2-1 West Brom
Hull City v Cardiff City – Saturday,
14 September – 3pm
Two of the
newly promoted clubs clash at the KC Stadium and if it will be anything like
the match between the sides in May that culminated in Hull’s promotion, then we
could be in for a real treat.
Both sides
have acquired well in the transfer market, especially the visitors. These are the games Hull must win if they
want to make a fist of staying in the top flight.
They got the
job done against Norwich three weeks ago on home soil, and it will be a second
successive win for Bruce’s men infront of their own fans. It will be a scrappy contest, probably settled
by a set-piece.
SIMON PREDICTS: Hull City 1-0 Cardiff City
Stoke City v Manchester City –
Saturday, 14 September – 3pm
Stoke City’s
Britannia Stadium has been a fortress for some time until their rocky patch in
the second half of last season that ultimately finished off the fairly
successful reign of Tony Pulis. With two
wins from three and a more expansive approach to their game, it has been an
excellent beginning for Mark Hughes.
Call it revenge
or the determination to win but Hughes would love to get one over his former
employers, and City’s away resolve will be tested again. It cracked at Cardiff, and must improve here
if they really want to be considered as serious title contenders.
The Citizens
have never won in the Premier League at the Britannia, but they did edge out a
1-0 result in the FA Cup fourth round back in January. There will be some feisty tackles in this
game, and I’d be surprised if all 22 players finish the match. Two red cards and a two-goal victory for
Manuel Pellegrini’s men is my prediction.
SIMON PREDICTS: Stoke City 0-2 Manchester City
Sunderland v Arsenal – Saturday, 14
September – 3pm
Mesut Ozil is
expected to make his Barclays Premier League bow at the Stadium of Light on
Saturday, and he should get a taste of what life is like in the English game.
This game
could also be a physical battle rather than a contest dictated by flowing
football and style. Sunderland have made
a woeful start, and there is already speculation of dressing room unrest on
Wearside.
Arsenal have
a habit of making these sort of games ultra-difficult and that is why I reckon
Sunderland will show enough resolve to earn a battling point in the game of the
weekend.
SIMON PREDICTS: Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City –
Saturday, 14 September – 3pm
You have to
go back to April 1995 for Tottenham’s last home win over Norwich in the Premier
League. That season, the Canaries were
relegated but I really don’t think they will be in any danger this season.
Spurs begin
life properly after Gareth Bale and if the derby defeat at Arsenal is anything
to go by, it will probably take at least a couple of months for all the new
signings to click as a unit.
John Ruddy
will put in a man-of-the-match performance but I think the Spurs hoodoo will
end with a third 1-0 win of the season, through a stoppage time penalty from
Roberto Soldado.
SIMON PREDICTS: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Norwich City
Everton v Chelsea – Saturday, 14
September – 5.30pm (Live on Sky Sports)
Martinez v
Mourinho has the ingredients to be a real classic. Chelsea could end top by the end of play on
Saturday night, but this is a true test of their early season mettle.
Seven points
from three games is good without playing sparkling football, whilst Everton are
also unbeaten, but still searching for their first three point result of the
campaign.
I can’t split
these sides at Goodison. There will be
plenty of goalmouth action, but a point apiece is the final outcome in my eyes
and I think both sides would be satisfied with that result.
SIMON PREDICTS: Everton 1-1 Chelsea
Southampton v West Ham United –
Sunday, 15 September – 4pm (Live on Sky Sports)
Southampton
have been quietly going about their business, but Mauricio Pochettino has got a
great group together and has added some real quality this summer with the
arrivals of Victor Wanyama, Dejan Lovren and Pablo Osvaldo.
West Ham’s
campaign has been unspectacular, but they will need to improve on two lackadaisical
performances recently after a good opening day triumph at home to Cardiff. With Andy Carroll likely to be out now until
Christmas at best, Sam Allardyce will be desperate for someone like Modibo
Maiga or Matt Jarvis to score goals on a regular basis.
This one is a
home win for me. With the combination of
Osvaldo and Rickie Lambert in attack, Southampton should have too much for the
Hammers.
SIMON PREDICTS: Southampton 2-1 West Ham United
Swansea City v Liverpool – Monday, 16
September – 8pm (Live on Sky Sports)
Who would
have thought Liverpool would be the only club with a 100 per cent record after
three games. It took them until late
October to get to nine points last term, and that highlights the significant progress
that has been made in the last 12 months under Brendan Rodgers.
Swansea have
had some horrible games to deal with early on in the season, and they will be
unimpressed that they have to play the high-flying Reds on Monday night – less
than 72 hours before a Europa League group game in the Mestalla against
Valencia.
There will be
old reunions here, with Brendan Rodgers returning to the Liberty, and Jonjo
Shelvey set to face the club he left in the summer. Liverpool have been solid at the back, but
with Daniel Sturridge a major doubt, I think these sides will cancel each other
out in an entertaining, but goalless match in Wales.
SIMON PREDICTS: Swansea City 0-0 Liverpool
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