Premier League Predictions - Week 19

The Premier League is back, this week we have some interesting games coming up. Chelsea face a resurgent Sunderland side, while Liverpool take on a Stoke side which have taken more points in their last 8 games than Man City, Man United, Chelsea and even Liverpool themselves.

This week, our predictor is Tomasz Mortimer of Hungaria Football.

Fixture	Ibby Akkas prediction		Tomasz Mortimer prediction		Actual Score
Aston Villa v Everton	1-2		1-1		1-1
Blackburn v Fulham	3-2		1-1		3-1
Chelsea v Sunderland	2-0		2-1		1-0
Liverpool v Stoke	0-0		2-0		0-0
Man Utd v Bolton	4-0		3-0		3-0
Tottenham v Wolves	3-1		3-1		1-1
West Brom v Norwich	1-0		1-2		1-2
Newcastle v QPR	1-1		0-2		1-0
Swansea v Arsenal	2-2		1-2		3-2
Wigan v Man City	1-2		0-4		0-1
Total Correct Scores	correct scores - 4	perfect scores - 1	correct scores - 2	perfect scores - 3

The Results

Tomasz Mortimer - 11 points

Ibby Akkas - 7 points

Tomasz Mortimer wins with a very impressive 11 points. Tomasz got a very respectable 3 perfect scores! While Ibby came last, with 7 points.


Check out Hungaria Football a website which specialises in covering Football related to Hungary. Be sure to follow Tomasz Mortimer on Twitter too: @HungariaFootbal.

Video: Mourinho's woeful acting + Tony Pulis on the Tevez saga

Our first video is Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho doing an advert for Braun. Mourinho maybe a world class manager, but by no means in hell is he a good actor. Just take a look at his acting in this video. It's actually quite embarrassing!




Our final video is about Tony Pulis on the Tevez - Man City saga. As with most managers, Sky and the press have been asking various managers on their thoughts on the Tevez issue. But the brilliant Pulis, slams the question in an emphatic yet refreshing manner.

Five Observations from Week 5 in the Premier League

1.) Fernando Torres takes one step forward then two steps back – For the first time in his Chelsea career, and for the first time in 2011, Fernando Torres has scored in two games in a row. It’s fair to say the old Fernando, the world class version is coming back to the surface. However, he seems to eclipse his positives actions with Chelsea with a negative action. His sending off this weekend symbolises this. Torres had no real need to lunge in with two feet up in the air. It was a woeful striker’s tackle. But just when you think Torres is finding his form, sharpness and goals, he commits an act which could possibly affect his consistency. Ironically, consistency is something he has craved for since moving to Chelsea.

2.) Man United gain a credible draw at Stoke – Yes, Man United’s 100% winning record is over. But it’s by no means a disaster. Already this season, Stoke have held Chelsea and have beaten Liverpool at home. Many of United’s league contenders will come to Stoke and will struggle to get all three points. Man United can also learn a lot from this result too. Although United’s defending has been relatively strong this season, at times they have shown their frailties. Peter Crouch’s goal for Stoke highlighted United’s poor defending from the set piece. Perhaps young Phil Jones should have been more tighter and more aware of the positioning of Stoke’s target man Peter Crouch. While just after Stoke’s goal, Rio Ferdinand’s miss kicked his clearance which nearly and should have given Crouch a chance to score his second goal of the game. But Sir Alex, the fans and the players will be even more aware that the champions need to put more focus in their defending, as the defensive lapse could have cost them the game. Indeed, David De Gea stood up to Stoke’s aggressive and direct nature. The new Man United goalkeeper made some crucial saves which helped preserved United from losing. With every game, the young Spaniard looks more confident, more settled and more of a natural successor to Van der Sar.

3.) Man City’ strength in depth is the difference – City had a very tough encounter versus Everton. The Merseysiders were committed, focused and organised in restricting Man City the opportunity to create and finish chances. For most of the game, Everton frustrated Man City. They simply couldn’t find a break through. Everton did a very good job in nullifying in- form players such as Edin Dzeko. However, for all the talent City started in the match, this could be matched by Man City’s quality on the bench. Step up James Milner and Mario Balotelli. Both substitutes scored both of the goals in the game. Everton could not cope with City’s quality on the bench, as a result, the likes of Silva and Aguero’s both stepped up after the introduction of Balotelli and Milner. It’s fair to say, against tough oppositions, Manchester City’s strength in depth could be the potential decider in the title race. After all, they possess many attacking threats, while as the game progresses and the opposition tire, the quality of attacking depth, especially on the bench could prove to be the difference. Just as it proved to be against Everton this weekend.

4.) Liverpool becoming ever more dependent on Luis Suarez – Liverpool were not great against Wolves this weekend. At times they were on top, and created many chances. But there were also periods when Wolves asked all the questions of Liverpool and The Reds didn’t defend that impressively. Offensively, the difference for Liverpool again was Luis Suarez. His movement, energy and creativity often left the Wolves defence feeling dizzy. But at times during the game, it was as if Suarez was the only Liverpool player looking to move in and out of pockets of space. Without his movement, it would seem as if Liverpool’s performance was lacklustre and short of creative ideas. It’s evident the other attacking Liverpool players need to show more intelligent movement in order to create space. But when Luis Suarez is in form, its not surprising a team becomes dependent on him. He is arguably a complete striker, who can create and finish himself, so is it surprising he becomes the focal point of team?

5.) The Newcastle United revolution gets bigger and bigger – Newcastle were widely tipped as the team who would be in and around the foot of the table at the start of the season. Due to the club selling key players such as Enrique, Nolan and Barton. But Alan Pardew and his new look Newcastle side have started the season off very impressively. After 6 games, they find themselves unbeaten, and are in fourth place with 12 points. The new signings seem to have given the club some balance and variation of quality. Attackers Demba Ba and Leon Best have so far consistently provided goals. One could argue that Ba has been rather inconsistent for Newcastle so far and has drifted in and out of games. It’s a fair point, he hasn’t been great. But against Blackburn he was a consistent threat, his pace, strength and instinctive finishing was the difference. His hat-trick will not only give The Toon Army some optimism, it will give them some pride. Furthermore, the return of Hatem Ben Arfa gives Newcastle even more quality and technical strength. Newcastle have rather quietly constructed a very good outfit which is proving to be a decent side.

Five Statistics from this weekend

1.) Fernando Torres has scored against 24/28 of teams he has faced in the Premier League.

2.) Four different players have scored a hat-trick for Newcastle United since the start of 2010/11 season

3.) Peter Crouch has scored for 6 different Premier League clubs in his career.

4.) Tottenham are the only team this season to pass more than 600 times in more than one game.

5.) Aston Villa are the third team in Premier League history to draw 5/6 of their opening games.

Jamie Carragher's passing style against Stoke - Is it successful for Liverpool in the long term?

Jamie Carragher IS Mr. Liverpool. His committed, never-say die attitude and his desire to win make him often stand out on a football pitch. Clearly, there aren’t many players in the modern game who can boast that they have played for one team throughout their career. But Jamie Carragher is one of the few who can.

A footballer’s career doesn’t last that long, especially in the highest and most demanding leagues such as the Premier League. Some argue Jamie Carragher’s time at the top is slowly coming to an end.

Stokes defeat of Liverpool raised some eyebrows on whether Jamie Carragher, 33, is good enough to continue being a certain starter in Liverpool’s staring XI. Indeed, it was Carragher’s mistake which cost Liverpool the penalty – which turned out to be the winning goal. Furthermore, there have been arguments that two of the three Liverpool goals conceded in the league this season have stemmed from a Carragher mistake.

However, besides the penalty issue, the performance of Jamie Carragher created more questions. For example, his insistence to drop deeper than the team’s defensive line. Indeed, Carragher has lost some of the pace he had from his peak days. So in order to read the game better and reduce the chance of the attacker to getting the better of him via their pace, Carragher has to drop deeper. But an argument stems from Carragher’s decision to drop deep. If the Liverpool vice-captain drops back, it has an effect on the defensive line. It can lead to a lack of organisation at the back, thus making the defensive line easier to exploit.

However, it would be extremely naïve to fail to mention Jamie Carragher’s invaluable qualities.

His leadership and organisation skills are sensational. The defender is fantastic in helping younger and less experienced players deal with the demands of the Premier League especially within the match. Furthermore, his passion, commitment and drive for Liverpool is contagious and inspires the players and fans alike.

It’s transparent Carragher’s defensive partner, Daniel Agger has a contrasting style to him. Carragher on one hand is perhaps a limited centre back, who can offer a great deal defensively but little going forward. Whereas Agger, offers a solid defensive out look, similarly to Carragher. But he can also make deep runs into the midfield. This is assisted by his ability to superbly pass the ball to feet.

Against Stoke, Daniel Agger appeared to impress far more than Jamie Carragher. But why is this the case? Was it solely because of the penalty incident? Or was it because of the style of play both players adopted?

Here is a look at how both players passed versus Stoke.

Before we analyse, one must appreciate the passing statistics of both players.

Jamie Carragher: 42 passes – 32 successful – 10 unsuccessful (76% success pass compilation rate)

Daniel Agger: 48 passes – 37 successful – 11 unsuccessful (77% success pass completion rate)

As the stats prove, both players had a very similar pass completion rates. But looking at the diagram, the two contrasting styles between both players can be visibly seen.

Jamie Carragher’s passing was more direct and he chose to play long balls. This has been the case for most of this season. In fact, Jamie Carragher has been accountable for 41 out of 180 of Liverpool’s long passes this season. While Daniel Agger plays the ball far shorter and passes predominantly into the midfield. This season, Agger has only attempted 15 long passes, a massive disparity in comparison to Carragher’s long ball attempts.

The diagram below proves, Carragher’s long ball’s were largely unsuccessful for Liverpool against Stoke.

All of Jamie Carragher’s 10 unsuccessful passes came in the form of long balls. To some, Carragher’s failure with long balls is unsurprising. After all, it is harder for Carragher's team mates to regain possession and it's easier for the defending team to dispossess the ball whilst an attacking player is trying to control the ball.

Furthermore, against Stoke, there is a small chance that long balls will be successful. Stoke are renowned for being aerially dominant and are arguably, long ball specialists. So clearly there is an unlikely chance of Liverpool beating Stoke at their strengths.


Jamie Carragher is obviously aware of Stoke’s strengths. But why did Carragher choose to play to Stoke’s strengths?

The answer is relatively simple. Firstly, Carragher’s unwillingness to venture forward and Stoke’s pressure system meant that, passing it long was Carragher’s only way of getting the ball forward. Indeed, Carragher could have passed out wide, but Jordan Henderson (who started the game on the right) likes to receive the ball in a more central area of the pitch. Thus meaning, there wasn’t a natural wide player for Carragher to pass to. If Jamie Carragher was blessed with pace and acceleration, he could have been able to run with the ball into a wide right area. Just like Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly do for Liverpool. But Carragher’s incapacitity to play at right back was constantly highlighted against Stoke.

However, Jamie Carragher is still a very capable centre back. But in some respects, his passing style doesn’t suit Liverpool’s overall style. Liverpool’s midfield like to receive the ball from the back, in order to impose Liverpool onto the opposition. This fits ideally into Daniel Agger’s passing style, but his partner Carragher does pass into the midfield at times, but he is known to be more direct and choose to pass it over the midfield to the striker.

The Agger and Carragher partnership has proved it can work. But, at this moment of time Jamie Carragher’s style of play, especially his passing style, seems to be cause for concern for Liverpool. Indeed, once Jamie Carragher gets a few more games under his belt, his passing, tackling and positioning will naturally improve.

But Liverpool need to find a long term successor for Jamie Carragher. The committed vice –captain cannot be expected to be able to continuously compete with the Premier League’s most powerful and fastest strikers. Not only will it affect Carragher’s game, it will have a detrimental effect on Liverpool’s performances too.

Five Observations from Week 3 in the Premier League

1. Manchester United has most definitely improved on last season. – To some, Man United’s away game against Bolton was supposed to be a litmus test to inspect the quality of Man United’s credentials this season. Of course, last season the champions struggled away from home, especially in the early part of the season. But fast forward 12 months, the team have been dominant and far more productive on the road. Against Bolton, Man United looked dynamic, powerful and incredibly lethal.
2. Sergio Aguero has settled perfectly into Premier League – The majestical Argentine’s finishing was at its clinical finest against Wigan. His hat trick demonstrated his incredible composure in and around the box. All in all, his technical expertise, along with his creative footballing brain has given Manchester City another dimension this season. Aguero has only played four Premier League games in his career and he has returned with scored 6 Premier League goals. Absolutely Sensational. It’s fair to say, the prominence of Sergio Aguero has marginalised the significance of want away striker Carlos Tevez.
3. Arsenal remember how to win in the Premier League – Arsenal’s first league win wasn’t pretty or that impressive. They relied on a horrendous mistake from Swansea keeper Michel Vorm to pick up all three points. Indeed, Arsenal were on top for most periods of the game. But the Gunners didn’t create that much nor did they play with the level of fluidity which is normally accustom to Arsenal. However, the team will be more than content to get their first their points of the season. As they say, ‘a win is a win.’
4. Stoke – a team looking like European Contenders – Stoke armed with their new additions, Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios came away with a win against Liverpool. Although at times Stoke rode their luck, and were second best, especially in the second half. They still managed to scrape a win, thanks to Stoke’s fantastic defending. The Potters defence was extremely organised and committed to the Stoke cause. Asmir Begovic deserves his plaudits too. There were countless amounts of times when he single handidly kept Liverpool out too. Stoke’s awkward nature is a fundamental reason why the side will make further success at home and in Europe.
5. Fulham will be banging their heads against the wall after this weekend – Prior to Fulham’s match against out of form Blackburn, The Cottagers, who haven’t won a league game this season must have thought this was the game to reignite their season. However, Fulham failed to capitalise on their dominance and decent chances. Fulham’s new signing Bryan Ruiz had an uninspiring debut, and it’s clear he will need time to settle. But more importantly, Fulham’s winless run continues. Bearing in mind the chances Fulham had. They will be rueing at the fact they didn’t get all three points against the Premier League’s basement club.

Find out who won The Football Front’s prediction challenge here.

Premier League Predictions – Week 3

Finally. The Premier League is back again! With many teams geared up with their deadline buys, there is sense that the season starts again this weekend.

This week, our predictors are The Football Front’s Christian Brown and Brett Curtis of Football Speak.

Fixture	Ibby Akkas prediction		Christian Brown prediction		Brett Curtis prediction		Actual Score
Arsenal v Swansea	3-1		5-0		2-0		1-0
Everton v Aston Villa	0-0		2-1		0-0		2-2
Man City v Wigan	2-0		3-0		3-1		3-0
Stoke v Liverpool	2-2		1-1		0-1		1-0
Sunderland v Chelsea	1-3		1-2		1-1		1-2
Wolves v Spurs	1-0		0-2		1-2		0-2
Bolton v Man United	1-1		0-2		0-3		0-5
Norwich v West Brom	2-3		2-2		1-2		0-1
Fulham v Blackburn	2-0		2-0		2-0		1-1
QPR v Newcastle	2-1		1-2		1-1		0-0
Total Correct Scores	Correct Results - 4	Perfect Results - 0	Correct Results - 2	Perfect Results - 3	Correct Results - 7	Perfect Results - 0

The Results

Christian Brown - 11 Points

Brett Curtis - 7 Points

Ibby Akkas - 4 Points

Brett has kindly given us his explanations to his predictions.

Arsenal 2-0 Swansea
While I think Swansea will keep the scoreline a touch lower than they did at Man City, I don't expect them to score their first Premier League goal yet. Arsenal to record their first win of the season in a 2-0 victory, with Arteta thriving on his debut.

Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
I think this has a cagey 0-0 draw written all over it. That result would probably suit both sides, who have declined somewhat in the last year or so: epitomised by the rumoured protests at Goodison prior to kick-off after a dismal transfer window.

Man City 3-1 Wigan
City have started the season superbly, scoring 12 goals with a 100% record. Wigan, meanwhile, are surprisingly unbeaten so far, but I see that coming to an end here in a 3-1 loss.

Stoke 0-1 Liverpool
It will be interesting to see whether Palacios and Crouch will start - two players that should really improve Stoke in the two areas I felt they previously lacked. However, Liverpool are overdue a win at the Britannia, and I predict them to secure it in a scrappy affair.

Sunderland 1-1 Chelsea
Sunderland are yet to win this season; while I don't see that changing, I do expect them to pick up a point against a Chelsea side that have so far yet to inspire.

Wolves 1-2 Tottenham
You would not have expected Wolves to be 7 points ahead of their opponents heading into this game. However, I expect Spurs to close the gap amid their deadline day sales in a tight victory to move them off the bottom. Adebayor's debut will be an interesting one.

Bolton 0-3 Man Utd
I thought Bolton were poor against Liverpool, and I do worry about their steel under Coyle. I can't see anything but a third straight loss by Bolton to a top six side here, which will ensure United remain at the top of the table.

Norwich 1-2 West Brom
West Brom are one of three sides yet to pick up a point, but they have certainly not had much luck so far. Carrow Road will be a tough place for anyone this season but, if they are fit, I think Long and Odemwingie can cause them real problems on the break.

Fulham 2-0 Blackburn
Neither side has started the season very well, but Craven Cottage is generally a reliable home ground for Fulham. The signing of Brian Ruiz is a real coup for them and I expect him to be the goalscorer they have lacked in recent seasons. Struggling Blackburn to end the weekend bottom.

QPR 1-1 Newcastle
Unlike Newcastle, QPR were extremely busy on deadline day; while I think it will take time for the likes of SWP and Barton to settle, I do think their signings should be enough to see them survive. In terms of this match, I think it has a draw written all over it, with Newcastle to carry on their unbeaten start. A major incident involving Barton would be great to see as a neutral.

Points System

Perfect Result = 3 points

Correct Result = 1 Point

You can follow Christian on his Twitter here . Brett is a contributor on Football Speak. Make sure you check out Brett’s work here . Follow him on Twitter too

Splintered Woodgate’s Final Chance

The Football Front's Christian Brown assess Jonathan Woodgate's move to Stoke.

“Madrid’s true leader.” “One of the best centre backs to play for Newcastle.” “Leeds United’s ‘jewel in the crown.’” Jonathan Woodgate has been showered with compliments over his 13 year long professional career. An 8 time England international, the clichéd ‘rock at the back’ has commanded £36.4 million pounds worth of transfer fees, spreading from Yorkshire to Madrid. However, he now finds himself at Stoke City, having failing to agree a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur. No disrespect to Stoke, but they’re a bit of a comedown seeing he once played for Real Madrid.

So where did it all go wrong?

The answer is very simple. Injuries. The term ‘injury prone’ fits to Woodgate like a tailor made suit. Notable injuries to his groin and back have meant that Woodgate has never really had a full season playing week in, week out. It’s a great shame, because had injuries not struck him, he could have been spoken about as one of the great English defenders of his generation, rather than a player who has ‘shot it’ and ‘should have retired ages ago.’

The fact Real Madrid, the biggest club in world football, forked out £13.4 million it emphasises the appreciation of his quality. Yes, his debut was a horror show to say the least (scoring an own goal before being sent off for a second yellow.) But the fact he recovered from that strongly enough to be recognised as a bit of a cult hero due to his performances after, it gives you an insight of his character. His time at Madrid nearly led him back into the England fold, but again, injury put a stop to that.

A move to Tottenham followed soon after. Woodgate will go down in Tottenham’s history books for his efforts there. It was his goal that clinched them a Carling Cup victory over their hated rivals Chelsea. He also gained the Man Of The Match award in the process. Woodgate was Tottenham’s captain for a short while, and was instrumental in their recovery to 8^th position in 2009

However the injuries creped back in 2009. This resulted in Woodgate being out for 14 months with a groin injury this time. He came back to play once in Spurs’ victory against AC Milan in the Champions League as a substitute.

As he could not agree a new deal with Tottenham, he signed a pay-as-you-play contract with Stoke, making his debut in a friendly against Aldershot. Credit to him, he lasted just over an hour before being substituted, and this switch had nothing to do with an injury either.

Throughout his career, Woodgate has proved he is world class. When at Newcastle, he had a certain dangerman who goes by the name of Didier Drogba in his back pocket when they played Marseille in the UEFA Cup semi finals. Surprise, surprise though, Woodgate was injured for the second leg and guess who scored twice to send Newcastle out of Europe?

With Stoke though, he has the possibility of playing in this competition again – if he can remain fit. Pulis would have brought him in to add depth to his squad as they could embark on a long season; much like Fulham did in 2009. Indeed, budging Stoke’s first choice centre backs Shawcross and Huth won’t be easy. But if Woodgate can recapture his form and keep fit, there’s no reason why he can’t. Who knows, this time next year he may have signed an extension with Stoke, and Spurs may be kicking themselves as to why they released him. Alternatively, he could find himself at the bottom of the footballing scrapheap, begging ex clubs Leeds and Middlesbrough for a final shot at the beautiful game.

Football has been ever so cruel to Jonathan Woodgate.

But only time will tell if his move to Stoke reignites or further declines his career.

This piece was written by Christian Brown, you can follow him on his Twitter - @Chris78901, Chris also writes for The Sports Pallet too. All of Chris' work is on his blog, 1-chris78901.

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Premier League Relegation Predictions

Relegation’ is the word on everyone’s lips ahead of the Premier League finale. Wolves, Birmingham, Blackpool and Wigan could all join West Ham in the Championship next season. Perhaps, this is the most hotly contested relegation battle the Premier League has ever seen.

Here are my predictions for the final Premier League games of the season.

Man United v Blackpool

Man United will probably field a relatively weakened side against Blackpool. Its clear Sir Alex Ferguson will want to protect his key players ahead of the European Cup final against Barcelona.

To some, this may provide a chance for Blackpool. Perhaps it does. But Man United’s ‘weakened side’ is still a very good side. One must consider the second leg of this year’s Champions League the semi final. Man United played a rotated side against Schalke. That side smashed Schalke 4-1.

Furthermore, Man United have a formidable home record this season. In the Premier League, they have a 94% winning ratio at home. That is sensational. In fact, it’s the joint highest winning ratio in Premier League history. (Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea in the (2005/06) also had a 94% winning ratio.) So, Man United at home, even with a weakened side will be incredibly difficult for Blackpool.

Prediction: 3-1

Stoke v Wigan

This is a really tough game for Wigan. The Lactics may be coming into some form, as they are unbeaten in their last three matches. But Stoke will be up for this game. Stoke may be in Europe and are in a relatively pleasing mid table position. But, Stoke have just come off the back of two defeats against Man City and one of those results include a FA Cup Final defeat.

The severe bad news for Wigan is that, Stoke coming into this game are unbeaten in their last 8 home games. Furthermore, because Stoke have just been beaten by Man City in the final. You would expect Stoke to come out and give a real strong performance for their fans, seeing it’s their last home game of the season too.

If Stoke are seriously driven to win, as I expect they will be, I think Wigan will have little chance of getting something out of this game.

Prediction: 2-1

Tottenham v Birmingham City

This is an odd game. It’s odd simply because its depends on how Tottenham play. There’s a lot of speculation that Tottenham are not interested in the Europa League. So they may not turn up against Birmingham City. I would have to disagree. Harry Redknapp is aware that European football is better than no European football. Furthermore, Redknapp knows that being in Europe could be a crucial aspect to whether he can sign top stars in the summer.

It’s clear Birmingham City have had a poor season at home. Their form in the final third of the season has been woeful. Birmingham have not won their last 5 games at home. To make things worse, Birmingham also haven’t won in their last 6 away games. It’s hardly, the most inspiring form ahead of a tough match against a Tottenham side, who have been unbeaten in their last 16 home games.

However, there is a glimpse of hope for Birmingham City. Tottenham have not won their last three home games.

I think it will be a close game, but Spurs will edge it.

Prediction: 1-0

Wolves v Blackburn

This game is a massive opportunity for both teams to confirm their Premier League status for next season. Both sides find themselves level with 40 points. Both teams are also unbeaten in their last three games. It’s going to be a really close game. I Have a feeling it will be the game of the weekend.

But Wolves are at home. This will play a crucial aspect in this fixture. Furthermore, Wolves will feel they have more momentum coming into this game especially after the team beat Sunderland away last weekend.

However, what will further motivate the Wolves players is that Blackburn have a 17% winning ratio away from home this season. It’s a shocking stat for Blackburn. In addition to this, Blackburn haven’t won in their last 8 games away games.

Wolves are the favourites for this game. Their last result saw them win and Mick McCarthy will be demanding Wolves finish the job off at home.

But as we know, relegation candidates are incredibly inconsistent. So anything is possible.

But I’m going for a home win.

Prediction: 2-0

So, here is how my predictions will leave the foot of Premier League standing.

If my predictions are correct, Blackpool and Wigan are the two teams who will go down. But what visibly stands out is that the two teams who go down along with West Ham, they go down due to their goal difference.

Even if my predictions are incorrect, I firmly believe the goal difference statistic will play a massive role in a team’s fate to whether they stay in this division.

It will most certainly be an incredibly tight ending to the Premier League season.

If you’re curious about how my weekend predictions will leave the Premier League standing. Here it is below.

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Premier League + FA Cup predictions 16/04

Here are our predictions for this weekend’s Premier League and big FA Cup semi final fixtures. This week our predictors are Liam Milner and Ed Diggins, who has written his explanations for his predictions.

Premier League Predictions

Fixture	Ibby Akkas prediction		Ed Diggins prediction		Liam Milner prediction		Actual score
Birmingham v Sunderland	1-2		1-1		2-1		2-0
Blackpool v Wigan	2-1		2-2		2-2		1-3
Everton v Blackburn	2-0		2-1		2-0		2-0
West Brom v Chelsea	1-1		1-1		1-1		1-3
West Ham v Aston Villa	2-1		1-0		1-2		1-2
Arsenal v Liverpool	2-2		0-0		1-1		1-1
Total correct scores	Correct Results- 2	Perfect Results - 1	Correct Results - 2	Perfect Results - 0	Correct Results - 4	Perfect Results - 3

FA Cup Predictions

Fixture	Ibby Akkas prediction		Ed Diggins prediction		Liam Milner prediction		Actual score
Man City v Man United	1-0		0-1		0-2		1-0
Bolton v Stoke	2-1		1-0		2-1		0-5
Total correct scores	Correct Results- 1	Perfect Results - 1	Correct Results - 0	Perfect Results - 0	Correct Results- 0	Perfect Results - 0

The Results

Liam Milner - 13 points

Ibby Akkas - 5 points

Ed Diggins - 2 points

After a brilliant weekend of football we have a clear winner for this weeks predictions! Liam Milner absolutely ran away with it this week. He managed to get 4 correct results along with a fantastic 3 perfect predictions. Impressive stuff.

But thanks to Ed and Liam for participating this week!

Ed Diggins has been kind enough to give us his overview on this weekend’s Premier League and FA Cup ties. It’s definitely worth the read.

Ed Diggins’ thoughts on this weekend’s Premier League and FA Cup action

Saturday, 16 April 2011

Barclays Premier League

Birmingham v Sunderland, 15:00

It is not that long since people were touting Steve Bruce’s men as possible European candidates, but how things have changed. A horrific run of form and results have seen them slip into the relegation zone, something that has been familiar to them over recent years. However, I think they will pull through and beat the drop. The Blues motivation from this game is three points will not only take them level with 13^th placed Sunderland, but also takes them ever closer to safety. This will not be pretty and Sunderland would be happy to take a point I am sure. 1-1 written all over it.

Prediction – Score draw

Blackpool v Wigan, 15:00

A huge game at the tail end of the pile, the first of two this weekend which may well go a long way to deciding who stays up. Wigan lie bottom on 31 points and a win will take them above Blackpool who have been in free-fall since December. Wigan have been impressive of late if that’s the correct word to use, with a reasonable showing last week against Chelsea and holding Spurs to a 0-0 the previous week a sign that maybe they can come into form. A win here could be the springboard to success. Realistically I can not see Blackpool loosing this but both sides are really poor and both in my opinion favourites for the drop. I am going for a 2-2 here.

Prediction – Score Draw.

Everton v Blackburn, 15:00

Instinct tells me this will be the most boring game of the weekend, though in this mad league, who knows what to expect. I am going home win here, with Everton having one goal to spare over a Blackburn side hovering dangerously close to the relegation zone. They need something from this game, but recent form suggests the maximum Blackburn can expect is a draw. I don’t think they will get it, but they will put on a decent show hopefully for them. 2-1 to the Toffees is where my money is going.

Prediction – Home win.

West Brom v Chelsea, 15:00

West Brom are flying and can really put it up to the Champions here. Woy has steadied the ship and their rise up the table in recent weeks has been sensational. 7 games undefeated, 3 wins & 4 draws makes the Baggies one of the form teams in the EPL at the moment, but still, predicting a win for them over a Chelsea side not exactly in top form is all too easy. Expect a back lash and Chelsea with nothing else to play for now, will arrive at the Hawthorns all guns blazing. The home side have the added motivation of ramming the opening day 6-0 defeat where the sun don’t shine and having given Manchester United and more recently Arsenal and Liverpool a tough day out on their own patch, I predict them to get a point. I would not be surprised though to see Torres end his scoring drought. I am going for another 1-1 draw for Chelsea following on from their trip to Stoke. But that is more going against the head. Realistically if I was putting money down, I would go for 2-1 Chelsea.

Prediction - Score draw.

West Ham v Aston Villa, 15:00

The second of this week’s huge games in the relegation zone. A win for Villa would all but securing top flight football next season. Their form is more erratic than a whores drawers so they are not easy to predict. 3 recent horror shows at Bolton, Wolves and City point to a team in turmoil, but a good showing at Everton and home to the Magpies last week may give them the lift they so badly need. West Ham are without a win in 4, but their home form is decent enough and I think they will pull through here and get 3 vital points. 1-0 to the hammers for me.

Prediction – Home Win.

FA Cup Semi Final.

Man City v Man Utd - 17:15

The biggest game of the weekend and one of the biggest of the season so far, so it is really is impossible to call. The form book suggests an easy United win, but this is a derby, this is the FA cup and nothing will come easy for either side in this one. City’s recent record over United is poor, with only one win in 8 games. That came in last season’s home leg of the Carling Cup semi. Since then, City have seen a good performance at Old Trafford in February go to waste, succumbing to a late Wayne Rooney wonder goal in the process of a 2-1 defeat.

A key thing here is who will Alex Ferguson play? I expect up to nine changes in the United team, as Fergie looks to the upcoming gruelling schedule with one eye on Newcastle on Tuesday. I shall be in the United end at Wembley on Saturday, so of course, I can only see a United win, but this is not certain by any means. Carlos Tevez is allegedly out for City while Rooney is missing for United. United have two in form strikers in Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez, yet City’s misfiring duo of Edin Džeko and Mario Balotelli have to strike gold sooner or later, right? It really is close to call and a victory for either team would not surprise me. Neither team will want extra time but it is possible and in my opinion the result hinges on what team Fergie picks. 1-0 united, after extra time perhaps.

Prediction – Close win for United, possibly on penalties.

Sunday, 17 April 2011 Barclays Premier League.

Arsenal v Liverpool, 16:00

This result depends on the simple question, which Arsenal will turn up? The one who turned over Barcelona in the Champions league first leg or the team who seemingly has forgotten how to score at home in the league of late? Arsenals home form is patchy to say the least, its 5 games since they turned in an impressive home performance. Liverpool have intentions of Europe through fifth place and will no doubt, be going all out for the win. I think they can nick a point, at least…0-0

Prediction – Scoreless draw.

FA Cup Semi Final

Bolton v Stoke, SF, 16:00

A huge day for both clubs and the most unlikely of semi-final pairings. I have a gut instinct that Bolton will nick this one, but it depends on who reacts to the big occasion. They both have beaten each other at home this year, so there is little between them. I sense a scrappy, dour affair with few chances and a lot of the ball in the air, something that will suit Stoke more than Bolton. But Bolton will have plenty of possession and I think they can turn this into a slim 1-0 win and see them reach the final.

Prediction – Bolton win.

Make sure you follow both our predictors Ed Diggins and Liam Milner on Twitter;

Ed Diggins - @ed_diggins

Liam Milner - @liammilner

Be sure to have a look at the great Back Page Football website, where Ed himself is a contributor. - http://backpagefootball.com/

Check out Liam Milner’s fantastic blog too, Killer Pass - http://killerpass.wordpress.com/

Things you may like to read

England's new 4-3-3 system. The platform for english success? Part two - the negatives - http://tiny.cc/aexxp

Why Chelsea must drop Fernando Torres if they are to have any success this season - http://tiny.cc/56aq4

Has the FA Cup lost all of its significance in the modern game? - http://tiny.cc/co7ec