Did I redeem any of the tiny fragments that I cling on to of my reputation when it comes to predicting results last week?
No, of course I didn’t. Just three right out of ten. Still, that’s one more than I got right the week before! 🙂
Saturday 8th November 2008
The first game of the weekend is the biggest. Arsenal and Manchester United both drew in midweek in the Champions League but the circumstances were slightly different. Arsenal had a fairly poor 0-0 draw at home to a very poor Fenerbahce side and were booed from the field by a minority of their fans. United drew 1-1 in the cauldron of Celtic Park and played some sublime football.
United are on a run of five wins in six league games and Arsenal have lost and drawn in their last two. The clever money is on a draw so I’m not going there! I reckon United will increase the pressure on Arsene Wenger.
SoccerNews prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United
Well, if Arsenal against United is the big one, I guess this one is the other end of the scale! Hull have been magnificent this season and performed reasonably well in their two defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United. Realistically, Hull will still just be looking to survive in this league and games like this one are crucial to them if they are going to succeed.
Bolton are well organised but where are the goals coming from?
I think Hull will get back to winning ways.
SoccerNews prediction: Hull 2-0 Bolton
Liverpool were winning everything earlier in the season without playing particularly well. Now, they are playing really well and haven’t won in their last couple of games. It won’t last, they’ll start winning again today.
West Brom play some lovely stuff but against the likes of Liverpool they are just too open.
SoccerNews prediction: Liverpool 2-0 West Brom
Sunderland are coming off a crushing 5-0 defeat at Chelsea and Portsmouth from a 2-1 defeat at home to Wigan. Sunderland are beginning to look like they may struggle and Portsmouth haven’t done the norm of winning well under a new manager.
This is a crucial game for both managers and I think Tony Adams will be the happier of the two at the end, although he’ll have to make do with a point.
SoccerNews prediction: Sunderland 1-1 Portsmouth
Two teams with big ambitions but at this stage, Everton look to be the team more likely. After a poor start they have managed to scrape together a couple of unconvincing wins, but wins none the less.
West Ham started well under Gianfranco Zola but reality has started to kick-in after the honeymoon period.
I think Everton will win again. It won’t be pretty, but they’ll take the points.
SoccerNews prediction: West Ham 0-1 Everton
Wigan battled to an unlikely but hard working win at Portsmouth last week and got themselves out of the bottom three. They will be hoping to build on the confidence that result will have given them.
Stoke, of course, had a great win over Arsenal and the adverse publicity via Arsene Wenger will have done them no harm at all.
Unfortunately for Tony Pulis and his men, I think they’ll bounce back to earth in this one.
SoccerNews prediction: Wigan 2-0 Stoke
Sunday 9th November 2008
Villa slipped up at Newcastle last time out and they will be looking to bounce back.
Middlesbrough rescued a late point against West Ham to keep themselves comfortably in mid-table.
Both managers have done an excellent job with their teams and will be happy with how things are going. Villa are exceptional at the moment and I expect Martin O’Neill to be the manager with the biggest smile at the end of this game.
SoccerNews prediction: Aston Villa 3-1 Middlesbrough
Chelsea had a bit of a reality check in Rome this week after also losing to Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. John Terry will not allow his team-mates to give anything less than 100% in this battle against a determined Blackburn side.
Blackburn looked really good in their defeat at Aston Villa and their draw at West Brom, but haven’t got much to show for it. I don’t think they’ll have any more after tomorrow’s game.
SoccerNews prediction: Blackburn 0-1 Chelsea
Both teams are struggling near the bottom but could be in slightly different moods. Fulham lost 1-0 at Everton to a soul destroying late goal last week after doing most of the good work they needed to do. Newcastle will be feeling great after their excellent 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Although Fulham will fancy their chances I think Newcastle might just make it three out of three.
SoccerNews prediction: Fulham 1-2 Newcastle
Both teams had wins in the Uefa Cup on Thursday but you would probably have to say that despite propping up the table, Tottenham are the form team of the two.
Manchester City haven’t quite got it together yet and I’m not sure that Mark Hughes knows the best way for his team to play.
Harry Redknapp has worked a miracle at Tottenham and they look more like the team we expected to see before the season started.
SoccerNews prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Tottenham
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