Premier League predictions

No love lost

Ninth plays eighth in a game between two of the Premier League’s in-form teams. Both sides have an outside chance of earning the last European qualification place and therefore still have everything to play for.

Birmingham are the shock team of the season having adapted so well to life in the Premier League, whilst Everton are showing why they would have been contenders for the top four if they hadn’t suffered such awful injury problems in the first half of the season.

Neither team scores a lot of goals and I wouldn’t expect there to be much in this one.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1

Bolton and Wigan have both had a recent win that has opened up just a small bit of daylight between them and the drop zone. Bolton have a five point buffer and Wigan have four. Although that isn’t a lot, when you look at the teams in the bottom three, it could be enough.

Owen Coyle has made Bolton difficult to beat but they are still not a joy to watch. Wigan are usually pretty poor but show occasional flashes of brilliance.

As I can’t decide who will win I’ll have to sit on the fence again.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1

A real six-pointer here as third from bottom plays fourth from bottom. They are only separated by goal difference and they are looking increasingly like two of the four teams who could end up getting relegated. It is more than likely that only one of Portsmouth, Hull, Burnley and Wolves will survive.

If either side loses this one they will know they are in trouble. The winners will be breathing a huge sigh of relief.

More fence sitting for me!

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1

At last we have a game where I can predict a winner! West Ham look as though they will be safe and they are playing some decent stuff, but they are not in Chelsea’s class.

Chelsea have the chance to go back to the top as Manchester United don’t play until tomorrow and it is hugely unlikely that they won’t take it.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

The games are getting easier to predict! There is no love lost between Phil Brown and Hull and Arsene Wenger and Arsenal. They really do not like each other.

The problem for Hull is that they aren’t very good and they are more than likely to get relegated, whereas Arsenal are very good and will finish in the top three.

The only thing in Hull’s favour is that Nicklas Bendtner must have used up his whole season’s total of getting shots on target in midweek and will probably revert to the striker who couldn’t hit a barn door again.

Even if Bendtner is as bad as he can be, Arsenal will still have more than enough to win the game at a canter.

SoccerNews prediction: 0-3

Back to the difficult games now. On paper, Europe chasing, Carling Cup finalists and FA Cup semi-finalists Aston Villa should win at mid-table Stoke. In reality, winning at Stoke is a blooming difficult thing to do.

Stoke are an ‘up and at ‘em’ sort of team and they do rely on set pieces, particularly Rory Delap’s throw, but they also play some nice football at times that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

I enjoy watching Villa who play with a pace and directness that is refreshing.

Who will come out on top? On the fence for me again.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-1

Unless Tottenham have an off-day like they have twice against Wolves, they should comfortably win this game.

Blackburn have battled away and despite upsetting Rafa Benitez, they have made their way to mid-table safety. However, they have only won once on their travels all season and they are safe almost entirely due to their results at home.

Tottenham are still holding on to fourth place and they won’t give it up without a fight.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0

Sunday 14th March

United will probably go into this game in second place, knowing that a win will take them back to the top. They should be feeling pretty confident after their annihilation of AC Milan the other night and Fulham had a bit of a reality check in their defeat at Juventus.

This is a game between a great team and a good team. It would be a major surprise if the great team came unstuck.

SoccerNews prediction: 3-1

Sunderland had the very strange sensation of winning a game a few days ago. OK, it was only Bolton, but it had looked as they couldn’t buy a win against anyone.

Manchester City have had a really up and down season but they know that fourth place and Champions League qualification is in their hands. Only four away wins from fourteen games has been their problem and Roberto Mancini will be determined to improve those statistics in this game. I think he will.

SoccerNews prediction: 1-2

Monday 15th March

At the risk of incurring Rafa’s wrath, Liverpool are in a mess. One of the few consolations for them is that they are in nothing like the mess that Portsmouth are in.

Even Liverpool, who were limp against Wigan and not much better in Lille, should be able to beat Portsmouth at the moment. The Pompey players are battling but they are simply not good enough. They’ll give it everything but the class that Liverpool possess somewhere, deep down inside, should make them come out on top.

SoccerNews prediction: 2-0