The opening Saturday of the 2016-17 Premier League season was decent craic and now it’s time for round two.
We have gathered together today’s Premier League score predictions from BBC Sport legend Mark Lawrensen, Sky Sports nutter Paul Merson and CaughtOffside editor Rob Summerscales.
Rob says:
#PL predictions ?????#SCFC 2-1 #MCFC, #BFC 1-3 #LFC, #Swans 1-1 #HCFC, #THFC 3-1 #CPFC, #WatfordFC 0-2 #CFC, #WBA 0-0 #EFC, #LCFC 3-2 #AFC
— Robert Summerscales (@robsummerscales) August 19, 2016
Lawro says:
Stoke 1-2 Man City
Burnley 0-2 Liverpool
Swansea 2-1 Hull
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-2 Chelsea
West Brom 1-1 Everton
Leicester 1-1 Arsenal
Merson says:
Stoke 1-1 Man City
Burnley 1-3 Liverpool
Swansea 1-0 Hull
Tottenham 2-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 1-2 Chelsea
West Brom 1-1 Everton
Leicester 2-2 Arsenal
Everybody reckons new Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will be celebrating again…
All three tipsters expect Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea to pick up three points, while they also agree that West Brom and Everton are likely to draw.
Nobody is backing Arsenal to win at Leicester, although Lawro and Merson fancy the Gunners to take a point at the King Power Stadium.
Rob is going for a Leicester win.
“I correctly predicted that Arsenal would concede four goals last weekend and I expect their defensive frailties to be exposed again against the champions,” Rob explained.
“Although Arsenal did the double over Leicester last term, the Gunners are in bad shape right now and the King Power will be rocking.
“Arsenal failed to sign Riyad Mahrez this summer and it is just written that he’ll have a stormer to pile more pressure onto Arsene Wenger’s shoulders.”
Rob is also tipping Stoke to pull off an upset by winning against Manchester City.
He added: “City have only won two of their last 10 games at Stoke. And a trip to Staffordshire will be the first real test for Pep Guardiola, whose side only just did enough to beat Sunderland at home last weekend.
“Pep will have heard the horror stories about the ground now known at the Bet365 Stadium, but I can’t imagine he’s prepared.
“To make matters worse, the weather forecast is for rain. Can Pep handle a wet afternoon in Stoke? Not at the first time of asking, in my opinion.”
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