Premier League - Week 16

Derby Sunday

1. (100pts) Sunday's tasty action starts in Liverpool at Goodison Park. Everton and Liverpool are both really struggling for form and both are a huge distance short of the quality they showed last season. They have identical records over their last 6 league games with 1 win and 2 draws a piece against sides they really should be beating. Who will win this game?

2. (75pts) Recent games between Liverpool and Everton have not produced a spectacular number of goals (22 in the last 10 meetings), but only one game in those meetings ended 0-0, so there are usually goals. Everton have issues at both ends, they're in the bottom half of both the goals for and goals against tables. Liverpool only lie one place above Everton in the goals conceded table, but Liverpool have scored an average of 2.2 goals per game, which is 1 goal per game more than Everton's poor average of just 1. How many goals will there be in this match?

3. (100pts) Sunday's other big derby is in London between 2 teams performing much better than their northern counterparts. Despite the 8 point gap between them in the league, Arsenal's recent form is slightly better, they've scored 2 more goals, and won 1 more point than Chelsea over the last 8 games. The stat of note here is that despite being favourites with the bookies and top of the league, Chelsea have already been defeated twice away from home, and go to the Emirates against an Arsenal side with a free scoring, outstanding, 100% home record. Who will win at the Emirates?

4. (75pts) The last 4 meetings between these Arsenal and Chelsea have produced 3 or more goals and they are both in fine goal scoring form this season. In the 25 games Arsenal and Chelsea have played this season, only 5 have had less than 3 goals in them so it's no surprise they lie 1st and 2nd in the goals scored tables. So based on that you might be expecting a decent return of goals from this one. But derbies can be tight and cagey affairs if there isn't an early goal, and both sides will be desperate to avoid defeat here. Will this be a high scoring game?

5. (50pts) The last 10 Mersey side derbies have seen 8 red cards and 50 yellows, whilst the London derby has seen 4 reds and 47 yellows, so an average of around 5 cards per game in each derby. But none of the sides have averaged more than 2 cards per game this season (in fact Chelsea and Everton have the fewest cards of any team this season). How many cards will be shown in both derbies combined?

6. (75pts) The Premier league has been stuffed full of goals so far this season, so clean sheets have been few and far between. Chelsea have the most clean sheets with 8 from 13, but they play Arsenal at the Emirates where the gunners are averaging a stupid 4 goals per game and only one side has stopped the gunners from scoring all season. Arsenal themselves have managed clean sheets in just 3 of their 12 games and Everton and Liverpool have managed just 3 and 2 clean sheets each all season. How many clean sheets will be kept by the 4 sides involved in Sunday's London and Liverpool derby games?

We Want 4th

7. (100pts) Another weekend top of the table clash sees Villa play Spurs at Villa Park in Saturday's late kick off in what could be the battle for 4th. Spurs will be flying high after hitting Wigan for 9 last week and do boast the better recent form, but Villa are only behind Arsenal and Chelsea in the Home form tables (which measure the last 5 results at home) and did hit Bolton for 5 just 2 weeks ago. Who will win at Villa Park?

8. (75pts) Only 4 of the last 35 meetings between Villa and Spurs (spanning over the last 17 years), have ended with the margin of victory being more than 1. In fact, it's been 8 meetings since it last happened in 2005. So it's fair to say these are usually tight games, but history can sometimes mean nothing in football and both sides have shown they can win big this season. What will be the margin of victory in this game?

9. (100pts) Man City have got Liverpool like problems, they've won just 1 league game in the last 8 and are going for a Premier League record equaling 7 draws in a row this weekend. They play an improving Hull City side that have won 7 points from the last 9 available, scoring 8 goals along the way. Despite the gulf in budgets, class, talent, resources, expectations, squad depth, fire power, and many other things a draw is a distinct possibility here. Can Hull get anything out of Man City at the City of Manchester Stadium?

10. (75pts) If Arsenal beat Chelsea, and Spurs beat Villa, a loss will put United in 4th. But lets face it, against a manager-less and often hopeless side like Portsmouth that's unlikely to happen, especially as Fergie rested most of his first team for the mid-week loss at Old Trafford. Portsmouth have the worst home record in the league. They've scored just 5 goals at Fratton Park, but surprisingly conceded only 8 goals in their 6 games there. Furthermore United have lost 3 times in 6 games away this season and scored just 10 goals. What will be the margin of victory?

Timing is Everything

11. (75pts) 60% of all the games played so far this season have had 3 or more goals in them with the highest scorers being Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Liverpool, all of whom are in action against tough opposition or involved in derbies this weekend. How many of the 10 fixtures on Saturday and Sunday will have 3 or more goals in them?

12. (100pts) Despite the apparent goal frenzy, 40% of the games played have had 2 or less goals in them with the lowest scorers being Portsmouth, Birmingham, Wolves and Stoke. Pick a fixture from this weekend's matches that will have 2 or fewer goals in it.