BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.
King helped Britain become Olympic and world team pursuit champions and world record holders
His opponent for the latest round of Premier League fixtures is Olympic gold medal-winning cyclist Dani King, part of Great Britain's successful women's team pursuit trio at London 2012.
King will be making her predictions on Friday and her scores will be added below.
She will also be appearing on Football Focus on BBC One at 11:30 GMT on Saturday.
| Predictions | Score | Lawro | Dani King |
|---|---|---|---|
|
SATURDAY |
|||
|
Man Utd v Arsenal |
x-x |
2-0 |
|
|
Fulham v Everton |
x-x |
1-2 |
|
|
Norwich v Stoke |
x-x |
2-1 |
|
|
Sunderland v Aston Villa |
x-x |
2-0 |
|
|
Swansea v Chelsea |
x-x |
1-1 |
|
|
Tottenham v Wigan |
x-x |
2-0 |
|
|
West Ham v Man City |
x-x |
1-1 |
|
|
SUNDAY |
|||
|
QPR v Reading |
x-x |
2-0 |
|
|
Liverpool v Newcastle |
x-x |
2-1 |
|
|
MONDAY |
|||
|
West Brom v Southampton |
x-x |
2-0 |
A correct result is worth ONE point, while a correct score earns THREE points.
Last weekend, Lawro took on former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan and his Strictly Come Dancing partner Natalie Lowe.
Lawro got nine results right, including one perfect score, and his score of 11 gave him a convincing victory over Vaughan (four correct results, no perfect scores) and Lowe (also four right results with no exact scores).
This season, we will also be keeping a record of the total scores for Lawro and his guests (below), and showing a table of how the Premier League would look if all Lawro's predictions came off (also at the bottom of the page).
LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
SATURDAY
All kick-offs at 15:00 GMT unless otherwise stated.
Man Utd v Arsenal (12:45 GMT)
Both these teams conceded five goals in the Capital One Cup in midweek but I definitely don't expect to see as many goals flying in at Old Trafford as there were in this fixture last season, when I was there to watch Manchester United win 8-2.
United's 5-4 defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday was a mad game but Sir Alex Ferguson fielded a really inexperienced centre-back pairing in Michael Keane and Scott Wootton, who will still have got more out of that game than some of the more experienced Blues players.
Van Persie left Arsenal to join Manchester United for £24m in August
The team Ferguson picks on Saturday will not resemble that line-up and I think they will just be too strong for Arsenal.
It is a really good time to play the Gunners, who fought back to beat Reading 7-5 on Tuesday but have been struggling to find their form in the last couple of weeks. I don't think Arsene Wenger's side have got enough forward power to trouble United's defence.
United are a little weak at the back at the moment but Chris Smalling could be available on Saturday and, slowly but surely, as players like Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic come back from injury, they will improve defensively.
Arsenal could struggle at the other end too. United seem to be able to create chances at will and have a real embarrassment of riches up front. Ferguson's problem is who to leave out.
The spotlight will be on United's former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie but it is a little difficult the first time you play against your old team because I think you try a bit too hard to prove what a good player you are.
Even so, if it is not Van Persie making the difference up front, it could be Javier Hernandez, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck or Antonio Valencia. Take your pick.
That was one of the impressive things about the way United beat Chelsea in the league last weekend. They picked Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young up front and completely flipped Chelsea's attacking tactics back on to them.
Will Ferguson carry on using wingers this week or revert to his midfield diamond? If I were him, I would be reluctant to drop Valencia, who showed us again what a good player he is.
Whatever Ferguson's formation, after seeing United go to Chelsea and win last weekend, I would be very surprised if they slip up in a game like this.
Prediction: 2-0
Fulham v Everton
"Dimitar Berbatov is a player who needs a bit of loving and, if you give it to him, then he plays for you"
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard created a bit of a storm when he said Everton played like Stoke in the Merseyside derby but he was proved wrong when the statistics from that game came out, showing the Toffees played more accurate passes and crosses than the Reds, had more possession and committed fewer fouls.
Gerrard has backtracked since and I think those comments came out of frustration because Luis Suarez's late goal, which should have stood and would have won the game, was ruled out. I don't think Evertonians will let him forget what he has said though.
What Everton do have in common with Stoke is that they are really well drilled, well coached and well managed. They also have the belief at the moment they can do well against anybody and that is largely down to having David Moyes as manager.
They are just missing the extra bit of quality the really top teams in the Premier League have. Although their first team is very strong, their squad is quite thin. That's probably why they have drawn a few games of late, but I am backing them to get back to winning ways here.
Fulham will fancy their chances in this game because they have such a good record at Craven Cottage but their chances will be hit if Dimitar Berbatov is not fit - he played on against Reading last weekend despite having a suspected broken rib.
Berbatov will cause Everton problems if he does make this game because Cottagers boss Martin Jol is getting the best out of him. Berbatov is a player who needs a bit of loving and Jol know that, if you give it to him, then he plays for you.
But Fulham concede quite a lot of goals from set-pieces which is a worry against a team like Everton who, with Leighton Baines, are strong in that area.
Prediction: 1-2
Norwich v Stoke
"A groundswell of support might just have swung Chris Hughton's way, which is great for him"
Norwich are on a nice little run at the moment and, after a tough start to the season, their manager Chris Hughton has had a good last three games.
That shows how positive a run in the Capital One Cup can be because, after a couple of decent displays against Arsenal and Aston Villa in the Premier League, they topped it off by beating Tottenham to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The Canaries should have beaten Spurs in the league earlier in the season too but they will be full of confidence after that victory and they have something to build on now. A groundswell of support might just have swung Hughton's way too, which is great for him.
Stoke are drawing a lot of games at the moment and their meeting with Sunderland last weekend was as forgettable as was feared.
The Potters' problem is that they are trying to make the transition to play a little bit more football and create a few more chances away from home. It has not really happened for them yet.
Prediction: 2-1
Sunderland v Aston Villa
This is a big game for Sunderland manager Martin O'Neill against his former club.
The Black Cats are just not firing at the moment, and it is the first time I have really known O'Neill to be under a bit of pressure to get a positive result.
He will get it right eventually but, at the moment, if Steven Fletcher does not score for Sunderland then no-one else looks capable of finding the net.
Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has seen his side struggle to score goals this season
They are just not creating chances and I think Adam Johnson needs reminding that he there to provide for other players because he has not done that so far. Stephane Sessegnon is another talented attacking player who is not performing at the moment.
I just wonder whether O'Neill is contemplating playing an extra creative midfielder to maybe make the difference for them, because they definitely need some extra guile.
Aston Villa have probably got bigger problems though. They were very ordinary in their draw with Norwich last weekend.
I think Villa boss Paul Lambert was really clever afterwards. He came out and said the game could have gone either way but he was taking the flak away from his players because Norwich were so much better.
That is a big worry for Lambert. His side do not look like they are going to climb out of the bottom six anytime soon and it is one thing for them to be beaten by teams higher up the table, but quite another for them to be outplayed by sides around them at the bottom.
Given Sunderland's problems in attack it is quite brave to predict they will score one goal, let alone two, but I think they will add to Villa's woes here.
Prediction: 2-0
Swansea v Chelsea
"Michael Laudrup came out after the game at Anfield and said "this is my team now" in that he is only using a few players who were Swansea regulars under Brendan Rodgers"
Swansea had a great win over Liverpool in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday that would have been extremely sweet for them against their former manager Brendan Rodgers.
I think if any fans were questioning Swansea boss Michael Laudrup and the direction his side were taking, they are not doing it anymore. They have got a great draw in the last eight too, at home against Middlesbrough.
The Swans played well against Manchester City last weekend too and had a couple of great chances at the Etihad Stadium before City scored what turned out to be their winner.
Laudrup came out after the game at Anfield and said "this is my team now" in that he is only using a few players who were regulars under Rodgers last campaign. He has put his own stamp on their style and has left Rodgers under a bit of pressure.
It has been an eventful week for Chelsea, starting with the sendings-off in their defeat by Manchester United and then the enquiry into what referee Mark Clattenburg did and did not say to their players.
Since then the club have launched another investigation into what appeared to be a racist gesture by a fan when they beat United in the Capital One Cup on Wednesday.
The spotlight is on the club for all the wrong reasons and it is about time they got on with playing football.
For all their attacking talents, Roberto Di Matteo's side will not find it easy against Swansea, though, and I think they are looking at a draw - which the Welsh side would probably take if they were offered it.
Prediction: 1-1
Tottenham v Wigan
Wigan were very good value for their victory over West Ham last week. They could and should have won that game far more comfortably than 2-1.
The quality of their goals and their general play was outstanding and it was the sort of display we normally don't see from them until they are fighting for their lives from February or March onwards.
It might be a sign they are about to climb the table but then this is the Latics we are talking about.
They are amazingly inconsistent at this stage of the season, as they proved in going out of the Capital One Cup to League Two side Bradford in midweek, so I am thinking they are going to go to White Hart Lane and get rolled over.
Going out of the same competition to Norwich in midweek was a blow for Tottenham too but they have looked in good shape in the Premier League and I am backing them to come back with a bang on Saturday.
Prediction: 2-0
West Ham v Man City (17:30 GMT)
"Sam Allardyce is one of those managers who turns a defeat to his advantage by using it to motivate his players and his teams do not lose consecutive games very often"
This might be a good time to play Manchester City, who have got a big week ahead of them with their must-win Champions League game against Ajax on Tuesday.
I am sure West Ham boss Sam Allardyce will have his team fired up too - they were outplayed by Wigan last week but the last time they didn't turn up in an away game was when they got beaten easily by Swansea at the end of August and they responded by thumping Fulham in their next league match.
I bet training with Big Sam has not been much fun for the Hammers players and I think we will see the same sort of reaction this time too. I don't think they will beat City, but they will give them one heck of a game.
Allardyce is one of those managers who turns a defeat to his advantage by using it to motivate his players, and his teams do not lose consecutive games very often. It has not happened yet this season and I don't think it will happen here.
At the very least they will give the City defence a stern workout and I think Roberto Mancini would be ill-advised to rest any of his players.
City need to concentrate on picking up as many league points as they can - they cannot afford to lose any ground to Chelsea or Manchester United in the title race because they are not playing well enough.
Prediction: 1-1
SUNDAY
QPR v Reading (13:30 GMT)
These are the only two teams without a Premier League victory this season but QPR are at home and they definitely need the win more. If they don't win this game, their fans will be asking 'who are we going to beat?'
QPR boss Mark Hughes faces a huge game against fellow strugglers Reading
So you would probably argue that it is Rangers boss Mark Hughes's most important game as a manager.
If Reading go to Loftus Road and turn QPR over then he is basically at crisis point.
But QPR have not been playing that badly of late and Reading come into the game on the back of losing by a tennis score against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup.
I wonder what Royals boss Brian McDermott said to his players after they let that 4-0 lead slip against the Gunners on Tuesday and ended up being beaten 7-5.
McDermott is a man who does not get angry or frustrated often but he was obviously both of those things after that defeat.
If Reading had won that game it would have given them a huge lift - the same boost Norwich got from beating Tottenham. Instead, it was a huge blow. That is why I am backing Hughes and his players to get the three points here.
QPR have a lot more quality in their squad but I would still not say this will be a straightforward win for them. Keeping 11 men on the pitch would definitely help though.
Prediction: 2-0
Liverpool v Newcastle (16:00 GMT)
"The Reds are being linked with strikers, and there have been reports they will try to buy Demba Ba in January. If his knee is OK, which it appears to be, then it would make perfect sense for them to try to buy him"
This is a tough-looking game for Liverpool against a Newcastle side that I feel have played better and should have more points than their league position and tally suggests so far.
It is a massive game for Reds boss Brendan Rodgers too. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the way his teams play the game but the problem is they have to get results too.
Last weekend's draw with Everton was a good one, considering where both sides are in the league, and it would have been even better if Luis Suarez's late goal had been allowed to stand.
But Wednesday's defeat by Swansea in the Capital One Cup was poor and that sort of inconsistency in performances and results is probably about right for where they are as a team at the moment.
The Magpies are far more of a unit and also so potent in attack - even without Demba Ba, who is rated as 50-50 to play because of a shin injury.
Liverpool are quite the opposite, with Suarez their only fit senior striker, something which must have Rodgers holding his breath every time the Uruguayan plays because, if something happens to him, they are in massive trouble.
Understandably, the Reds are being linked with strikers, and there have been reports they will try to buy Ba in January. If his knee is OK, which it appears to be, it would make perfect sense for them to try to buy him.
Rodgers spent £11m on Fabio Borini in the summer but, if I had the choice of him or Ba, who still has a £7.5m release clause in his contract, then I know where I would have been shopping.
Prediction: 2-1
MONDAY
West Brom v Southampton (20:00 GMT)
There are a few Premier League managers under pressure at the moment and Southampton boss Nigel Adkins is one of them. This is a huge game for him.
Adkins has led Southampton to back-to-back promotions in the past two seasons
West Brom have had a few setbacks of late but they keep coming back and have lost their last two Premier League games to injury-time goals. Against Newcastle, in particular, they had some great chances to beat them too.
Those sort of results are maybe the next step for them but I do not foresee them having any problems against Southampton, especially at The Hawthorns.
Saints crashed out of the Capital One Cup against Leeds on Tuesday and the pressure is really mounting on Adkins now. By hook or by crook he has to win a football match, and soon, otherwise he will be out of a job.
I don't see it happening for him here, though. I don't think Saints have enough to go to West Brom and win.
They have conceded a Premier League record 26 goals in their first nine games of the season but it is not just the number they are letting in, it's the nature of them.
They have come from individual and collective mistakes and some of their defending has been laughable. I get the impression a lot of neutrals like Adkins and would like to see Southampton become competitive but he needs to turn things round quickly to keep his job.
Prediction: 2-0
Lawro's best score: 14 points (week eight).
Lawro's worst score: four points (week three).
ARROWS DENOTE DIFFERENCE TO REAL TABLE |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | DIFF | +/- |
|
1. |
Man City |
9 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
17 |
4 |
+13 |
23 |
|
+2 |
|
2. |
Man Utd |
9 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
2 |
+14 |
21 |
|
0 |
|
3. |
Tottenham |
9 |
6 |
1 |
2 |
13 |
5 |
+8 |
19 |
|
+1 |
|
4. |
Arsenal |
9 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
14 |
6 |
+8 |
18 |
|
+2 |
|
5. |
Everton |
9 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
13 |
8 |
+5 |
17 |
|
0 |
|
6. |
Chelsea |
8 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
12 |
6 |
+6 |
16 |
|
-5 |
|
7. |
Newcastle |
9 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
12 |
8 |
+4 |
15 |
|
+3 |
|
8. |
Sunderland |
9 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
11 |
10 |
+1 |
15 |
|
+6 |
|
9. |
Liverpool |
9 |
2 |
6 |
1 |
11 |
8 |
+3 |
12 |
|
+3 |
|
10. |
West Ham |
9 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
10 |
11 |
-1 |
11 |
|
-1 |
|
11. |
QPR |
9 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
11 |
-2 |
11 |
|
+9 |
|
12. |
Stoke |
9 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
12 |
-4 |
10 |
|
+1 |
|
13. |
Fulham |
9 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
-3 |
9 |
|
-6 |
|
14. |
Southampton |
9 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
14 |
-8 |
9 |
|
+5 |
|
15. |
Swansea |
9 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
13 |
-6 |
8 |
|
-4 |
|
16. |
West Brom |
9 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
9 |
15 |
-6 |
7 |
|
-8 |
|
17. |
Wigan |
9 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
15 |
-8 |
7 |
|
-2 |
|
18. |
Aston Villa |
9 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
8 |
14 |
-6 |
6 |
|
-1 |
|
19. |
Reading |
8 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
13 |
-5 |
5 |
|
-1 |
|
20. |
Norwich |
9 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
15 |
-10 |
3 |
|
-4 |
Lawro did not make a prediction before the rearranged Chelsea-Reading game on 22 August.
Make your own predictions to see how the Premier League will look after this weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment