‘Expert’ UK soccer tips

Cape Town - Each round of the 2014/15 English Premiership season, a panel of Sport24 staff and occasional guest tipsters have a crack at predicting the results - do the exercise yourself, if you like, and see how you compare afterwards.
Compiled by Rob Houwing (Newcastle-partial), the others are Garrin Lambley (Everton), Herman Mostert (Chelsea), Earl Haupt (Liverpool) and a pesky new trio of Manchester United devotees in Tashreeq Vardien, Wade Pretorius and Maano Nekhavhambe.
Three points are awarded for an entirely correct scoreline, and one for right result.
THE PRIME ATTRACTION
TOTTENHAM v CHELSEA
Thursday, January 1, 19:30
Last season, Tottenham were denied a possible, spirited victory by John Terry’s 75th-minute equaliser in an engrossing clash at White Hart Lane. Mind you, Spurs then had one of their notorious off-days in the away meeting, conceding all four goals after the break in a 4-0 victory for the Blues (including two very late Demba Ba strikes). So you can never be sure what to expect from the home side in this one, and I just fancy that Jose Mourinho will find sufficient ways to dismantle them. That’s the most popular pick, although Garrin believes the leaders will be curtailed to a point, and Maano goes rather left-field to tip a particularly Happy New Year for Spurs fans ... 
Rob: Tottenham  0 Chelsea 2 
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 0-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 1-1                          
THE GRUDGE MATCH
WEST HAM v ARSENAL
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
There are a few London derbies over the festive season, and here’s another goodie. The Hammers continue to punch gleefully above their weight – still in fourth as this was penned – and two slots ahead of  the normally more fancied Gunners. Our gurus are confused about which way to go, offering you all outcomes, so I thought I’d shrewdly nip into middle ground and predict a tight 1-1 draw. Fickle Arsenal did win the equivalent fixture 3-1 last season, with Theo Walcott netting twice in a come-from-behind effort.
Rob: West Ham 1 Arsenal 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-2
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 1-3                          
THE DESPERATE DUEL
HULL v LEICESTER
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
Easy one to install, this: at the time we did our predictions, hosts Hull lay second from bottom ... with these very opponents the only outfit in more humble real estate. So don’t expect any special post-Christmas goodwill from either protagonist in what may be a grim, feisty battle. It’s also another game where our panel are all over the place; never accuse us of crooning from the same carol sheet! 
Rob: Hull 1 Leicester 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 0-1
Last season: Not applicable                    
THE OTHERS
TOTTENHAM v MANCHESTER UNITED
Sunday, December 28, 14:00
Rob: Tottenham 1 Manchester United 2
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-3
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-4
Last season: 2-2                   
SOUTHAMPTON v CHELSEA
Sunday, December 28, 16:05
Rob: Southampton 0 Chelsea 2
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-3            
ASTON VILLA v SUNDERLAND
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
Rob: Aston Villa 1 Sunderland 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 1-1
Last season: 0-0                   
MANCHESTER CITY v BURNLEY
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
Rob: Manchester City 2 Burnley 0
Garrin: 3-0
Herman: 3-0
Earl: 4-1
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 3-0
Maano: 2-0
Last season: Not applicable             
QPR v CRYSTAL PALACE
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Crystal Palace 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-1
Last season: Not applicable                   
STOKE v WEST BROM
Sunday, December 28, 17:00
Rob: Stoke 1 West Brom 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-0 
NEWCASTLE v EVERTON
Sunday, December 28, 18:15
Rob: Newcastle 1 Everton 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 1-1
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 0-3             
LIVERPOOL v SWANSEA
Monday, December 29, 22:00
Rob: Liverpool 2 Swansea 1
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 4-3                   
STOKE v MANCHESTER UNITED
Thursday, January 1, 14:45
Rob: Stoke 1 Manchester United 1
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-2
Maano: 0-1
Last season: 2-1            
ASTON VILLA v CRYSTAL PALACE
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: Aston Villa 1 Crystal Palace 0
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 0-0
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 1-0
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 0-1                   
HULL v EVERTON
Thursday January 1, 17:00
Rob: Hull 0 Everton 0
Garrin: 1-2
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 1-2
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-3
Maano: 0-0
Last season: 0-2             
LIVERPOOL v LEICESTER
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: Liverpool 3 Leicester 0
Garrin: 2-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 2-1
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: Not applicable                   
MANCHESTER CITY v SUNDERLAND
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: Manchester City 2 Sunderland 0 
Garrin: 3-0
Herman: 2-0
Earl: 3-0
Wade: 3-0
Tashreeq: 3-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: 2-2 
NEWCASTLE v BURNLEY
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: Newcastle 1 Burnley 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 3-0
Wade: 3-1
Tashreeq: 2-1
Maano: 1-0
Last season: Not applicable             
QPR v SWANSEA
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: QPR 1 Swansea 1
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-1
Earl: 0-1
Wade: 2-1
Tashreeq: 2-3
Maano: 3-1
Last season: Not applicable                   
SOUTHAMPTON v ARSENAL
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: Southampton 0 Arsenal 2
Garrin: 1-1
Herman: 1-2
Earl: 1-1
Wade: 1-2
Tashreeq: 1-1
Maano: 1-2
Last season: 2-2
WEST HAM v WEST BROM
Thursday, January 1, 17:00
Rob: West Ham 2 West Brom 0
Garrin: 2-1
Herman: 2-1
Earl: 2-0
Wade: 2-0
Tashreeq: 3-1
Maano: 2-1
Last season: 3-3            
*LEADERBOARD (ahead of Boxing Day games, for which our tips were published recently)
140 Wade (13 points in last round)
132 Garrin (8)
131 Herman (8)
116 Rob (7)
110 Tashreeq (7)
109 Earl (7)
96 Maano (6)
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