EPL Game Week 18

The world has not ended as I have told you. The couple of authors created a story to sell books? Did the Mayans said that? Maybe they just ran out of space or stones or faced with other crisis at the time they had no more time to make calendars? With the ongoing recession around the world many have stopped making calendars as well. 

 The Singapore soccer team is in Bangkok to face the mighty Thais after achieving a great result that surprised many 3-1. Singapore is well drilled, has a good height advantage for aerial bombardments and very good in set pieces. Raddy Avramovic has done very well having brought us three Asean titles and this could be his fourth and also the furthest in the third round of the World Cup. 

 The Thais are a good team and with a partisan home crowd will no doubt come at us for goals. Singapore must defend stoutly and play a very disciplined and tight game closing down space. The longer it drags without the Thais scoring, the greater the pressure and urgency they will have to chase the game. Another goal by Singapore will sink their spirit. Do not underestimate them and do not give away unnecessary free kicks. It is a good advantage to take to Bangkok with a psychological victory and it is Singapore's cup to loose.

 If the world ends on 21 December 2012, we will all miss the weekend's soccer matches. Last week, out of 9 EPL matches I've got 8 correct WxDxL predictions. Not only that, it was my best performance of the season with 4 perfect hits in score prediction and Liverpool was the only non-performer that got me wrong. On Saturday alone, I picked 4 out of 5 perfect. You can see it here with my prediction in brackets. Few people gave QPR a chance but they are coming good under Redknapp. Nobody gave a high score to Reading v Arsenal not even the experts. I have bounced back!

Newcastle 1-3 Man City (1-2)
Liverpool 1-3 Villa (2-1)
Man Utd 3-1 Sunderland (3-1)
Norwich 2-1 Wigan (2-1)
QPR 2-1 Fulham (2-1)
Stoke 1-1 Everton (1-1)
Tottenham 1-0 Swansea (3-2)
WBA 0-0 West Ham (2-2)
Reading 2-5 Arsenal (2-4)

Wigan v Arsenal - Wigan has only won once and drew once against the Gunners losing three by two to four goals to nothing and they haven't won in their last four matches. Wigan is in grave danger of going down. We all know what Arsenal can and cannot do and after one win they are just two points behind 4th place Tottenham. Have the Gunners awaken from their slumber? 1-2.

Man City v Reading - Reading Reading made me sad. They are a good team but failure to convert and to win landed them in last spot and currently look a favourite to do go down. To face City at the Etihad after a 2-5 humbling by Arsenal does not make good reading. City has only lost once this season to Utd. Reading has not won away but in 17 matches there were only 6 where they did not scored and quite often they score more than a goal but while City can be tight can they be as rampant as Arsenal? Carlos Tevez to score. 3-1. 

Newcastle v QPR - The Magpies' wings are clipped and now perched on 15th place in the table but they actually played well vs City despite the 1-3 loss. At times they were ebullient. QPR is no City but they have not lost after Harry Redknapp took over and in fact just registered their first win. Newcastle v QPR matches in the past were close. While Demba Ba has been a solitary hit man he has been effective so it boils down to QPR shutting him out. The Magpies has not recovered with their most creative players Ben Arfa and Cabeye out while QPR has just won after 17 attempts. They are ebullient. 1-1.

Southampton v Sunderland - Southampton's recent record has been encouraging with a WWDLW while Sunderland has been rapidly declining with DLLWL. Southampton is just a point behind with a game in hand. With a home match and such importance to overtake Sunderland and even Newcastle, it is in the hands of the Saints to go marching in. 2-1.

Tottenham v Stoke - AVB must have been relieved after the 1-0 win over Swansea. Tottenham got frustrated but towards the end Vertonghen scored and they are in 4th position. Stoke are the draw masters and they score few goals. If they win or lose it is by an odd goal. This could all end up a frustrating draw but I will pick the Cockerels to win by virtue of their attacking play. Time for Defoe to score. 2-1.

WBA v Norwich - After such a great start to their campaign WBA has suddenly stopped winning since 4 matches ago and has dropped to 7th while Norwich just 2 points behind has been unbeaten in 11 EPL matches. In previous encounters they are quite even. Based on probability, WBA will do a little better and Norwich may get a little stretched. 2-2.

West Ham v Everton - After an impressive win over Chelsea they lost to Liverpool and held WBA and now still sitting in 11th position ahead of 12th place Liverpool. Everton is even better in 6th but fast becoming a draw specialist. Since that surprised 1-2 loss to Reading, Everton drew 4 times at 1-1 and won once. In their previous encounters, they drew 3 times twice at 2-2 and 1-1. West Ham had not won in 5 attempts. But with Fellaini suspended, Everton will miss that big hairdo that distracts opponents. It will be a draw. 2-2.

Liverpool v Fulham - Liverpool's three match winning streak came to an abrupt end, crushed 1-3 by of all teams Aston Villa. These are head scratching moments for the once great team. Fulham has been losing every alternate match and are not great travellers. Except for a 5-2 Liverpool win a year ago, their match up often produced a dearth of goals mostly 1-0 affairs either way. I could say a possible draw here but Liverpool is at home and Fulham being poorer away, it will more likely be 1-0.

Swansea v Man Utd - Swansea moves the ball so well but despite that they have lost 1-0 to Spurs last week. Utd is on a 5 match winning streak. They haven't lost to Swansea and won both times they met. This one shall be close again but Utd has too much fire power. After Sir Alex has given an interview on man management they cannot fail. 1-2.

Chelsea v Villa - Chelsea is now smarting from the Club World Cup loss to Corinthians. Villa has just surprised themselves with that 3-1 win away to Liverpool which should encourage them and give hope against Chelsea. By Chelsea's own high standard, they fared poorly recently. Worse, Chelsea's record against Villa is 2W, 2D and 1L. They have just crushed Leeds away in the Capital One Cup but and they have strength in depth. Rich people have deeper pockets. There were 2 occasions where they produced 6 goals at 3-3 and 4-2. This could be high scoring. Chelsea to triumph 3-1.

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