Premier League predictions: Lawro v Roy Keane author Roddy Doyle

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BBC Sport expert Mark Lawrenson

BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.

Media caption,

Roddy Doyle's Premier League predictions

After a record-breaking points haul last time out, Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures is author Roddy Doyle, the ghost-writer behind Roy Keane's new autobiography The Second Half.

Doyle, who won the Booker Prize for his 1993 novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, is a lifelong Chelsea supporter who goes to watch them four or five times a season. "I am one of these people who does not really like the summer, except when there is a World Cup on," he says.

He says he had few preconceptions before meeting Keane, explaining: "I had never met him, but I knew he would be an intelligent man after seeing him on TV, and that was the case.

"I had a sense very quickly that he would be affable, and I suppose that is not part of the cartoon version of him, as depicted.

Image source, PA
Image caption,

Chelsea fan Doyle says "twice a year at least there was a time when Roy was not my favourite person"

"But, in my experience, Roy really is affable. It was a pleasure to be in his company but that didn't surprise me at all."

Premier League predictions

Result

Lawro

Roddy

SATURDAY

Man City v Tottenham

4-1

2-0

3-1

Arsenal v Hull

2-2

2-0

2-0

Burnley v West Ham

1-3

1-1

1-2

Crystal Palace v Chelsea

1-2

0-2

0-2

Everton v Aston Villa

3-0

2-1

1-1

Newcastle v Leicester

1-0

2-1

1-2

Southampton v Sunderland

8-0

1-1

3-1

SUNDAY

QPR v Liverpool

2-3

0-2

1-2

Stoke v Swansea

2-1

2-1

2-1

MONDAY

West Brom v Man Utd

2-2

1-3

2-1

A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth ONE point. Getting the exact score correct earns THREE points.

Last weekend, Lawro got nine correct results from 10 Premier League games, with four perfect scores. Only Burnley's injury-time equaliser against Leicester prevented him from making a clean sweep.

Even so, Lawro's total of 17 points surpassed his previous all-time best of 16, and saw him beat Tottenham legend Ossie Ardiles, who got seven correct results with no perfect scores, for a tally of seven.

We're keeping a record of the totals for Lawro and his guests (below), and showing a table of how the Premier League would look if all of Lawro's predictions were correct (at the bottom of the page).

Total scores after week 7

Lawro

59

Guests

38

LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS

All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.

SATURDAY

Man City 4-1 Tottenham

Lawro's prediction: 2-0

Roddy's prediction: I think City will win quite comfortably. 3-1

Match report

Arsenal 2-2 Hull

Lawro's prediction: 2-0

Roddy's prediction: Unfortunately, Arsenal will win. 2-0

Match report

Burnley 1-3 West Ham

Lawro's prediction: 1-1

Roddy's prediction: It kills me to say it, because I don't like them but West Ham will win. 1-2

Match report

Crystal Palace 1-2 Chelsea

Lawro's prediction: 0-2

Roddy's prediction: Chelsea will win and Diego Costa will score 30 seconds after the commentator says he is having a quiet day. 0-2

Match report

Everton 3-0 Aston Villa

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

Roddy's prediction: If it was this time last year, I would back Everton, but there is something wrong there at the moment. Aston Villa are quite solid despite recent results, so I am going for a draw. 1-1

Match report

Newcastle 1-0 Leicester

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

Roddy's prediction: There seems to be a lot of intelligence in the Leicester set-up and I think they will do a job on Newcastle. 1-2

Match report

Southampton 8-0 Sunderland

Lawro's prediction: 1-1

Roddy's prediction: 3-1

Match report

SUNDAY

QPR 2-3 Liverpool

Lawro's prediction: 0-2

Roddy's prediction: I'm not particularly keen on saying this but I think Liverpool will win. 1-2

Match report

Stoke 2-1 Swansea

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

Roddy's prediction: Stoke are better than their position in the table and I think they have to win a game soon. 2-1

Match report

MONDAY

West Brom 2-2 Man Utd

Lawro's prediction: 1-3

Roddy's prediction: I have a feeling West Brom will win this one. United are starting to sing but their defence isn't great and I think West Brom are probably feeling quite good about themselves - they lost at Liverpool but they were quite good. 2-1

Match report

Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan

Lawro v Guests

P7

W5

D1

L1

SCORE

GUEST LEADERBOARD

10

Liam Fray

8.42

Lawro (average after 7 weeks)

7

Ossie Ardiles

5

Joe Cole, Sarah Harding & Leon Fagbemi, Van McCann

4

Kell Brook

2

Neil Lennon

Lawro's best score: 17 points (week seven v Ossie Ardiles)

Lawro's worst score: 5 points (week three v Sarah Harding and Leon Fagbemi)

ARROWS DENOTE DIFFERENCE TO REAL TABLE

POS

TEAM

P

W

D

L

PTS

DIFF

+/-

1.

Chelsea

7

6

1

0

19

0

2.

Man Utd

7

5

2

0

17

+2

3.

Man City

7

4

3

0

15

-1

4.

Liverpool

7

4

3

1

15

+5

5.

Arsenal

7

4

2

1

14

+3

6.

Southampton

7

4

1

2

13

-3

7.

Tottenham

7

3

3

1

12

-1

8.

Stoke

7

3

3

1

12

+8

9.

Sunderland

7

2

3

2

9

+4

10.

Crystal Palace

7

3

0

4

9

+5

11.

Everton

7

2

3

2

9

+6

12.

Newcastle

7

2

3

2

9

+6

13.

Swansea

7

2

1

4

7

-8

14.

QPR

7

2

1

4

7

+6

15.

Hull

7

2

0

5

6

-4

16.

West Ham

7

1

2

4

5

-9

17.

Leicester

7

1

2

4

5

-5

18.

Aston Villa

7

1

1

5

4

-8

19.

West Brom

7

1

1

5

4

-4

20.

Burnley

7

0

2

5

2

-1

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