Premier League predictions: Lawro v indie band James
- Published
BBC Sport's football expert Mark Lawrenson is pitting his wits against a different guest each week this season.
Lawro's opponent for this weekend's Premier League fixtures are Jim Glennie and Saul Davies of indie band James.
Bassist Glennie is a Manchester City fan from Moss Side with fond childhood memories of Maine Road.
Glennie told BBC Sport: "For some reason they used to open the main exit gates at half-time, so a load of us kids just used to wait and get in for free.
"I do miss Maine Road, it is hard to leave the nostalgia behind and remember the harsh realities of some of the rougher edges of a venue like that but it was an amazing place with so much history.
Glennie (left) says his favourite player is Manchester City legend Colin Bell, explaining "he could well be the best player City have ever had", while Davies goes for Johan Cruyff, saying: "Barca have some amazing players now but, in my mind, he was the one who changed a lot."
"You have to start that again when you move somewhere else. It was difficult when we went to Etihad Stadium in 2003 - the atmosphere was odd. It has taken a long time, but it is much better now."
Guitarist Davies is a Barcelona fan who fell in love with the late Johan Cruyff's team twice - once when he watched him as a player at Anfield in 1976 and then when he saw the team he managed at the Nou Camp in the 1990s.
Davies explained: "That game at Anfield was a turning point in my life really because I was suddenly able to touch something that felt very far away when I lived in the north of Scotland and didn't have a TV - everything came through the radio - but suddenly it was there in front of me.
"I stopped going to football in the 1980s because the atmosphere at games got really nasty. I got into music and girls instead.
"Then I moved to Barcelona because of a girl and her brother asked me to go to the Nou Camp to watch a pre-season game. Cruyff had amazing players like Romario and Hristo Stoichkov in his team and the reasons I loved football came flooding back."
Premier League predictions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Week 32 | Result | Lawro | James |
SATURDAY | |||
Aston Villa v Chelsea | 0-4 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
Arsenal v Watford | 4-0 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
Bournemouth v Man City | 0-4 | 1-1 | 1-2 |
Norwich v Newcastle | 3-2 | 2-1 | 1-2 |
Stoke v Swansea | 2-2 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
Sunderland v West Brom | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
West Ham v Crystal Palace | 2-2 | 2-1 | 2-0 |
Liverpool v Tottenham | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2-1 |
SUNDAY | |||
Leicester v Southampton | 1-0 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
Man Utd v Everton | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-1 |
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
In the last round of Premier League games before the international break, Lawro got five correct results from 10 matches, with one perfect score for a total of 80 points.
He lost to BBC athletics commentator Steve Cram, who got five results correct, with two perfect scores, to go joint top of the guest leaderboard with 110 points.
Make your own predictions now, compare them to Lawro and other fans and try to take your team to the top of the leaderboard by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.
Total scores after week 31 | |
|---|---|
Lawro | 2,090 |
Guests | 1,670 |
LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated
SATURDAY
Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea
Lawro's prediction: 0-2
James' prediction: (Saul) Villa are almost down mathematically now but I don't think Chelsea have got much to play for either. 1-1
Arsenal 4-0 Watford
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
James' prediction: (Jim) It pains me to say it, because I am desperately hoping the teams around City do as badly as us to help us make the top four, but I think Arsenal are going to win. 1-0
Bournemouth 0-4 Man City
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
James' prediction: The way City are playing anything could happen, but I think we will squeak it. 1-2
Norwich 3-2 Newcastle
I was at the Republic of Ireland's friendly draw with Slovakia where Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliott was injured, and I am still not sure who will replace him for the Magpies on Saturday.
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
James' prediction: (Saul) This is going to be fiery isn't it? I think Newcastle will win though. 1-2
Stoke 2-2 Swansea
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
James' prediction: (Jim) Neither of these teams have too much to play for. 1-1
Sunderland 0-0 West Brom
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
James' prediction: (Saul) This is a difficult one to call. Sunderland need to win but I think they will lose. 0-1
West Ham 2-2 Crystal Palace
Lawro's prediction: 2-1
James' prediction: (Jim) I thought West Ham would crumble but it is not going to happen now. They deserve to be up there and I think they might knock Manchester City out of one of the Champions League spots. 2-0
Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
James' prediction: (Saul) Jurgen Klopp is probably still screaming at his Liverpool players for letting that lead slip against Southampton. I think they will beat Spurs. 2-1
SUNDAY
Leicester 1-0 Southampton
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
James' prediction: (Jim) Leicester could well hold their nerve and take the title but there is going to be a lot of pressure on them in this game. I think they will squeak a draw. 1-1
Man Utd 1-0 Everton
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
James' prediction: (Saul) Everton have got a great team and can be amazing on their day but they keep messing up and they have no consistency. 1-1
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
Lawro v Guests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
P31 | W18 | D6 | L7 |
SCORE | GUEST LEADERBOARD |
|---|---|
110 | Nick Bright, Steve Cram, Sam Tomkins, SAM Super Computer |
100 | Wealdstone Raider |
90 | Ice Cube & Kevin Hart, Amir Khan |
80 | Carl Frampton* |
70 | Guy Mowbray, Osi Umenyiora |
67 | Lawro (average after 31 weeks) |
60 | Stuart Broad, Tim Burgess, Ed Skrein |
50 | Mark Radcliffe, Jack Whitehall, Felix White |
40 | Fatman Scoop, Neville, Mumford & Sons, Michael B Jordan & Tony Bellew. James Skelly |
30 | Darren Campbell, Luol Deng, Blake Harrison & Daniel Mays, Mark Webber, Steve Wilson |
20 | Nobby Butcher*, Graeme Swann |
10 | Elis James, Paul Heaton, Kelly Jones |
*Does not include score for postponed games
Lawro's best score: 160 points (week 19 v Guy Mowbray)
Lawro's worst score: 20 points (week one v Graeme Swann & week 23 v Ice Cube and Kevin Hart)
+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO'S TABLE AND REAL TABLE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | PTS | +/- |
1 | Man City | 30 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 75 | +3 |
2 | Arsenal | 30 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 70 | +2 |
3 | Chelsea | 30 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 68 | +7 |
4 | Liverpool | 29 | 15 | 13 | 1 | 58 | +5 |
5 | Tottenham | 31 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 55 | -3 |
6 | Southampton | 31 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 54 | +1 |
7 | West Brom | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 53 | +4 |
8 | Man Utd | 30 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 48 | -2 |
9 | Crystal Palace | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 44 | +7 |
10 | Everton | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 39 | +2 |
11 | Newcastle | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 36 | +8 |
12 | Stoke | 31 | 9 | 6 | 16 | 33 | -4 |
13 | Bournemouth | 31 | 9 | 5 | 17 | 32 | 0 |
14 | Norwich | 31 | 10 | 2 | 19 | 32 | +3 |
15 | Leicester | 31 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 31 | -14 |
16 | Swansea | 31 | 6 | 12 | 13 | 30 | -1 |
17 | Sunderland | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 26 | +1 |
18 | West Ham | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 23 | -13 |
19 | Watford | 30 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 19 | -5 |
20. | Aston Villa | 31 | 1 | 3 | 27 | 6 | 0 |
- Published20 June 2016
- Published7 June 2019
