Premier League predictions: Lawro v comedian and actor Omid Djalili
- 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 is comedian and actor Omid Djalili.
Djalili, who is currently touring the country, is a Chelsea season-ticket holder and has been a fan since 1970 when, aged four, he watched his local club win the FA Cup.
"It was really the colour blue that did it," he told BBC Sport. "They wore a beautiful royal blue shirt and I liked their badge too.
"I saw a kid wearing their shirt and I was enchanted by it."
Predictions: Omid Djalili takes on Mark Lawrenson
Chelsea are 10 points clear at the top with 10 games to go but, like many fellow Blues fans, Djalili does not think the title race is done and dusted yet.
"It is not over at all," he said. "Anything could happen. We could get a couple of injuries and a team can go down the pan very quickly.
"I remember what happened to Newcastle in 1995-96, when they were 12 points clear in January. Yes, it was at a slightly earlier stage, but anything can happen and in football nothing would surprise me."
While Antonio Conte's team chase a Premier League and FA Cup Double, Blues midfielder N'Golo Kante is expected to mop up the individual honours when the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' Association announce the winners of their Player of the Year awards.
Djalili's vote would go to one of Kante's team-mates, however.
"My player of the season is definitely Eden Hazard, for the way he has changed," he said.
"Hazard has basically tapped into his inner child like he has been told to do by Conte, and he has found his love of the game.
"When you watch him for the whole game, he wants the ball every time, he is not lazy, he tracks back, I have never seen a bigger transformation in football."
You can make your Premier League predictions now and compare them with those of Lawro and other fans by playing the BBC Sport Predictor game.
Premier League predictions - week 30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Result | Lawro | Omid | |
SATURDAY | |||
Liverpool v Everton | 3-1 | 2-0 | 0-0 |
Burnley v Tottenham | 0-2 | 1-1 | 1-2 |
Chelsea v Crystal Palace | 1-2 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
Hull v West Ham | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
Leicester v Stoke | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
Man Utd v West Brom | 0-0 | 2-0 | 1-3 |
Watford v Sunderland | 1-0 | 2-1 | 1-2 |
Southampton v Bournemouth | 0-0 | 1-1 | 4-3 |
SUNDAY | |||
Swansea v Middlesbrough | x-x | 2-0 | 3-0 |
Arsenal v Man City | x-x | 1-1 | 1-3 |
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
LAWRO'S PREDICTIONS
All kick-offs 15:00 BST unless otherwise stated.
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Swansea City v Middlesbrough (13:30 BST)
Swansea will look at this as a game they need to win for several reasons, one of which is they will go eight points above Middlesbrough if they do.
The Welsh side need to get back on track after back-to-back defeats that have seen them slip back down the table towards the relegation zone.
Middlesbrough, who have gone 11 league games without a win, remain in much deeper trouble and still badly need to increase their goal threat.
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Omid's prediction: I am only basing these predictions on footballing reasons, and the fact I am going to Swansea on tour should have no bearing on this matter. But think Swansea are going to spank Boro. 3-0
Arsenal v Man City (16:00 BST)
The whole Arsenal saga is becoming a bit laughable to be honest with you.
It is the same thing every week - manager Arsene Wenger is asked if he is staying, and if Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are staying.
Wenger future 'not completely sorted out yet'
Nobody seems to know what is happening and the club seems to be a little bit rudderless at the moment.
It is really unusual that Arsenal, who are normally so well run, have allowed things to reach this stage.
The uncertainty has affected results too and, after four defeats in their past five league games, the Gunners have ground to make up in the race for the top four.
But Manchester City have also dropped a few points recently, with two successive draws. I think they will make it three in a row at Emirates Stadium.
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Omid's prediction: We are due some kind of Arsenal fightback. I think they will rally, but I can only see a City win. 1-3
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
Lawro v Guests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
P29 | W20 | D0 | L9 |
SCORE | GUEST LEADERBOARD |
|---|---|
150 | Elis James |
130 | Boris Becker, James McAvoy, Tim Vine |
120 | Robbie Williams |
110 | Michael van Gerwen |
100 | Joe Clarke, Osi Umenyiora |
93 | Lawro (average after 29 weeks*) |
90 | Josh Franceschi, Colin Murray |
80 | David Gower, Loyle Carner, Nicole Scherzinger |
70 | Dave Bautista, Sam Burgess, Anthony Crolla, Athletico Mince |
60 | Rick Astley |
50 | Martin Kemp*, Charlie Sloth, Laura Kenny |
40 | Ed Balls |
30 | Michael Bisping, Blossoms, Full Time DEVILS*, American hip-hop duo Run The Jewels |
20 | Moeen Ali, Lloyd Griffith |
10 | CFC Fan TV* |
*Does not include scores from postponed games.
Lawro's best score: 140 points (week 22 v James McAvoy)
Lawro's worst score: 20 points (week 28, but only five games played so far) or 30 points (week four v Dave Bautista)
+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO'S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | PTS | +/- |
1 | Liverpool | 29 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 69 | +3 |
2 | Man City | 28 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 66 | +1 |
3 | Chelsea | 28 | 20 | 4 | 4 | 64 | -2 |
4 | Man Utd | 27 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 62 | +1 |
5 | Arsenal | 27 | 18 | 7 | 2 | 61 | +1 |
6 | Tottenham | 28 | 17 | 8 | 3 | 59 | -4 |
7 | Leicester | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 57 | +8 |
8 | Everton | 29 | 8 | 17 | 4 | 41 | -1 |
9 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 37 | +7 |
10 | West Brom | 29 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 37 | -2 |
11 | Stoke | 29 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 32 | -2 |
12 | West Ham | 29 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 32 | 0 |
13 | Bournemouth | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 28 | -2 |
14 | Sunderland | 28 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 | +6 |
15 | Burnley | 29 | 4 | 9 | 16 | 21 | -2 |
16 | Middlesbrough | 28 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 20 | +3 |
17 | Southampton | 27 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 18 | -7 |
18 | Watford | 28 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 18 | -4 |
19 | Swansea | 29 | 3 | 7 | 19 | 16 | -2 |
20 | Hull | 29 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 4 | -2 |
How did Lawro do last time?
For the round of fixtures before the international break, Lawro got seven correct results, including one perfect score, from 10 matches for a total of 100 points.
He beat boxer Anthony Crolla, who got four correct results, including one perfect score, for a tally of 70 points.
Total scores after week 29 | |
|---|---|
Lawro | 2,700 |
Guests | 2,120 |
- Published30 March 2017
- Published30 March 2017
