Premier League predictions: Lawro v actor & WWE star John Cena
- Published
Tottenham took four points off Manchester City last season - could they be the team to end Pep Guardiola's long winning run?
BBC Sport football expert Mark Lawrenson says: "Spurs need to come up with a decent display and preferably result against one of the other top six teams from last season.
"Otherwise they are just going to be labelled as flat-track bullies."
Lawro is going for a 1-1 draw - do you agree? You can make your own predictions now, take on Lawro and other fans, create your own league and try to make it to the top of the table by playing the new-look BBC Sport Predictor game.
Lawro scored 130 points in week 17, which meant he climbed to 2,808th place out of more than 325,000 users.
He will be making a prediction for all 380 top-flight games this season, against a variety of guests.
This week, Lawro takes on actor and WWE star John Cena, who admits he is not exactly a football expert.
Nobody does Focus predictions like wrestler John Cena...
Cena told BBC Sport: "If I had to name some famous footballers, I would start and end with Cristiano Ronaldo. That's it.
"If I were to play myself, I would be on the bench because I have watched a few games, and it is a lot of running - I don't run very well, or very far.
"I could maybe go in goal but there is a lot of pressure on the goalie, because the net is so big and the goalies are so small, so it is tough to block the shots.
"So, I think being an inspirational coach might be my best role."
Cena voices a sweet-natured bull in his new film 'Ferdinand'. He thinks footballers would do well as wrestlers, explaining: "The guys seem to fall down quite dramatically when they don't get even get hit, so I think they would do just fine in WWE."
Cena has never been to a Premier League game, but did enjoy a trip to White Hart Lane when he was wrestling in London in 2008.
"Tottenham were playing the same night I had a WWE event in London," he explained. "But I was able to go and see the stadium and I was lucky enough to actually walk on the pitch.
"I really loved it because it was right in the heart of the city - it reminded me of an old baseball stadium with its nostalgia and tradition.
"I got to hear about the Spurs being the working man's team, I got to meet the coach and it was beautiful to see the bright green pitch amidst all the city concrete.
"So I was taken aback by the passion of the sport - although I never got to see them play,"
Premier League predictions - week 17 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Result | Lawro | Cena | |
SATURDAY | |||
Leicester v Crystal Palace | 0-3 | 2-0 | 0-1 |
Arsenal v Newcastle | 1-0 | 3-0 | 0-1 |
Brighton v Burnley | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
Chelsea v Southampton | 1-0 | 2-0 | 0-2 |
Stoke v West Ham | 0-3 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
Watford v Huddersfield | 1-4 | 2-0 | 1-0 |
Man City v Tottenham | 4-1 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
SUNDAY | |||
West Brom v Man Utd | 1-2 | 0-2 | 0-1 |
Bournemouth v Liverpool | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0-1 |
MONDAY | |||
Everton v Swansea | 3-1 | 2-0 | 0-1 |
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 GMT unless otherwise stated.
SATURDAY
Man City 4-1 Tottenham
Lawro's prediction: 1-1
Cena's prediction: Everyone in the internet world is going to think I am going to choose the Spurs. You're right... Tottenham all the way. 0-1
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Everton 3-1 Swansea
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Cena's prediction: 0-1
Lawro was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan
How did Lawro do last time?
From the midweek Premier League games, Lawro got seven correct results, including two perfect scores, from 10 matches, for a total of 130 points.
He drew with indie band Shed Seven because, although singer Rick Witter got six correct results with no perfect scores, for a total of 60 points, guitarist and keyboardist Joe Johnson also got seven correct results, including two perfect scores, matching Lawro's tally of 130 points.
Total scores after week 17 | |
|---|---|
Lawro | 1,490 |
Guests | 1,240 |
Lawro v Guests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
P17 | W10 | D2 | L5 |
SCORE | GUEST LEADERBOARD |
|---|---|
160 | Chris Shiflett |
130 | James Anderson**, Joe Johnson*** |
120 | Will Poulter, Moeen Ali |
100 | Cesaro & Seamus, Wretch 32 |
88 | Lawro (average after 17 weeks) |
70 | Brendan Foster*, Mark Strong |
60 | Will Ferrell, Nish Kumar, Non Stanford, Rick Witter |
50 | Steve Cram, Michael Dapaah, Channing Tatum, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Bell, Joe Root |
30 | Felix White |
20 | Richard Osman |
*Foster and Cram both provided predictions on week one, but only Foster's score contributes to the guest total.
**Anderson and Moeen both provided predictions on week nine, but only Anderson's score contributes to the guest total.
***Witter and Johnson both provided predictions on week 17, but only Johnson's score contributes to the guest total.
Lawro's best score: 150 points (week eight v Wretch 32)
Lawro's worst score: 40 points (week four v Umenyiora and Bell, and week five v Non Stanford)
+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO'S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
POS | TEAM | P | W | D | L | PTS | +/- |
1 | Man City | 17 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 44 | 0 |
2 | Man Utd | 17 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
3 | Tottenham | 17 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 43 | +1 |
4 | Liverpool | 17 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 41 | +1 |
5 | Chelsea | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 35 | -2 |
6 | Arsenal | 17 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 31 | +1 |
7 | Southampton | 17 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 28 | +4 |
8 | Bournemouth | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 22 | +6 |
9 | West Ham | 17 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 21 | +10 |
10 | Burnley | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 20 | -4 |
11 | Crystal Palace | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 18 | +8 |
12 | Stoke | 17 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 18 | -3 |
13 | Leicester | 17 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 17 | -5 |
14 | West Brom | 17 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 17 | +3 |
15 | Everton | 17 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 16 | -5 |
16 | Swansea | 17 | 5 | 1 | 11 | 16 | +4 |
17 | Newcastle | 17 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 15 | -1 |
18 | Brighton | 17 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 8 | -5 |
19 | Watford | 17 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 7 | -10 |
20 | Huddersfield | 17 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 4 | -8 |