FA Cup semi-final & Premier League predictions: Lawro v Def Leppard frontman & Sheffield United fan Joe Elliott
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Manchester City and Liverpool meet again on Saturday, in the FA Cup semi-finals. This time we have to have a winner, but who will it be?
"We saw these two teams at their very best when they drew at Etihad Stadium last weekend," said BBC football expert and former Reds defender Mark Lawrenson.
"The intensity of that game was ferocious and relentless, and for various reasons it is going to be hard for this one to match it. Mind you, it is still going to be very close because there is so little to choose between them."
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As well as the FA Cup, Lawro is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
This week he takes on Joe Elliott, frontman of rock legends Def Leppard and a lifelong Sheffield United fan.
Def Leppard's new album Diamond Star Halos is released in May and they start a tour of the United States and Canada with Motley Crue in June.
"We can't wait," Joe told BBC Sport.
"It would be even better if United go up because I will be bouncing on to that stage a little bit taller - but we are just looking forward to getting back out on the road so much because we thrive on it and we have missed it so much in the past couple of years."
Def Leppard have sold more than 100m records since they formed in Sheffield 45 years ago. Their new album is their first since the self-titled Def Leppard topped the charts in 2015, and their new single, Kick, is out now
The Blades are chasing an instant return to the Premier League after being relegated last year, and Joe has got everything crossed that they can secure a play-off place
"This is what Sir Alex Ferguson used to call 'squeaky bum time'," he added. "It's in our hands, and three of our last five games are at home, but there is so much playing on everyone's minds that you worry about every game.
"The only advantage we've got is that everyone else is in the same position too.
"We beat QPR at the start of the month and we have got them again soon, and then we are at home to leaders Fulham on the last day.
"That won't be easy but we beat them at their place in December so anything is possible.
"It is so exciting. I'd much rather be where Fulham are, so we could just relax now and metaphorically be on the beach, but considering we were joint-16th at the start of December when Paul Heckingbottom took charge, then it is pretty crazy that we are where we are now."
Sheffield United play Reading on Friday and Joe is going for a Blades win. "We don't really let a lot in so I am going to say 1-0," he explained. "We have done nil a lot recently but we don't score a lot either."
Blades legend Tony Currie was Joe's hero when he was growing up and, while he has a couple of current favourites, it is another skilful playmaker - on-loan Wolves midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White - who he feels stands out.
"I am a huge fan of Chris Basham, who has barely put a foot wrong for us since he joined in 2014, whatever division he has played in," Joe explained.
"Billy Sharp is obviously a legend too. The guy is a Sheffield boy and he is a Blade through and through, he has done some magnificent things for us down the years.
"But Morgan is like a breath of fresh air. The guy is just oozing talent. I just hope we can keep him next season, but even if we go up I doubt we could afford him."
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FA Cup semi-final predictions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Result | Lawro | Joe | |
SATURDAY | |||
Man City v Liverpool | 2-3 | 1-2 | 1-1P* |
SUNDAY | |||
Chelsea v Crystal Palace | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
* Liverpool to win on pens
There are no replays in the FA Cup semi-finals, and the ties will be decided by extra-time and penalties.
Premier League predictions - week 33 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Result | Lawro | Joe | |
SATURDAY | |||
Tottenham v Brighton | 0-1 | 2-0 | 3-0 |
Man Utd v Norwich | 3-2 | 2-0 | 2-0 |
Southampton v Arsenal | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
Watford v Brentford | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-1 |
SUNDAY | |||
Newcastle v Leicester | 2-1 | 2-1 | 1-1 |
West Ham v Burnley | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2-0 |
A correct result (picking a win, draw or defeat) is worth 10 points. The exact score earns 40 points.
LAWRO'S FA CUP & PREMIER LEAGUE PREDICTIONS
SATURDAY
Tottenham 0-1 Brighton
Man Utd 3-2 Norwich
Southampton 1-0 Arsenal
Watford 1-2 Brentford
Man City 2-3 Liverpool
SUNDAY
Newcastle 2-1 Leicester
West Ham 1-1 Burnley
Chelsea 2-0 Crystal Palace
Lawro's prediction: 2-0
Joe's prediction: 2-0
Lawro and Joe were speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.
How did Lawro do last time?
Last weekend, Lawro got five correct results from 10 matches, including one exact score, for a total of 80 points.
He beat Blossoms duo Tom Ogden and Joe Donovan - Tom got four correct results with one exact score to leave him on 70 points, while Joe got two correct results with one exact score for a total of 50 points.
+/- DENOTE POSITION DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAWRO'S TABLE AND ACTUAL POSITION | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TEAM | P | W | D | L | PTS | +/- | |
1 | Man City | 31 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 85 | 0 |
2 | Liverpool | 31 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 77 | 0 |
3 | Chelsea | 30 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 75 | 0 |
4 | Man Utd | 31 | 23 | 3 | 5 | 72 | +3 |
5 | Tottenham | 31 | 20 | 7 | 4 | 67 | -1 |
6 | Arsenal | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 51 | -1 |
7 | Leeds | 32 | 15 | 4 | 13 | 49 | +9 |
8 | Aston Villa | 31 | 13 | 9 | 9 | 48 | +4 |
9 | Leicester | 29 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 47 | 0 |
10 | West Ham | 32 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 44 | -4 |
11 | Wolves | 32 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 36 | -3 |
12 | Brighton | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 34 | -1 |
13 | Southampton | 31 | 8 | 6 | 17 | 30 | +1 |
14 | Everton | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 30 | +3 |
15 | Brentford | 32 | 9 | 2 | 21 | 29 | -2 |
=16 | Crystal Palace | 31 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 24 | -6 |
=16 | Newcastle | 31 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 24 | -1 |
18 | Burnley | 30 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 0 |
19 | Watford | 31 | 2 | 6 | 23 | 12 | 0 |
20 | Norwich | 31 | 2 | 5 | 24 | 11 | 0 |
GUEST LEADERBOARD 2021-22
Score | Guest |
|---|---|
150 | TJ from Ezra Collective |
130 | Jamie Webster |
110 | Jelani Blackman, Friction, Reuben James, Jeremy Piven, She Drew The Gun, S-X |
100 | ArrDee, Dev from Idles, Johnny Marr |
80 | Call Me Loop, Tom McFarland |
78 | Lawro (average after 32 weeks) |
70 | Ben Cajee, Elena Cole, Tom from Blossoms |
60 | Femi from Ezra Collective, Haydn Craven, James Spence of Rolo Tomassi |
50 | Aqib Khan, Jim Piddock, Joe from Blossoms, Shaun Thomas |
40 | James Arthur, Dan Haggis of The Wombats, Murray & Tav from FUR, Martin Noble, Curt Smith, Taka from Feeder, Justin Young |
30 | Dan McCarthy from KAWALA, Roland Orzabal, Michael 'Venom' Page, Roger Taylor, Zuzu |
10 | Mez, Tom Hughes |
Total scores after week 32 | |
|---|---|
Lawro | 2,490 |
Guests | 2,140 |
Lawro v Guests | |||
|---|---|---|---|
P32 | W18 | D5 | L9 |
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