Premier League 21/22: Matchday nine predictions

This season, the team's predictions will be available in weekly articles and they'll be in competition with a league too!

Read our pundits predictions below

Arsenal v Aston Villa - Friday 22nd October (8pm)

Joe Richardson

An intriguing encounter to kick-off the Premier League weekend. I think Arsenal’s game with Crystal Palace on Monday night perfectly summed up where we are with them and it is inevitable that a team laden with young players are going to be inconsistent. Villa should target this as a winnable game, having taken all three points away at the Emirates last season. I think both teams shaky defences will mean a score draw.

Prediction: 1-1

Chris Coughlin: 1-2

Chris Stott: 1-1

Ryan Kirk: 2-1

Harry Reynolds: 1-1

Chelsea v Norwich - Saturday 23rd October (12:30pm)

Chris Coughlin

Even in the absence of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, this feels like a case of how many for the Champions League holders against the bottom club in the division. Yes, Norwich have kept two clean sheets in a row but this is a step up in class from Burnley and Brighton who the Canaries have held in recent weeks. Daniel Farke calls this the most difficult task in world football and with good reason.

Prediction: 3-0

Chris Stott: 4-0

Ryan Kirk: 3-0

Harry Reynolds: 3-0

Joe Richardson: 2-0

Crystal Palace v Newcastle - Saturday 23rd October (3pm)

Harry Reynolds

Newcastle begin life without Steve Bruce, but I don’t think they’re out of the woods yet. Their squad is really poor and they can’t attract the level of investment that their owners would like yet. Graeme Jones takes charge on an interim basis, and given how awful he was at Luton, that wouldn’t fill you with confidence either. Palace have, on the other hand, really surprised me in a positive way. I thought they’d struggle but Patrick Vieira has got them playing decent football, and I think they’ll take the three points here after being cruelly denied at the Emirates on Monday night.

Prediction: 1-0

Joe Richardson

I have been impressed with Palace this season and don’t think they’ve got the points that their performances deserve. Their display at Arsenal was mature and showed real signs of progression under new boss Patrick Vieira. Newcastle’s strength the last couple of years under the departing Steve Bruce and Rafa Benitez has been a strong defence. But that has been a far cry this season with an alarming nineteen goals conceded, three more than Norwich. I’m not sure how much impact Graeme Jones can have on their defence in his first game in temporary charge, especially considering he has been an attacking coach for much of his career.

Prediction: 2-0

Chris Coughlin: 2-1

Chris Stott: 2-1

Ryan Kirk: 2-1

Everton v Watford - Saturday 23rd October (3pm)

Harry Reynolds

I’ve never seen a team quit under a new manager as quickly as Watford did last Saturday against Liverpool; it was mortifying to be honest, and if the Reds had won 12-0 no one could have complained. Everton have the perfect chance to bounce back from defeat against West Ham here, and Watford have never won at Goodison in any competition. Injuries simply caught up to Rafa Benitez’s side last week, but with Richarlison hopefully back in action now they can register a fourth home victory of the season.

Prediction: 2-0

Chris CoughlIn: 2-0

Chris Stott: 2-0

Ryan Kirk: 2-0

Joe Richardson: 1-0

Leeds v Wolves - Saturday 23rd October (3pm)

Chris Coughlin

Leeds have been pretty toothless this season which is rather surprising given their refreshing return to the top flight last season. Wolves had been the same until recent weeks but have gone under the radar somewhat in winning their last three games including last Saturday's stunning last turnaround at Aston Villa. I fancy goals in this one with Raphinha back in the Leeds side.

Prediction: 2-2

Chris Stott: 1-1

Ryan Kirk: 1-1

Harry Reynolds: 1-2

Joe Richardson: 1-1

Southampton v Burnley - Saturday 23rd October (3pm)

Chris Coughlin

This game had five goals last season but I'd be surprised if it was the same this weekend. Burnley are struggling all over so far this campaign while Saints got a moral boosting win over Leeds. I'll go for Hassenhuttl's side to edge it.

Prediction: 1-0

Chris Stott: 0-0

Ryan Kirk: 1-1

Harry Reynolds: 1-0

Joe Richardson: 2-1

Brighton v Man City - Saturday 23rd October (5:30pm)

Harry Reynolds

After such a positive start, Brighton are beginning to lose their form. They’ve had three consecutive draws, and the result at Norwich last week was pretty bad. Neal Maupay should’ve had a penalty, but Josh Sargent then missed an open goal, so Brighton can’t really argue they were that unlucky. They could barely pick a worse opponent than Man City, who have won all of the meetings between these sides since Brighton’s promotion in 2017, bar the last one when they had 10 men. I think City will win this one quite comfortably.

Prediction: 1-3

Joe Richardson

This is a tricky fixture for City, albeit they weren’t particularly tested in their midweek Champions League game. It is hard seeing them concede and although their issues may be at the other end, having Kevin De Bruyne back alongside their form player Bernardo Silva will see them dominant in midfield.

Prediction: 0-1

Chris Coughlin: 0-3

Chris Stott: 1-2

Ryan Kirk: 1-3

Brentford v Leicester - Sunday 24th October (2pm)

Harry Reynolds

How Brentford didn’t win the game against Chelsea last week, let alone get a draw, is totally beyond me. They battered the champions of Europe but just couldn’t get past an inspired Edouard Mendy. They’ll be the much fresher of the two sides here with Leicester having played in Moscow just three days before this match, and although they’ve won their last two I still don’t think they’re the team we’ve seen in the last two seasons. Brentford have a decent chance to get back to winning ways here and continue their excellent start to Premier League life.

Prediction: 2-1

Joe Richardson

Leicester’s result and performance against United was just what they needed to kick start their season. The Foxes haven’t looked their hungry selves so far, but their switch to a back three, two up front and James Maddison as a no.10 worked wonders. Maddison and Tielemans ran the game and the form of Vardy, Iheanacho and Patson Daka, fresh from netting four in the Europa League could just be too much for Brentford. But right the home side off at your peril. On any other day, they would have beaten the league leaders Chelsea last weekend.

Prediction: 1-2

Chris Coughlin: 2-2

Chris Stott: 2-2

Ryan Kirk: 1-1

West Ham v Tottenham - Sunday 24th October (2pm)

Joe Richardson

It’s hard to predict against West Ham with the form they are in in league and cup, but I am going for Spurs here. Both were in action in midweek and although the Hammers could afford to rest their leading marksman Michail Antonio, Tottenham fielded none of their first teamers in the Europa Conference League. That is a contributing factor to my prediction, but I also think that Son Heung-Min is starting to hit form and has the ability to decide this game.

Prediction: 1-2

Chris Coughlin: 2-1

Chris Stott: 2-1

Ryan Kirk: 2-1

Harry Reynolds: 1-0

Man Utd v Liverpool - Sunday 24th October (4:30pm)

Joe Richardson

In recent years, Liverpool have turned up at Old Trafford as the clear favourites but it hasn’t always resulted in them bagging the three points. However, unless Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sets United up to be hard to beat, I don’t see how Liverpool don’t win this and win it comfortably with the form of their front players. United may have match winners in their team, but they are not a team and they are coming up against a proper team here.

Prediction: 1-3

Chris Coughlin: 1-2

Chris Stott: 1-3

Ryan Kirk: 1-2

Harry Reynolds: 0-3