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Sky Sports football pundit Paul Merson is back with another round of Premier League predictions - and this week he is going head-to-head with his son!
The ‘Magic Man’ got one perfect score last weekend, Everton’s 2-0 win over West Ham, and four correct results but can Sam Merson do better?
We caught up with the St Albans City striker, who is preparing to face Carlisle in the first round of the FA Cup, and got his top-flight tips to pit against his dad’s.
Check out how Merson Snr got on last time out - and read on for a family prediction double for this week’s games…
Liverpool have been very good going forward but you need more than that to win a Premier League title, you can’t be giving away the kind of goals they did against Crystal Palace. If you look at the first goal, you wouldn’t be happy if that happened down the park on a Sunday morning!
It doesn’t matter how well they’re playing or how much they’re dominating, I just can’t see them keeping clean sheets, and that’s the worry for me. But I don’t see anything but a Liverpool win.
Watford had a good result against Hull but they haven’t been firing lately. The confidence of their strikers looks a bit low, Isaac Success has been injured and Troy Deeney sort of carries the team and sets the example.
Sam predicts: 3-0. That front three of Coutinho, Firmino and Lallana will be too much. Watford are playing well but I think it’ll be a comfortable Liverpool win.
West Brom didn’t deserve to lose by four against Manchester City, if they can create that many chances and play like they did in patches in that game they will cause Leicester problems. They’re good at set-pieces and Leicester have struggled from them this season.
Leicester have looked more like themselves in recent weeks with a couple of good results. I thought they would do a bit better in the league this season because they’re still a good team, but I think people have sussed them out a bit. I think they’ll still edge this one, though.
Sam predicts: 1-1. I don’t think it’ll all go Leicester’s way at the weekend and West Brom will take something from the game.
If Tottenham play like they did in the Champions League in midweek then you can’t see anything but an Arsenal win. It was probably their worst-ever performance under Mauricio Pochettino. If Arsenal watched that they’ll be thinking they’ve just got to turn up and get the three points, but of course it doesn’t work like that.
That being said, though, I’m still going to go for the Gunners to win this game. If they’re at it straight away then I don’t see Tottenham being able to live with them. Form does go out the window for a game like this but six games without a win is a lot for Spurs and their confidence doesn’t look great.
Sam predicts: 3-1. I’m a big Arsenal fan! The way we’re playing with Mesut Ozil starring and Tottenham losing during the week makes me go 3-1 to the Gunners.
Southampton were made to look very ordinary at Chelsea, but Hull are struggling badly. They can’t score a goal or win a game and I can’t see anything but a Southampton win here.
It’s a good thing Hull got off to such a good start or they’d be dead and buried by now, they’d be below Sunderland. Southampton are a good team and seventh of eighth will be a very good season for them.
Charlie Austin struggled last week but some games you have to write off and I think he’ll be back on the scoresheet.
Sam predicts: 1-1. I just have a feeling it’s going to be a draw!
I was disappointed in Swansea on Monday night, they were pretty light and average. Manchester United, meanwhile, can’t score a goal. They had so many shots against Burnley last week but couldn’t find the back of the net and that’s worrying.
I think this is a hard game for United and I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t win this, but I’m going to back them here. I’d bring Wayne Rooney back in. They haven’t done anything without him in the team and they need big players.
I’m sure if he’d been playing up front for as many games as Zlatan Ibrahimovic without a goal he would have been dropped by now. If he makes something happen and wins the game that will give him confidence and it may get the team on a little run.
Sam predicts: 0-1. United should have too much for Swansea, who are coming off a heavy defeat to Stoke.
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