Premier Predictions (Week 27)

5 games Saturday, 4 on Sunday, 1 on Monday

North London derby, relegation candidates Tottenham at home to title hopefuls Arsenal.
Man City home to Newcastle after their 5,000 mile round trip to thrash Qariabag 6-1.
West Ham with the chance to put pressure on Forest who travelled to Turkey and have to play Liverpool.
Monday in-form Man Utd go to Everton who don't seem to like their new stadium.

Aston Villa v Leeds
Brentford v Brighton
Chelsea v Burnley
West Ham v Bournemouth
Man City v Newcastle
*
Crystal Palace v Wolves
Nottm Forest v Liverpool
Sunderland v Fulham
Tottenham v Arsenal
*
Everton v Man Utd


Good Luck All  😀

FA Cup Predictions 2026 (4th Round)

Later in the year than normal, here the FA Cup 4th Round  🏆
Usual rules - 90 minute scores only, so draws possible

2 games Friday, 8 on Saturday, 5 on Sunday, 1 on Monday

2 all Premier games on Saturday night
The one non league team left Macclesfield play Brentford on Monday.
A few possible shocks, hopefully not in our first ever trip to Burton.
Maybe at Hull, Grimsby, Stoke, Burnley?


Hull v Chelsea
Wrexham v Ipswich
Burton v West Ham
Burnley v Mansfield
Man City v Salford
Norwich v West Brom
Port Vale v Bristol C
Southampton v Leicester
Aston Villa v Newcastle
Liverpool v Brighton
Birmingham v Leeds
Grimsby v Wolves
Oxford Utd v Sunderland
Stoke v Fulham
Arsenal v Wigan
Macclesfield v Brentford


Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 26)

Midweek games for Week 26
A bit of a messed up week as it goes on for 8 days due to a re-arranged game in the following week.
So that is 4 games on Tuesday 10th, 5 games on Wednesday 11th, 1 game on Thursday 12th + 1 game on Wednesday 18th
In the middle of this is the FA Cup 4th Round (separate post for that).
Hope that's clear?

Arsenal with the chance to pull further clear with 2 away games, or possibly City could put the pressure on?
At the bottom We (West Ham) usually beat Man Utd at home, but they are flying under Carrick so not feeling confident.
Really need 6 wins from the last 13 games, and 8 of those are against top 10 teams 🙄
Forest take on Wolves, and Palace are at home to Burnley so the gap could get bigger. 😞


Chelsea v Leeds
Everton v Bournemouth
Tottenham v Newcastle
West Ham v Man Utd
*
Aston Villa v Brighton
Crystal Palace v Burnley
Man City v Fulham
Nottm Forest v Wolves
Sunderland v Liverpool
*
Brentford v Arsenal
*
Wolves v Arsenal


Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 25)

Friday night start this week
So that's 1 game Friday, 7 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday

Liverpool v Man City would normally be the big game, but more a battle for top 4 this year.
Arsenal with a chance of stretching their lead, unless the usual February crumble is on?
Burnley v Hammers a chance to catch up a few points on Leeds and Forest who play each other on Friday.


Leeds v Nottm Forest
*
Man Utd v Tottenham
Arsenal v Sunderland
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Burnley v West Ham
Fulham v Everton
Wolves v Chelsea
Newcastle v Brentford
*
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Liverpool v Man City


Good Luck All   😀

Premier Predictions (Week 24)

5 games on Saturday, 4 on Sunday, 1 on Monday
Last set of games before the transfer window closes.
Another chance of freak results this week? but most of the games are hard to call. 

Hoping the far East betting syndicates fancy an upset at Chelsea 😉

3 teams clear at the top, Villa at home the others away.
At the bottom a 5 point gap and the 2 teams West Ham might catch play each other.

Brighton v Everton
Leeds v Arsenal
Wolves v Bournemouth
Chelsea v West Ham
Liverpool v Newcastle
*
Aston Villa v Brentford
Man Utd v Fulham
Nottm Forest v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Man City
*
Sunderland v Burnley


Good Luck All  😀

West Ham Thoughts

West Ham Thoughts  🤔

You have to wonder who decides what players we need in transfer windows?
Being linked with Tottenham 3rd choice keeper and Chelsea's injured 2nd choice makes no sense while we already have 11 keepers on the books, and Areola has been really good this season in front of an awful defence.

Surely a Dawson style defender is needed, Mavrapanos and Todibo have good moments but keep switching off.
Julio sent back to Brighton after starting just one game all season, surely better than Kilman who has been pretty useless.

Players in so far - Tatty looks like a trier but a fit Wilson seems like a better option, Pablo is a bit raw but might improve?
Lamadrid hasn't played for 3 months so no idea if he's going to add anything.
Traore might be a good signing for £1m, but his best position is where Bowen plays so don't think he'll start many games unless they push Bowen into the middle which is a waste.

No idea what the story was with Ward Prowse, Nuno really didn't like him? must have been something that happened at Forest last season.
Loaning him to Burnley doesn't make much sense unless he really is now that bad that he thinks he will harm Burnley.

Has been obvious for a while that Paqueta didn't want to be here, so hopefully they will take the money, as he'll be worthless if we drop.

Fullkrug was a bad signing, interested to see if he stays fit at Milan and we might get some money back.

Sensible that Rodrigues has gone, World Cup winner limited to 3 starts and a few substitute minutes, shouldn't have loaned Alvarez out.

Shame that Earthy and Marshall have been loaned out again, although at least they will get game time which wasn't really happening for us.

I know Nuno has given game time to some of the youngsters like Scarles, Mayers and Kante, but as the U-21's are having another great season surely players like Adiele, Ajala, Fearon, Orford, Golambeckis, Briggs etc might be better options than over priced untried imports that they seem to be looking at?

Have to dream we can get something at Chelsea, then Burnley away, Man U and Bournemouth at home. Need at least 9 points to be in with a chance of staying up  🙄

Premier Predictions (Week 23)

In the middle of the two final Euro group games we have Week 23.
5 games on Saturday, 4 on Sunday, 1 on Monday.

Stuttering Man City vs new improved Wolves could be interesting, a month ago it was a home banker but now not so sure.
Another possible is fired up Man Utd at Arsenal?
Just hoping West Ham have some confidence now? and avoid another defeat against the Mackems.
Can't see any definite winners this week, but would probably miss them anyway 🙄


West Ham v Sunderland
Burnley v Tottenham
Fulham v Brighton
Man City v Wolves
Bournemouth v Liverpool
*
Brentford v Nottm Forest
Crystal Palace v Chelsea
Newcastle v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Man Utd
*
Everton v Leeds

 

Good Luck All  😀

AFCON

I don't usually watch these games, but have watched a lot this time around.
The overall standard of football was really good even from the lesser known teams, Some great games and great goals. Something that impressed me with most of the games was the lack of play acting and going down easily, although the North Africans (Morocco, Egypt, Algeria) sadly did a lot of it.
The stadiums were great, and I was surprised how much rain fell in nearly all the games.
The referees in the early stages were really good, not so much in the last few games.
VAR was nearly as slow as the English version, and did ruin a lot of moments

Senegal and Nigeria looked the best teams, but Nigeria didn't really turn up in the semi final and lost on penalties to Morocco which was a shame.

The final was fairly quiet for 90 minutes, then all hell broke loose in injury time.
Within minutes Senegal scored but was immediately disallowed because Hakimi fell over after a light touch, then Morocco get a corner and Diaz falls over after a slight touch from West Ham's Diouf and the ref gives a penalty after a VAR review. Senegal go mad and after lots of pushing and shoving they are told to walk off the pitch in protest.
Sadio Mane remains trying to act as peacemeker and eventually they come back.
The penalty is finally taken in the 24th minute of injury time by Real Madrid's Spanish striker Diaz, who tries a stupid panenka straight into Mendy's hands.
Pape Gueye scored a brilliant goal in extra time to win it for Senegal.

Premier Predictions (Week 22)

Premier League is back
After a weekend full of exciting games without dodgy VAR, it was back with a vengeance in midweek
So get ready for more wasted time being taken on forensic detail trying to disallow goals for certain teams.
7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and one on Monday.
Derby week with the Manc one starting on Saturday + 2 London ones and a South coast one to finish.
Manager pressure on Carrick, Leroy's son and Tottenham reject Nuno who could buy himself some time with a win away to his old team. 🙄

Euro comps week, so a bit of player juggling expected.


Man Utd v Man City
Chelsea v Brentford
Leeds v Fulham
Liverpool v Burnley
Sunderland v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v West Ham
Nottm Forest v Arsenal
*
Wolves v Newcastle
Aston Villa v Everton
Brighton v Bournemouth

Good Luck All  😀

FA Cup Predictions 2026 (3rd Round)

FA Cup Predictions 2026 (3rd Round)     🏆

Here we go with Season no.11 of the NBTF FA Cup predictions Competition.
All welcome, just me and Paulo last year so the more the merrier 🙄

Rules - 3 points for a correct score, 1 point for a correct result.
Scores at full time (90+ minutes) only (not including extra time and penalties).

Round 3 x 32 games, Round 4 x 16 games etc, So a total of 63 games.
As far as I know only the Semi's and Final clash with Premier league weekends.
Winner will be whoever scores the most at the end.

Four all P/L games at Everton, Newcastle, Tottenham and Man Utd.
Three non league teams left, Macclesfield get the big giant killing chance at home to Crystal Palace.
The other two will be disappointed with their draws Weston Super Mare go to Grimsby, and Boreham Wood play Burton.
Possible shocks at Wrexham, Derby, Charlton and West Ham, we have lost all 6 London derbies this season so playing QPR not ideal.
 
Here are the games (Copy & Paste advised),
4 on Friday, 19 Saturday, 8 Sunday and 1 Monday.

(Friday)
MK Dons v Oxford Utd
Port Vale v Fleetwood
Preston v Wigan
Wrexham v Nottm Forest
(Saturday)
Cheltenham v Leicester
Everton v Sunderland
Macclesfield v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Shrewsbury
Boreham Wood v Burton
Burnley v Millwall
Doncaster v Southampton
Fulham v Middlesbrough
Ipswich v Blackpool
Man City v Exeter
Newcastle v Bournemouth
Salford v Swindon
Sheff Wed v Brentford
Stoke v Coventry
Bristol C v Watford
Cambridge Utd v Birmingham
Grimsby v Weston Super Mare
Tottenham v Aston Villa    
Charlton v Chelsea
(Sunday)
Derby v Leeds
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Hull v Blackburn
Norwich v Walsall
Sheff Utd v Mansfield
Swansea v West Brom
West Ham v QPR
Man Utd v Brighton
(Monday)
Liverpool v Barnsley

Good Luck All   😀

Premier Predictions (Week 20 + 21)

Happy New Year All  🍷 🍺 🍾 ❄ ⛄

Crazy Christmas period continues with another double week

2 game weeks with fixtures from 3rd to 8th January 2026, before the FA Cup starts again on Friday 9th January.


Week 20 - (4 games Saturday 3rd January, 6 games Sunday 4th January)

A vital week for West Ham which I'm dreading, Wolves have their best chance of a first win having already beaten us in the League Cup this season and they are starting to improve.

Arsenal will stay top whatever as they go to misfiring Bournemouth who might be without star player Semenyo? Man City take on managerless Chelsea.

Elsewhere Leeds v Man Utd is usually spicy.

Aston Villa v Nottm Forest
Brighton v Burnley
Wolves v West Ham
Bournemouth v Arsenal
Leeds v Man Utd
Everton v Brentford
Fulham v Liverpool
Newcastle v Crystal Palace
Tottenham v Sunderland
Man City v Chelsea

=============================================
Week 21 - (1 game Tuesday 6th, 8 games Wednesday 7th, 1 on Thursday 8th)

The Tuesday game is vital at the bottom whatever happened on the previous Saturday, can West Ham figure a way to get the game switched to the City ground?

West London derby on Wednesday, will Chelsea have a manager by then?

Thursday should be the big game, but only if Liverpool can remember what they can do. Maybe get Darwin Nunez back on loan, he had his critics but at least he always looked like he tried.

West Ham v Nottm Forest
Bournemouth v Tottenham
Brentford v Sunderland
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Everton v Wolves
Fulham v Chelsea
Man City v Brighton
Burnley v Man Utd
Newcastle v Leeds
Arsenal v Liverpool

Good Luck All   😀

 

Mid season info table, it makes sense to me 😆 

 

 

Premier Predictions (Week 18 + 19)

  Merry Christmas All      🎅 🎄 🍷 🍺 🎅 🍾 🎄🎅 🎄 🍷 🍺 🍾 🎅 🎄

The Christmas double, I did think about putting all 4 game weeks in one post but that would confuse everyone including me 😁
So here's Week 18 (Friday 26th December to Sunday 28th December)
and Week 19 (Tuesday 30th December to Thursday 1st January).

Another double coming up later for the fixtures from 3rd to 8th January 2026.
Happy New Year All  🍷

Week 18  (1 Game Friday 26th, 7 on Saturday, 2 on Sunday 28th)

Mostly hard to choose games, although it looks like Wolves will end the year with just 2 points.
West Ham have lost all 5 London derbies this season, so can only hope.
Arsenal have 2 home games coming up, while Man City and Villa are away in both

Man Utd v Newcastle
Nottm Forest v Man City
Arsenal v Brighton
Brentford v Bournemouth
Burnley v Everton
Liverpool v Wolves
West Ham v Fulham
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Sunderland v Leeds
Crystal Palace v Tottenham

==========================================================
Week 19   (6 games on Tuesday 30th, 4 on Thursday New Years Day)

Burnley v Newcastle
Chelsea v Bournemouth
Nottm Forest v Everton
West Ham v Brighton
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Man Utd v Wolves
Crystal Palace v Fulham
Liverpool v Leeds
Brentford v Tottenham
Sunderland v Man City

Good Luck All   😀

Premier Predictions (Week 17)

The pre Christmas week, 8 games on Saturday, 1 on Sunday, 1 on Monday
One league Cup game midweek and the African Cup starts on Sunday.

Leaders Arsenal go to Everton, sadly it looks like Man City have an easier game 😢
Villa take on Man Utd, and Chelsea go to Newcastle in the early kick off.
Crystal Palace go to Leeds just 48 hours after a European game.
Sunderland missing a few African players go to Brighton.

Wolves are at home to Brentford who have lost all their away games except against West Ham 🙄

Non of us regulars have managed a correct score in the last 92 games predicted
so hopefully someone will manage to get something this week?


Newcastle v Chelsea
Bournemouth v Burnley
Brighton v Sunderland
Man City v West Ham
Wolves v Brentford
Tottenham v Liverpool
Everton v Arsenal
Leeds v Crystal Palace
*
Aston Villa v Man Utd
Fulham v Nottm Forest

Good Luck All  😀

 

Glutton for punishment I'm watching the Cricket  😟

Premier Predictions (Week 16)

Just 4 games on Saturday, 5 on Sunday, and a Monday game

Top v Bottom on Saturday night, would be the shock of the season if Wolves added to their 2 points.
Also on Saturday the Scott Parker derby 19th v 15th, and the mid table James Milner derby and Chelsea the only English Champs league team to lose in the week face the Moyes revival.

Big game on Sunday as Man City (2nd) go to Crystal Palace (4th)
In form Villa are at West Ham, our only hope is they have a hard game in Europe tonight.
The first North East derby in a while with Sunderland above Newcastle in the table?

Chelsea v Everton
Liverpool v Brighton
Burnley v Fulham
Arsenal v Wolves
*
Crystal Palace v Man City
Nottm Forest v Tottenham
Sunderland v Newcastle
West Ham v Aston Villa
Brentford v Leeds
Man Utd v Bournemouth

Good Luck All  😀

 

**********

The AFCON kicks off next weekend so a few important players could be missing for up to 5 weeks.
1st teamers - Mbuemo + Diallo + Mazraoui (Man U), Iwobi + Bassey + Chukwueze (Fulham), Ndiaye (Everton), Sarr (Palace), Ouattara (Brentford), Sangare (Forest), Baleba (Brighton), Diouf + Wan Bissaka (West Ham), Traore + Talbi + Reinildo (Sunderland)
Squad players - Marmoush + Alt Nouri (Man City), Wissa (Newcastle), Boly (Forest), Salah (Liverpool), Foster + Tuanzebe + Cannibal (Burnley), Guessand (Villa), Masuaku + Sadiki (Sunderland).
Plus a few Wolves players.

Premier Predictions (Week 15)

The footie overload continues with Week 15
7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday, 1 on Monday. Ahead of more European games next week.

At the top Aston Villa 3rd v Arsenal 1st, and Man City 2nd vs Sunderland 6th.
Chelsea and Palace could drop points.
At the bottom Burnley in trouble, Wolves with a chance against inconsistent Man Utd?
West Ham go to bogey team Brighton :(

The Trumpton World Cup draw later today, will probably be hard work.
Always a long winded affair but probably going to be worse with Infantino sucking up to Trump 😠
Guess the MAGA propaganda will spoil an occasion that should be all about football  🙄

Aston Villa v Arsenal
Bournemouth v Chelsea
Everton v Nottm Forest
Man City v Sunderland
Newcastle v Burnley
Tottenham v Brentford
Leeds v Liverpool
*
Brighton v West Ham
Fulham v Crystal Palace
*
Wolves v Man Utd

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 14)

Midweek action over 3 days
3 games on Tuesday, 6 games on Wednesday, 1 on Thursday.
Lots of hard to choose fixtures?

Bournemouth v Everton
Fulham v Man City
Newcastle v Tottenham
*
Arsenal v Brentford
Brighton v Aston Villa
Burnley v Crystal Palace
Wolves v Nottm Forest
Leeds v Chelsea
Liverpool v Sunderland
*
Man Utd v West Ham

Good Luck All  😀

Billy Bonds R.I.P

 

Gutted to hear that Billy Bonds has died 😢

Scored in the first game I went to at Upton Park, and was captain and a legend for so many years.

 

21 years as a player + 4 years as manager at West Ham

799 games and 61 goals

Never got capped by England (which tends to happen to West Ham players), only once made the bench 🙄

 

Honoured by having one of the stands named after him, also got an MBE.

 

 Sad news

Premier Predictions (Week 13)

3 game weeks in 10 days coming up (here's the first of 3 posts this week)

Week 13 - 5 games on Saturday and 5 on Sunday
Last game is 1st v 2nd, although Arsenal are 6 points in front.
With the bottom 3 all away a chance for West Ham to pull away as it's probably the best time to play Liverpool (although I won't be putting money on it) 😏

Mixed week for the English teams in Europe
Champions League, good wins for Chelsea and Arsenal but defeats for the others.
Europa and Conference, wins for Villa and Forest but Palace lose after missing 2 open goals.


Brentford v Burnley
Man City v Leeds
Sunderland v Bournemouth
Everton v Newcastle
Tottenham v Fulham
*
Crystal Palace v Man Utd
Aston Villa v Wolves
Nottm Forest v Brighton
West Ham v Liverpool
Chelsea v Arsenal

Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 12)

Premier League and other competitions back without breaks for the next 4 months.
7 games on Saturday, 2 on Sunday and 1 on Monday.

Arteta must hate the International break as 3 of his defenders were injured, although I can't see them losing to Tottenham. Their main rivals are all away.

Burnley v Chelsea
Bournemouth v West Ham
Brighton v Brentford
Fulham v Sunderland
Liverpool v Nottm Forest
Wolves v Crystal Palace
Newcastle v Man City
*
Leeds v Aston Villa
Arsenal v Tottenham
*
Man Utd v Everton


Good Luck All  😀

Premier Predictions (Week 11)

Sorry busy week, and it's Friday already?

5 fixtures on Saturday, and 5 more on Sunday before yet another International week.

7 wins and 2 draws for the English teams in Europe this week.
The big ones this week are the top 4 all playing each other
The Xhaka derby on Saturday will be interesting as I thought Sunderland would be doing a Southampton this season, but like most of my predictions I have been totally wrong 🙄
Sunday Liverpool go to Man City to see who will be putting the pressure on Arsenal.
West Ham have a chance to get out of the bottom 3 in the Claret & Blue derby? 🥺
Most of the fixtures this week are between teams close to each other in the table.
Enough waffle on with the show 👍

Tottenham v Man Utd
Everton v Fulham
West Ham v Burnley
Sunderland v Arsenal
Chelsea v Wolves
*
Aston Villa v Bournemouth
Brentford v Newcastle
Crystal Palace v Brighton
Nottm Forest v Leeds
Man City v Liverpool

Good Luck All  😀

(except maybe Paul)   😉