Prediction Panel table: Spurs shake off Wigan defeat to close gap at top

Football . . .it’s a funny old game. I was expecting some big scores from our pundits this week as there were four seemingly nailed on home wins. However, while Chelsea beat Stoke City, Liverpool disposed of West Brom and Manchester United gave West Ham a hiding, Champions League new boys Tottenham ...

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Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion: Baggies face Reds backlash

Liverpool go into Sunday’s game with West Bromwich Albion still searching their first league win under new manager Roy Hodgson. However, history suggests this should be an easy day at the office for the Anfield giants. The visitors haven’t won on the red half of Merseyside for 43 years and haven’t ...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League quiz: Week Three

Some people think they know everything about football, well let’s see if they do. Here I have 10 questions which will separate the Spurs from the Young Boys. If you think you are clued up on the beautiful game then prove it. 1. Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal: Who was the last player to be transferre...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Quiz: Week Three – The Answers

Well, how did you get on? We’d love to hear from you. 1. Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal: David Bentley is the last player to have moved between the two sides. 2. Blackpool v Fulham: You could have said: Barry Hayles, Geoff Horsfield, Steve Finnan or Kit Symons. 3. Chelsea v Stoke City: Florent ...

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Prediction Panel Table: Wolves topple the Toffees

Wolverhampton Wanderers attracted a bit of criticism for their performance at Goodison Park on Saturday but their representative in our Prediction Panel, and current champion, has toppled the Toffees following another brilliant week. Chris Cox, the only pundit last week to predict that Chelsea woul...

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Manchester City v Liverpool: City require Hart’s heroics

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina literally handed Arsenal a share of the points last weekend but he will be determined to keep City out when Hodgson’s Reds visit Eastlands this Monday. The Anfield giants looked like getting the season off to a winning start before Reina’s blunder and the battling d...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Quiz: Week Two

It’s that time of the week again. Here is the latest batch of questions intended to leave you rooted to the spot like West Ham’s Robert Green! Last week’s questions were intentionally hard. This week we’ve lowered the mark a little but it’s still more taxing than your average GMTV phone-in. All the...

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Squarefootball's Premier League Quiz: Week Two - The Answers

Here are the answers to the second instalment of our quiz. 1. Arsenal v Blackpool: Alan Ball is the World Cup winner with links to both Arsenal and Blackpool. 2. Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers: Barry Ferguson is the former Rover who scored against Birmingham in 2003. 3. Everton v Wolves: ...

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Prediction Panel Standings: Toffees top the table

Everton may have lost their opening game against Blackburn Rovers but Toffees fan Chris Goodwin has given the blue half of Merseyside something to cheer by topping the Premier League Prediction Panel table. Mr Goodwin correctly predicted five correct results from the first weekend of top flight ac...

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Liverpool v Arsenal: Gunners aim to spoil Hodgson’s big day

The last time Arsenal started the season on Merseyside they hit Everton for six. Can Arsene Wenger’s men do to Liverpool what they did to the Toffees 12 months ago? New Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson will certainly be hoping not. There is a distinct feel-good factor at Anfield following the arrival of ...

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Squarefootball’s Premier League Challenge: Week one

The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend and so does a new feature on squarefootball. Each Friday I’ll be testing your knowledge of the top flight clubs by posing you 10 questions relating to that weekend’s fixtures. There are no prizes on offer, only personal glory – we’re not made of m...

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Premier League Challenge answers: Week one

Here are the answers to the questions in our Premier League Challenge week one. 1. Tottenham v Manchester City: Joey Barton and David Sommeil were the goalscorers in City’s last league win at White Hart Lane. 2. Aston Villa v West Ham United: Marlon Harewood was the last player to have scored a ...

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Who will be the Premier League’s top goalscorer?

Goals win games so it’s no wonder Chelsea won the league last season with Didier Drogba in sparkling form. The Ivory Coast forward found the back of the net an astonishing 29 times in 32 league appearances just edging out Manchester United’s star man Wayne Rooney with 26. So will the England marksma...

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Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers?

If everything I predicted 12 months ago came true I would be a very rich and happy man right now. Unfortunately Arsenal let me down in the league, West Ham failed me in the FA Cup and letting my heart rule my head in the SPL by putting £10 on my beloved Aberdeen to win the SPL really was a waste of ...

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Predictions: Who will be 2010/11’s main winners and losers Part 2

Well you’ve heard what our Panel members have had to say for themselves, now it’s time for the “experts” to have their say. We’ll start off with writer Hugh Larkin. He loves the underdog but he thinks Chelsea are just far too strong for anyone to cope with and thinks Arsenal and Spurs are going to...

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Liverpool- Seven Reasons To Be Cheerful

Its not a dream summer for Liverpool fans- that would involve adding a bagful of world-class players to the current squad and the Reds arent able to compete at that level, for the moment at least. But its certainly turning out a lot better than it could have been 1 Fernando Torres Stays Number one...

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Bookmakers Believe the 'Big 4' Is Now The 'Major 8'

For several seasons the Premier League has been dominated by an oligarchy of four clubs- Everton broke in to this group in 2005 but even then Liverpool still gained entry to the Champions League that season. Tottenhams fourth place in 2009/10 represented the first time one of the former Big 4 faile...

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Fantasy football 2010/11 reminder

Do you think you can spend £100 million better than Manchester City’s Roberto Mancini? Do you think you could assemble a better squad than Spurs boss Harry Redknapp? Do you think you can guide your side to glory like Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti? If so then we want to hear from you. We at Squarefootba...

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Joe Cole Signing Boosts Morale At Anfield

Liverpool fans needed some good news for the summer and they received it with the news that Joe Cole has chosen to move to Merseyside, rather than many of the other clubs chasing him. Its important not to go overboard on this one; Cole isnt in the same bracket as Fernando Torres but his acquisition...

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Squarefootball fantasy football invitation 2010/11

I saw more action and excitement this summer down at the mortuary than I did at the World Cup in South Africa. There was also a better atmosphere between me and my ex-girlfriend than there was inside the grounds, thanks to the constant drone of those awful vuvuzelas. And as for entertainment, I th...

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Thierry Henry for Liverpool?

It’s been a while since I last posted and got crucified for saying Roberto Mancini won’t get Man City to fourth spot, but I don’t like to gloat. So Barcelona have reached an agreement with Thierry Henry allowing the striker to leave the Catalunian club. I like Barcelona a lot, but I love Liver...

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Should ‘Woy’ lead the Anfield revolution?

If reports on Friday’s BBC Football website are accurate then Roy Hodgson, currently fulfilling punditry obligations in South Africa, is being lined up as Liverpool’s big summer signing. But is that a positive signal of intent? Hodgson enjoyed an enchanted last season but is the Fulham boss really t...

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Liverpool: Who will be the next manager at Anfield?

The writing had been on the wall for a while but on June 3 Liverpool Football Club and Rafa Benitez officially parted company. The decision has divided the fans though with some willing to give the Spaniard another season to prove his worth while others were prepared to drive him back to Spain perso...

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Will Rafa Benitez's departure affect the key players?

In modern football the loyalty card is often brandished - but rarely for reasons that are not monetary. When Jose Mourinho left Chelsea there was plenty of comment that 'his' players would follow the Portuguese to Inter Milan. But the predicted exodus simply didn't happen - footballers aren't sent...

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Which club will Joe Cole move to this summer?

All the major news outlets are reporting Harry Redknapp's comments on Joe Cole's future. Cole played for Redknapp at West Ham, before Redknapp's sacking in 2001 lead to a quick decline and a break up of a fabulous side that contained Lampard, Cole, Ferdinand, Carrick and Defoe (all in England's Wor...

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Get on side and sport your colours for Shelter this World Cup

In celebration of this years FIFA World Cup, housing and homelessness charity Shelter are teaming up with Nationwide Building Society, Official England Team sponsor, to launch their fantastic footy fundraiser, Strip4Shelter. Shelter is asking people across the country to replace their regular work ...

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Chelsea are clear champions - but next year?

Rarely can a title race that was not decided until the final day of the season have been so clear cut. Chelsea scored 103 goals, a mammoth number that has simply not been given enough credit. And to win the title with an 8-0 home win that pushed the season's total beyond 100 goals, whilst the tali...

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Hull City v Liverpool: Rafa looks for the joy of sixth

Liverpool have never lost to Hull in a competitive game in their history and I can’t see that statistic changing this afternoon. The Reds have endured an awful season by their high standards and Rafa’s promise of finishing fourth proved to be as reliable as an MP’s. However, they have the chance to ...

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Pressure tonight is on Mancini and Spurs tonight - not City

The big four of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have been unofficially split up after seven years of either filling all the Champions' League slots - or at least competing strongly for the places. In 2004/5 Everton edged fourth place with 61 points to Liverpool's 58 - but that was...

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Liverpool v Chelsea: Will Rafa do Fergie a favour by beating the Blues?

Nobody ever wants to see their team lose but, given what is at stake this afternoon at Anfield, I’m sure a few Liverpool fans will make an exception. The destination of the Premier League title ultimately rests in their hands. Defeat today and Chelsea will almost certainly claim their third title th...

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What our Prediction Panel expects the fourth place battle to look like after 37 games

Within the next few days the four teams scrapping for fourth place will have all completed 37 games. With the games-in-hand unwound where does the Squarefootball prediction panel expect Tottenham, Man City, Aston Villa and Liverpool to be going into the final weekend? Match Predictions Tottenham H...

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Five reasons why Rafa Benitez will not be leaving Liverpool this summer

Many journalists are convinced that Rafa Benitez is leaving Liverpool in the summer. But there are a number of pointers suggesting that he is likely to be creating debate over the facts on his rotation policy for another season at least - whether you think that is a good idea or not. I'm not argui...

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Aston Villa have the momentum to secure fourth place

With two or three games left Aston Villa and Liverpool have closed right in on the two teams - Tottenham and Man City - assumed (for the last couple of weeks) to be fighting out the battle for fourth between them. Aston Villa in particular have narrowly won three games in a week to move onto 64 poi...

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Burnley vs Liverpool: Burnley last-chance against travel-weary Reds

Burnley will have seen West Ham's win and a point for Wolves as hard results, and if this is not to be a one season return to the top flight then Burnley need three straight wins and for other teams to get, just about, nothing. Today will see Burnley down if they fail to win. Liverpool's long jo...

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Will togetherness give Liverpool and Fulham an unexpected lift?

Anyone who's been on a football tour abroad will appreciate that the bonding experience it offers can result in significantly better team morale and as a result performances. Although Liverpool and Fulham's enforced travel along the road, rail and sea links of Europe (for most the part anyway) may ...

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Liverpool v West Ham United: Zola points to safety

West Ham boosted their survival hopes on their last visit to Merseyside with a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park. Could they do something similar tonight against Rafa’s Reds? History suggests not as the Hammers haven’t won at Anfield since 1963 and managed just four goals there in the Premier League era. L...

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Which team do Liverpool fans want to win the Manchester derby?

The Manchester derby pits fourth against second and is of obvious importance in that city. But just thirty-odd miles down the road, Liverpool - and its fans - will be casting nervous glances at the result. For the first time in years a Manchester derby might actually matter to Liverpool; not least...

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Has Benitez actually improved Liverpool?

Rafael Benitez arrived at Anfield almost six years ago with a glowing reputation following his successful time at Valencia and wrote his name immediately in Liverpool folklore after their dramatic Champions League victory over Italian giants AC Milan. Liverpool fans all over the world hailed Benitez...

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Liverpool v Fulham: Europe’s survivors lock horns at Anfield

Could this be a dress rehearsal for the Europa Cup Final? Both teams booked their place in the last four of the competition with impressive wins in midweek and are just two games away from playing each other in Hamburg. Roy Hodgson has taken the Fulham fans on an amazing adventure this season, one ...

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Birmingham City v Liverpool: Blues out to thwart the Reds’ Champions League hopes

Liverpool turned on the style last weekend at Anfield against Sunderland to give their faint Champions League hopes a boost. This afternoon they travel to St Andrews though to take on a resilient Birmingham side that has the second best defensive record in the league at home and haven’t lost in fron...

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Liverpool v Sunderland: Is time running out for Rafa?

The clocks may have gone forward an hour in the UK last night but Rafa Benitez’s time at Anfield could be all over if they fail to beat the Black Cats this afternoon. Liverpool enter the game seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the race for fourth place and every match between now and the end...

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Benfica v Liverpool- The History

Until these two clubs met in the round of last 16 in the 2005/06 Champions League Liverpool had every reason to think drawing Benfica was a lucky omen. Three times the clubs met in the European Cup (as it was) and on each occasion the Anfield side went to the Final. The ties were in the days when L...

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Manchester United vs Liverpool: Must-win

With Arsenal winning again and looking like they have the resilience to keep winning there is no room for slip-ups in the run-in; you would suspect that if United are to break new ground and secure a 19th title they will need to win seven of their last eight games - and how Liverpool would love to b...

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Another Liverpool Wide Man Bites The Dust

Alberto Rieras comments about Rafa Benitez may have told us a little bit more about how the Anfield boss communicates (or doesnt ) but it didnt tell us much we didnt know about his attitude to wide players. Somebody should have had a word with Riera before he went to Liverpool- Benitez mistrusts wi...

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Liverpool v Portsmouth: Reds eye return to winning ways

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has just endured his worst week at Anfield but basement boys Portsmouth are unlikely to pile any more pressure on the under-fire boss . . . surely. Defeats by Wigan Athletic and French side Lille have placed further doubt on Rafa’s future at the club and their hopes for ...

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Liverpool's top four window hasn't closed yet

After another shapeless defeat Liverpool look less and less like a top four team. Three weeks ago I reckoned that Liverpool would edge out Tottenham to finish fourth. But a grim defeat to Wigan is making even that recent prediction look dodgy. Liverpool's remaining fixtures look reasonably simple...

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Wigan Athletic v Liverpool: Rafa’s Reds target away day joy

With Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa not in league action this weekend Rafa Benitez has a golden opportunity to put the Reds back into the driving seat for fourth place and a coveted Champions League spot. Liverpool travel to Wigan Athletic this evening to take on Roberto Martin...

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England: Who should Fabio choose as his No 1 for South Africa?

In less than 100 days the greatest show on earth kicks off in South Africa but England manager Fabio Capello still has major issues to resolve before he finalises on his squad who will be given the task of bringing the World Cup home. Who will fill the left-back role if Ashley Cole fails to recover ...

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Liverpool vs Blackburn Rovers: Full-backs likely to be given license to attack

The usual feuding between Benitez and Allardyce can probably be expected here and it is unlikely that the Liverpool fans will ease up on the Blackburn manager - but Liverpool's season has gone so poorly that they start the game closer to Rovers than to any of the top three. With Man City's unlikely...

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Is Wayne Bridge right to turn his back on England?

Representing your country in the World Cup is supposed to be every footballer’s dream. Every one bar Wayne Bridge that is. The Manchester City left-back has kicked his international career into row Z due to the fall-out of John Terry’s alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend and mother of his children...

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