This article discusses ‘What the fans are saying’ for the Gameweek ahead by delving into their forums and unearthing their predictions of how the games will play out.

Fans Predictions

·        Arsenal fans aren’t looking forward to playing Southampton. They took a battering off them in December and are discussing what their best centre-back partnership should be. They are happy to have Francis Coquelin back though. They also talk about who should be the striker. Olivier Giroud has been off form but so has Theo Walcott. In effect, they don’t know what the score will be and believe they will probably concede.

·        Southampton fans want Shane Long and Sadio Mane to start up front with Charlie Austin on the bench and to come on later. The front two’s pace should frighten Arsenal and stretch their defence. However, they think it will be difficult to win this game, as Arsenal will be up for it. They also don’t like the referee for the match.

·        Leicester fans call this a big game for them. The next three games will determine their title credentials. Most of the fans predict a 2-0 victory, but they concede that Liverpool turn up for the big games. They think their midfield will dominate Liverpool’s and Jamie Vardy will enjoy this game and probably score.

·        Liverpool fans think it’ll be a tough game and Leicester has had a lot of rest. They have hopes of a draw and some think these are the kind of games that Liverpool step up for. Roberto Firmino to start up front again is their request. It will be an end-to-end game.

·        Norwich forums are deadly silent about their game against Spurs. From what I’ve learnt about Norwich, their central defenders aren’t particularly revered. Russell Martin is littered with errors and Sebastian Bassong is okay, but poor when faced with a quality striker. They are expecting to concede a lot, with Harry Kane on for a haul.

·        Tottenham fans think they have too much class for Norwich. Kevin Wimmer will play in central defence with perhaps Eric Dier getting a rest. They like the reemergence of Nacer Chadli. All in all, they beat Norwich 3-0 at White Hart Lane and expect another big win as the Canaries have lost a few on the bounce.

·        Sunderland fans fancy their chances against Manchester City. They say they have some good players now and could find a way to get a result. However, they concede that Man City could also destroy them and they are optimistic that they can improve due to their January window signings.

·        Man City fans are debating whether they should play 4-4-2 with Kelechi Iheanacho up front or a more usual 4-5-1. They expect to beat Sunderland reasonably heavily and don’t point out any problems to suggest otherwise.

·        West Ham fans are in two minds about their chances against Villa. They seem to play poorly against bad opposition but they are ready to thrash someone. So they think they’ll win as Villa have had a swansong period and are back to their usual selves. Michail Antonio is touted as a potential scorer.

·        Aston Villa fans are quiet about their game like Norwich fans were. They are pleased by the away support they can offer the team and all their away tickets are sold out for this fixture.

·        Crystal Palace fans are undecided about their fixture against Bournemouth. The predictions range from low-scoring losses to low-scoring wins. They think if they score it will be Emmanuel Adebayor on the scoresheet and Glenn Murray to score for Bournemouth as he used to play for Palace.

·        Bournemouth fans are looking at a game where both teams will score. They hope they edge it 2-1.

·        Man Utd fans have started a thread called ‘what is LVG writing on his clipboard’ as they are still bamboozled by his philosophy of football. It’s the most fun they’ve had all season. They think they’ll edge it with a 1-0 win against Stoke.

·        Stoke fans are worried by their lack of goals from strikers and feel this will probably continue against Man Utd. They hope for a draw.

·        West Brom fans are expecting more of the same – take a point, keep the opposition at bay and hoof the ball a lot. They have to get points from teams below them and predict a 1-0 win. Reluctantly, West Brom fans don’t like Tony Pulis’s style of football.

·        Swansea fans say their confidence is back and think they can win by two goals. They will play with high pressing and think their midfielders will get on the scoresheet.

·        Everton fans are quiet as well. Their confidence is low so they aren’t expecting a big win, though they think it will be a high-scoring draw. Most predict they can score two goals at least.

·        Newcastle fans think they’ll lose, again they expect to concede around two goals. They hope to sign a striker as the goals are drying up. They are not too keen about the Andros Townsend acquisition, though, and the former Spurs winger has a lot to do to win them around.

·        Watford fans are talking more about their FA Cup run than the league. They think they are safe; nobody has been relegated from their position before. So I’m guessing it’s more of the same from Watford in their game against Chelsea.

·        Chelsea fans don’t know what to expect for this game either. So it’s more of the same for them too.

Conclusion

There haven’t been many thrashings this year, but these midweek games could provide some according to the fans, with likely big wins going to Spurs, Man City, and West Ham. The most unpredictable games are the first two as Leicester take on Liverpool and Arsenal square up to Southampton.

Who to captain? A Spurs, Man City or Hammers player looks the best bet, with Sergio Aguero at the head of the queue. Despite that, part of me feels skeptical that the fans’ predictions will come true this week and I’m not ruling out some shock midweek results.

To read more about what the fans think, you can use the quick links to the forums from this article.