Andy Gray & Richard Keys PL predictions

Sport360 staff 12:30 28/12/2014
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  • On the up: Manchester United take on Tottenham on the back of a run of seven wins from eight Premier League games.

    Louis van Gaal takes his Manchester United team to Tottenham today on the back of a run of seven wins in their last eight games, increasing optimism they can challenge Chelsea and Manchester City for the title. Andy Gray and Richard Keys, who front beIN Sports coverage of the Premier League, offer their view on the Red Devils’ chances and discuss the rest of the action.

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    Andy Gray: Five league games, three away from home, starting with Tottenham today, will decide whether we can really consider United genuine title challengers.

    With Chelsea and Manchester City’s Champions League ambi­tions, I do think United can sneak up on them. They’re only going to get better as they get more and more players back fit.

    By the time they get to mid-Feb­ruary when the Champions League kicks back in again, if they’ve managed to reduce the gap to six or seven points they will be right in it.

    Van Gaal has got Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie playing well again, Falcao’s back in the side plus Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria will want to play. It’s a nice problem for him to have and once he sorts his defence out it’ll be interesting to see what they can do.

    I thought they’d get Champions League football, with spending £150 million (Dh857m) and the mindset around Old Trafford for winning. If they didn’t make the top four after that outlay it would be a failure. They’ve rode their luck in a lot of games when they’ve been second-best but that’s what United did for so many years under Sir Alex Ferguson.

    Tottenham are a bit like United, they’re squeaking through with results. But they’re on a decent run winning 10 of the last 14 games in all competitions.

    They’ve got two massive games coming up with United and Chel­sea at home. Huge games where we’ll learn a lot more about them.

    United always play well at White Hart Lane, it’s a ground they’ve historically done well at. 2-2.

    Richard Keys: Manchester United are beating teams they should be beating. Van Gaal has said it himself, they’re not perfect. I think they’re a good top four team, noth­ing more than that.

    There’s always goals when these two meet and there will be drama. I don’t think there’s much between the two in truth and White Hart Lane probably gives Tottenham the edge.

    United are in the title race now but I don’t think they will win it as there are only two teams that can: Chelsea and Manchester City.

    United will finish in the top four, I said when Van Gaal got the job he’d make them competitive but how long he can keep the boys on side remains to be seen. United are a good side but once they come up against another good side they’ll be asked different questions. 3-2.

    Southampton v Chelsea
    AG: Southampton have bounced back really well after that run of five defeats and while I don’t think they’ll be good enough to beat Chelsea, I do think they might nick something. It’ll be a great atmos­phere at St Mary’s and I think the hosts will surprise a few people. Chelsea have drawn a few games away from home and it gives Saints a chance. 1-1.

    RK: Against West Ham, Chelsea looked really comfortable. It was a training session at one point against then the fourth-best team in England. They’re rock solid at the back, Cesc Fabregas has been magnificent and Diego Costa looks like he’s been playing in this league all his life. I can’t see anything else apart from a Chelsea win. 0-1.

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    Man City v Burnley
    AG: You need to be lucky in this league and where City have been lucky is they haven’t lost their strikers when they’ve been playing the big teams. They’ve lost them when they’ve been playing Leices­ter, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Burnley. It’s only when they come to Everton on January 10 that you think they’ll need them back. City will be too powerful. 3-0.

    RK: Burnley deserved more than they got against Liverpool. First-half they were great. But City can play who they like and they’ll still win it. You can’t not be impressed by City’s run of form. Yes, they should be beating these teams but they’re still gone and won them. I think Burnley will take a hiding. 4-0.

    West Ham v Arsenal
    AG: It’s a tough one for Arsenal who still look vulnerable. They have lost a lot of away games and while they are not bad going for­ward, are still suspect at the back. Sam Allardyce will have Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho up front to put huge pressure on the Arse­nal defence. 2-1.

    RK: I think Sam identified this one as the one he wanted to win over Chelsea. He left Alex Song out to keep him for this game. He always does well against Wenger’s teams and they will be in business to win the game and win it in an uncom­promising manner. 3-1.

    Liverpool v Swansea
    AG: Liverpool will go into it feeling better but I don’t think they should be overconfident. They have nowhere near turned a corner. They were fortunate to win at Burnley and they’re hardly beating top quality opposition. In fact, the only team they’ve beaten of note was Tottenham back in August. I’ve enjoyed what Garry Monk is doing at Swansea but they’ve huffed and puffed a bit and after two 1-0 wins I don’t think they have a third in them. 2-0.

    RK: Brendan Rodgers is trying to convince us that Liverpool are get­ting better, they’re not. Swansea are capable of going to Anfield and keeping the ball and can get a result. 1-1.

    Newcastle v Everton
    AG: I don’t know what’s gone wrong at Everton this season. They were very poor against Southamp­ton, a little bit unlucky against Stoke but at home they should be winning that game. It’s a game between two under-performing teams. Newcastle with four defeats in a row aren’t looking great. 1-2.

    RK: Everton are a very average side at the moment who just aren’t scoring enough goals and it’s dif­ficult to see just where the answer will come from. 2-0.

    QPR v Crystal Palace
    AG: I wasn’t surprised with Neil Warnock’s sacking, once he got hammered by the fans on Friday. They need somebody like the man who left at the beginning of the season, Tony Pulis, but there’s not many of them around. QPR are a different side when they’re at Lof­tus Road and should win this. 2-0.

    RK: I was more surprised when Neil Warnock was appointed, than when he was sacked as he has shown himself to be a manager to get you promoted rather than one to stay in the Premier League. I think Palace will make a quick appointment and it might be in time for this game. 2-1.

    Stoke v West Brom
    AG: Alan Irvine is at a club where they’re not very patient. Thirteen games since October and they’ve only won two. That’s not great and it’s that kind of form that can lose you your job. Stoke 2-1.

    RK: At some stage Baggies chair­man Jeremy Peace, is going to have to accept some criticism over a list of mediocre managerial appoint­ments and I fear that another defeat here could spell the end for Irvine. 2-0.

    Aston Villa v Sunderland
    AG: I don’t know what to make of Aston Villa. When you least expect it they somehow get a win. At Villa Park, they’ve won two league games – against Hull and Leicester – but Sunderland are rock bottom for me at the moment. 2-0.

    RK: There won’t be many goals and you can identify Christian Benteke and Adam Johnson as the goalscorers now. 1-1.

    Hull v Leicester
    AG: Hull have to follow that win against Sunderland with another result against the league’s worst team as it’s amazing what back-to-back victories can do for you. 1-0.

    RK: Leicester simply can’t keep losing and have to get a result at some stage. Two poor teams who let a lot of goals in but also have a threat at the other end. 2-2

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