Keys and Gray: Premier League predictions

Andy Gray and Richard Keys who front beIN Sports’ coverage of the EPL discuss what might happen. 

Andy Gray: That Champions League win against Bayern Munich was vitally important for Man City. Most people thought Bayern were a better side, even with 10 men after Mehdi Benatia had been sent off, and if City had lost in those circumstances having gone 1-0 up, mentally, they would have had a real problem coming back.

Sergio Aguero’s performance in those last five minutes has rejuvenated their season; it has kept their Champions League hopes alive, and for the players you cannot over–estimate the effect it had because without it that squad would have been totally devoid of any confidence. 

You cannot stress just how important this boy is to them at the moment. We have to hope that the muscle injuries he has had trouble with over the past couple of seasons don’t come back, because the one player City do not want to lose is the Argentinian, certainly not until Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jov-etic are back from injury but even then, they can’t do what he does. 

Last year Yaya Toure was City’s most important player but not this season; Sergio is head and shoulders above anyone else in that side. 
Manuel Pellegrini has said he wants seven wins out of eight Premier League games so maybe this one at Southampton is the match he is not sure about and would settle for a draw.

I watched Southampton against Aston Villa last week and they found it really difficult playing against a team that sat in and didn’t come at them. They had difficulty breaking them down but they hung on and didn’t get beaten.
They know City will come at them and I think Southampton will enjoy that better. I liked the way City kept going against Swansea last week after going behind. It tested their mental toughness and they came through it well.

This is a tough game for City because Southampton have only conceded one goal at home and have scored 17 at their place and they will fancy themselves to get the job done.  However, City’s confidence tanks have been refilled with their last two results. This is the toughest home tie Southampton have had all season but I think they are good enough to give City a few problems and I can see this game ending in a draw. 2-2.

Richard Keys: That late goal Aguero scored to beat Bayern was, without a question, the turning point in Manchester City’s season.
If they had gone out of the Champions League I think it was all over for them. I still think Chelsea will win the title but City will now believe they can push them all the way, although I am certain they will still make the Champions League their priority. We all know how good Aguero is but at the moment he really is at his very best so, as Andy says, City will hope he steers clear of injury.

I don’t want the wheels to come off for Southampton because we all want to see them maintain a challenge at the top but against Villa I thought one or two of their players looked as though they were about to hit the wall. They had a lot of the ball but lacked a bit of the spark we have seen so far this season. I know they can’t win every week and maybe that was a one-off and they can bounce back at home where they have such a good record. 
If Aguero hadn’t scored the winner against Bayern I would have fancied the Saints to win this but as it is City will be buoyant and I fancy them to win 2-1.

West Brom v Arsenal

AG: I got ridiculed here in Doha when I said I fancied both Man City and Arsenal to beat the German giants in their Champions League games in midweek and I was proved right. Arsenal, like City, will have been boosted by their victory and with  Olivier Giroud back there are a lot of positives for Arsene Wenger at the moment. They will have too much for West Brom. 1-2.

RK: I don’t want it to end badly for Wenger because he has been enormously influential in the Premier League but his team is just not good enough. They are enjoyable to watch but predictable. They never surprise you but West Brom won’t trouble them. 2-0.

Liverpool v Stoke

AG: Liverpool are stumbling from one bad result to the next and if Brendan Rodgers thought his team did well to draw against Ludogorets in midweek, a team with zero European pedigree, then I am staggered. To be happy with that result is a measure of where they are. The defeat at Palace last week was shocking but they can beat an inconsistent Stoke. 1-0.

RK: Liverpool concede too many goals and they will continue to do so because they don’t defend well enough. I think Stoke can get something. 1-1.

Man United v Hull 

AG: Steve Bruce has got a few problems at Hull and this is a tough game for him. I thought United were pretty ordinary in that smash and grab victory at Arsenal last week but I can’t see anything other than a convincing home win. 3-0.

RK: Bruce has never beaten Manchester United as a coach and that won’t change today. Hull are in trouble and 3-0 is a good shout.

QPR v Leicester

AG: Leicester are struggling to make anything happen. The draw at Sunderland last week stopped the rot but QPR look a better side and they are decent at home. 2-0.

RK: I expected Leicester to be better than this but perhaps at the end of the day they are just a bunch of good Championship players who will struggle in the top flight. QPR aren’t brilliant but, yes, 2-0.

Swansea v Crystal Palace

AG: I thought Palace might hit the wall against Liverpool last week but they proved me wrong with a terrific comeback to get a brilliant result. Can they go to Swansea and do the same? No. 3-1 home win.

RK: Great result for Palace last week and in Yannick Bolasie they had a real talent. Swansea are hard to beat at home but Palace can get a point. 2-2.

West Ham v Newcastle

AG: West Ham need to get back on it after losing to Everton last week. Newcastle kept their great run of results going against QPR but it has to come to an end sometime and I think they might lose what will be a tight game 2-1.

RK: I refuse to believe Newcastle can win six in a row and, at home, West Ham should have enough to beat them. I admit to having no real confidence in this prediction but I’ll say 2-1 to the Hammers.

Sunderland v Chelsea

AG: Chelsea march on and I really can’t see Sunderland as the side to stop them. Jose Mourinho’s side are a different class. 0-2.

RK: I don’t see anyone, apart from Man City, getting in Chelsea’s way. They are far too good for Sunderland. 0-2.

Tottenham v Everton

AG: Both fresh from winning in the Europa League but there is a question mark over Spurs who tend not to play well in the EPL game that follows a European match. Everton are now unbeaten in eight which is a great run and although I can’t see them losing I don’t know if they have enough to win. 2-2.

RK: There really isn’t much to choose between these teams and my head says Everton can win but I think Spurs will break that trend of losing after a European game. 1-1.

Burnley v Aston Villa

AG: It’s a massive ask for Burnley to win three in a row but they have never been more confident than they are right now and they know they will go above Villa if they win. Villa should be the better side but I don’t have much confidence in my old side at the moment. 1-1.

RK: Villa will do what they always do, sit and wait and look to hit them on the counter-attack but I can see Burnley extending their winning run. 1-0 home win.