Premier League predictions: Mark Lawrenson challenges Paddy in our new tipping competition

You thought he'd hung up the biro, didn't you?

By / Football Tips / 2 years ago

Guess who’s back?

That’s right, you just can’t keep Mark Lawrenson away from his footy fixture list crystal ball.

Fresh off a near 20-year stint at some other website we’ve never heard of, Lawro will now be here at Paddy Power News every week to deliver his Premier League predictions for all 760 matches this season.

And we’ve put a special added twist on the ol’ Lawro picks the results formula. Well, sort of… I mean it’s mostly the same.

Each week the Liverpool legend will pick his scorelines from that weekend’s Premier League fixtures. I know, so far, so usual.

But here’s the twist: we’ll be putting on you – the Paddy Power punter – up against Lawro in a tipping challenge, and if you beat him you’ll be quids in.

We’ll be offering prizes to anyone who can get the better of Lawro every Gameweek.

The rules are pretty simple: We’ll award 1 point for a correct result and 3 points for a correct score.

And that’s that.

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Now, onto the football.

Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace in the opening game of the season on Friday night, before everyone’s favourite yo-yo side Fulham (or is that Norwich, I forget) begin their campaign against 2021/22 runners-up Liverpool.

Fellow new-boys Nottingham Forest travel to moneybags Newcastle at 3pm when another three matches kick-off before Everton host Chelsea in the Frank Lampard derby at 5.30pm.

We’ve three matches slated for Sunday with Leicester hosting Brentford and Brighton heading to Manchester United for Erik ten Hag’s first match in charge at 2pm before last season’s champions Manchester City head to east London to take on West Ham.

So them’s the games, but what will be the scores? Here’s what Lawro fancies along with Week 1 challenger a certain Mr P. Power from No. 1 Power Tower, Dublin.

But don’t worry, once we let Paddy have a go to show you all how not to do it, it’s over to you, the punter, from next week onwards.

CRYSTAL PALACE V ARSENAL

Friday, August 5: 8pm (Sky Sports)

LAWRO: I think Patrick Vieira’s done great because he took over from Roy Hodgson, who was very much defensive minded, and he’s turned them into a proper team who play on the front foot. Arsenal have added a fair few and more could come. This one is at Selhurst Park, so I’ll go for a 1-1 draw.

PADDY: Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal

  • RESULT: Crystal Palace 0-2 Arsenal

FULHAM V LIVERPOOL

Saturday, August 6: 12.30pm (BT Sport)

LAWRO: Liverpool won’t change, you know what you’re going to get. They’re going to press you and Darwin Nunez already looks a player. Against Manchester City in the Community Shield last week he burst out and you just thought, ‘Oh my God.’ I’ll go 2-0 to Liverpool. This is a good game for Fulham to get out of the way early.

PADDY: Fulham 1-3 Liverpool

  • RESULT: Fulham 2-2 Liverpool

BOURNEMOUTH V ASTON VILLA

Saturday, August 6: 3pm

LAWRO: It’s going to be a struggle for Bournemouth this season, full stop. They’ve not added enough after promotion. Villa have made a couple of handy-looking signings so I would expect they’d improve. I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw here.

PADDY: Bournemouth 0-2 Villa

  • RESULT: Bournemouth 2-0 Aston Villa

LEEDS v WOLVES

Saturday, August 6: 3pm

LAWRO: Leeds were all over the shop defensively last year, if they can change that I don’t think they’ll have a problem in terms of being relegated. Wolves have kept all their best players and for most of last season they were really difficult to score against but did fall off towards the end. I’ll go for 2-1 to Leeds in this one.

PADDY: Leeds 1-1 Wolves

  • RESULT: Leeds 2-1 Wolves

NEWCASTLE V NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Saturday, August 6: 3pm 

LAWRO: I’ll go 2-0 to Newcastle.  They did fabulously under Eddie Howe and I think they’ve been very, very clever with the players they’ve bought. I think if you’re a Forest fan you’ll have some fun this year, whether they will have enough to stay in the league I’m not so sure.

PADDY: Newcastle 2-1 Forest

  • RESULT: Newcastle 2-0 Forest

TOTTENHAM V SOUTHAMPTON

Saturday, August 6: 3pm

LAWRO: I think Tottenham have got a chance of finishing third. I really like the manager, and know the players are behind him too. Southampton have not gone out and made an impact in the transfer market and they’ve lost Armando Broja. I’ll go 2-1 to Tottenham.

PADDY: Tottenham 3-0 Southampton

  • RESULT: Tottenham 4-1 Southampton

EVERTON V CHELSEA

Saturday, August 6: 5.30pm (Sky Sports)

LAWRO: I think in the next couple of weeks we’re going to see some more players come in at Chelsea, but I’m not sure who is going to play up front for them. I’ll go 1-1. Goodison’s a tough place to go and right now I think Chelsea are just lacking in a few areas.

PADDY: Everton 1-2 Chelsea

  • RESULT: Everton 0-1 Chelsea

LEICESTER V BRENTFORD

Sunday, August 7: 2pm

LAWRO: Leicester used to be really proactive but now they’re turning into a reactive club. Brentford have obviously lost Christian Eriksen so that will affect them. I’ll go 1-0 to Leicester purely on home advantage rather than any great hunch.

PADDY: Leicester 1-1 Brentford

  • RESULT: Leicester 2-2 Brentford

MANCHESTER UNITED V BRIGHTON

Sunday, August 7: 2pm (Sky Sports)

LAWRO: United will have a full house for Erik ten Hag’s first game in the league and I fancy a 2-0 home win. It will be interesting to see how they play. I think he’s a student of Jurgen Klopp so it’ll be press, press, press. Brighton are a handy side but struggle for goals.

PADDY: Man Utd 3-1 Brighton

  • RESULT: Man Utd 1-2 Brighton

WEST HAM V MANCHESTER CITY

Sunday, August 7: 4.30pm (Sky Sports)

LAWRO: I think with Erling Haaland you’ve got to play it into him. As good as City are playing the ball around, he wants it early with the grass in front of him so it’s going to be interesting to see how that plays out. West Ham did so well the last couple of years and have made a few decent signings. I’m going to go for a bit of an upset here with a 1-1 draw.

PADDY: West Ham 1-4 Man City

  • RESULT: West Ham 0-2 Man City

CHALLENGE LAWRO – WEEK 1 PREDICTIONS

WEEK 1 RESULTS

Paddy got the better of Lawro, taking eight points from one correct score and five correct results.

Lawro bagged two correct scores, and one other correct result to be narrowly edged out 8-7.

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