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Merson's predictions: Chelsea to beat Man Utd, and Man City to return to winning ways

Generic Paul Merson image 10/08/2016

Paul Merson predicts this weekend's 10 Premier League fixtures, and is tipping Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea to grab three points.

City, who have been stuttering of late, host Southampton on Nissan Super Sunday before Jose Mourinho's return to Chelsea with Manchester United, while Arsenal host Middlesbrough at the Emirates on Saturday.

Here's how Merse got on last week...

Last week's results

Result Merse predicted
Chelsea 3-0 Leicester 3-1
Arsenal 3-2 Swansea 3-0
Bournemouth 6-1 Hull 3-1
Man City 1-1 Everton 3-2
Stoke 2-0 Sunderland 2-0
West Brom 1-1 Tottenham 0-3
Crystal Palace 0-1 West Ham 3-1
Middlesbrough 0-1 Watford 2-2
Soton 3-1 Burnley 2-0
Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd 3-1

Read on to find out what Merse is tipping...

Bournemouth v Tottenham, Saturday 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports 1

Bournemouth are playing very well, I watched them last week. Spurs had a tough game in midweek and it might catch up with them for the early Saturday kick-off. I know they got beaten 5-1 last year, but it will be different for Bournemouth. 

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West Brom 1-1 Tottenham

I've been impressed with Spurs, even when they don't play well they get a result. They're undefeated, and when they go 1-0 down late on against West Brom, they fight back for a result.

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But I can see a draw here, which would be a superb result for an ever-improving Bournemouth side under Eddie Howe. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-2 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

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Man City v Southampton, Sunday 1.30pm, live on Sky Sports 1

This is a difficult game for City. They had their confidence shot at the Nou Camp, but I think they'll just get a result here.

I agree that City are short of the players Pep Guardiola wants. They've got to change their style of play slightly, you can't keep rolling out from the back, because teams will just close you down. 

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Manchester City 1-1 Everton

Also, you put a bit of a pressure on the goalkeeper. I want a goalkeeper who is going to make a save, not spray it around the pitch all day. 

Southampton will be a threat, and will give them a really good game, but I'm going with City. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

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Chelsea v Man Utd, Sunday 4pm, live on Sky Sports 1

I'm going to go 1-0 Chelsea. I think they'll have just a little bit more than what Liverpool had in attempting to break United down.

People had a go at United on Monday. What do you expect? They got a point. This is not the Manchester United of the 1990s, this is the Manchester United of now. It's not that football has changed, it's that the team isn't good enough.

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Chelsea 3-0 Leicester

I don't think they're good enough to mix it at the moment. I think Jose Mourinho knows that, he set his team up, and they didn't lose. It was a great result.

He will 100 per cent do the same at Stamford Bridge. If they have a shot, and Chelsea have a shot, there's only one winner, and that's Chelsea by quite a few. Mourinho won't go there and want to open the game up in that way.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-0 (13/1 with Sky Bet)

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Arsenal v Middlesbrough, Saturday 3pm

Arsenal are irresistible at the moment. Swansea could count themselves a little unlucky last weekend, but the way the Gunners played in the Champions League showed that confidence is high at the Emirates.

Middlesbrough are struggling, they've got little pace in the team and up front, and I'm going 4-0 Arsenal. They're going to suffocate them, and I just don't see how Boro will get out of their half. 

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Arsenal 3-2 Swansea

I really hope Arsene Wenger doesn't start changing the team, because that's dangerous, they're on a right good run at the moment, and you'd like to think he'll keep the same team. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 4-0 (11/1 with Sky Bet)

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Leicester v Crystal Palace, Saturday 3pm

Which Leicester will turn up? The Premier League Leicester or the Champions League Leicester?

I'll go one each here. I think Leicester have put their eggs in the European basket and I don't think they'll cope too well with Christian Benteke.

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Crystal Palace 0-1 West Ham

Palace were getting on alright and then go and lose to West Ham, so I don't think on current, short-term form there's a lot between these teams.

I just think Leicester have been found out in the Premier League. Other teams are sitting back now and saying: "We're not chasing the game, you chase the game!" 

It's reversed around the other way; Jamie Vardy is one of the best in the business at running onto a ball over the top, but teams are sitting back and giving him three or four yards, and making him turn and attempt to beat two or three players. 

PAUL PREDICTS; 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

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West Ham v Sunderland, Saturday 3pm

Sunderland are struggling, and West Ham had a really good result at Palace and played superbly in the first half.

I can't see anything different here. It's the perfect game for them to get back-to-back wins for the first time this season, with Sunderland bottom of the league without winning a game. But West Ham have to get through the first 20 minutes positively.

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Stoke 2-0 Sunderland

Sunderland have had a lot of injuries to be fair, you've got to feel sorry for them, they haven't had a lot of luck so far. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-0 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Hull City v Stoke City, Saturday 3pm

I watched Hull last week, and there are ways to lose football matches... they were well beaten by Bournemouth.

In a game where you're looking at the opposition and thinking: "Don't lose to these teams, they're going to be around us at the end of the season" they were blown away. 

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Bournemouth 6-1 Hull

I think Stoke are a decent team, and Hull really have to buck their ideas up after last week. I think they'll have to score first.

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Swansea v Watford, Saturday 3pm

Watford had a really good result last week, and Swansea did alright against Arsenal. They really should have scored when Arsenal went down to 10 men, but they didn't.

That was a free swing, but they have to win this game. It's Bob Bradley's first game at home, he'll have them up for it, but I can see a draw.

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Middlesbrough 0-1 Watford

Bradley did brilliantly for the US national team. I like him, I like the way he talks, his philosophy, and he's a hard-worker. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)

Burnley v Everton, Saturday 3pm

Burnley need to get a result. They try hard every week, but just don't have that little bit extra, and I think it's taking its toll.

You have to win your home games, if you're going to get beaten every week away from home. It puts severe pressure on them at home. Fulham a few years ago couldn't win away for toffee but their home record was phenomenal, and it kept them up.

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Southampton 3-1 Burnley

Everton had a good result at Man City, but they were struggling before that. I think the turning point for their season was the Norwich game in the EFL Cup. The fans have been without a cup win since 1995, and they got beaten at home to Norwich, who didn't desperately need a cup run in their busy season.

But I think Everton will be too much for Burnley. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

Liverpool v West Brom, Saturday 5.30pm

I was a bit disappointed in Liverpool against United. People criticised United, who did sit back, but I thought Liverpool were going to come out of the blocks and play like they have been at home recently.

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Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd

They created two chances in the whole match, and I didn't think it was good enough. They didn't have many ideas, and struggled against a team who, granted, defended well. It was disappointing, and I expected them to win the game. 

West Brom are going to be hard to beat, they're doing well, but I think Liverpool will win this. Adam Lallana has to play, they should take a chance and play him.

They missed him against United, they didn't look like they were going to open much up without him in the team. The Baggies will sit back and they need to break them open. 

PAUL PREDICTS: 3-1 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

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