Silverware for Pep Guardiola, more records for Liverpool, misery for Mourinho: The football predictions

A busy weekend in the Premier League - and the first cup final

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  Norwich v Leicester, Friday, midnight: Jamie Vardy Vardy has scored 97 times in the Premier League, but is without a goal in nine matches in all competitions. That's a pretty rare run for the 33-year-old, who came to to football late and has made every minute of it count. Vardy's last goal came on December 21 in the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City and Leicester have only won three of nine league matches since. This could the perfect match to get back on track. Reuters PREDICTION: Norwich 1 Leicester 2

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  Brighton v Crystal Palace, Saturday, 4.30pm: It's called the M23 derby, two teams 47 miles apart by road but the bitterest of rivals. Palace's win against Newcastle last time out has given them some breathing space from the increasingly frantic fight at the bottom. Brighton grabbed a point at Sheffield United and probably need to at least avoid defeat. Reuters PREDICTION: Brighton 1 Crystal Palace 1

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  Bournemouth v Chelsea, Saturday, 7pm: Frank Lampard was leaping around the touchline during the victory over Tottenham like, well, Joe Mourinho used to. I'm sure his old boss enjoyed that. This season can still go either way for Chelsea, and the midweek Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich will have hurt a lot, but when Lampard has quality like Olivier Giroud desperate for a game, he has to be optimistic. AFP PREDICTION: Bournemouth 1 Chelsea 2

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  Newcastle v Burnley, Saturday, 7pm: Week by week, Newcastle edge closer to the danger zone. The defeat at Crystal Palace saw them manage only two shots on target. They are still seven points clear of the bottom three, but have managed just one win in their last nine Premier League games (D3 L5). That's serious. Reuters PREDICTION: Newcastle 1 Burnley 1

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  West Ham v Southampton, Saturday, 7pm: Very hard luck on David Moyes on Monday night. West Ham were leading Liverpool - and not many sides have enjoyed that luxury - playing well, and looking on course for a priceless result. Then the Red juggernaut upped a gear and the Hammers were left pointless, and remain in the relegation zone. Football at its toughest. Reuters PREDICTION: West Ham 1 Southampton 2

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  Watford v Liverpool, Saturday, 9.30pm: Remember Sunday, December 20, 2015: Watford 3, Liverpool 0? Just thought it deserved a mention. That was Watford's first season back in the Premier League, and Jurgen Klopp's debut season with the Reds. This could be Watford's last season keeping such company for a while. AP PREDICTION: Watford 0 Liverpool 4

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  Everton v Manchester United, Sunday, 6pm: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can barely disguise his delight at the impact of Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Hardly surprising, as the new arrival will likely save the Norwegian's job if he carries on playing like he did against Watford. This will be a tougher test. AFP PREDICTION: Everton 2 Manchester United 2

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  Tottenham v Wolves, Sunday, 6pm: Not much fun if you're a Tottenham fan, but loads of entertainment for the rest: Jose Mourinho trying to explain the woes of Spurs. Of course the injuries have had a massive impact, but still Jose is going to have to find some of his old magic tricks, and fast. Reuters PREDICTION: Tottenham 1 Wolves 2

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  Aston Villa v Manchester City, League Cup Final, Sunday, 8.30pm: Okay, not the Premier League, but the first piece of silverware up for grabs in the League Cup Final at Wembley. City made a huge breakthrough on Wednesday with the stunning win at Real Madrid. This should be their first trophy this season, and may not be their last. Reuters PREDICTION: Aston Villa 2 Manchester City 3

The first trophy of the season will be won on Sunday, and Aston Villa should enjoy a temporary break from their relegation struggle as they contest the League Cup Final.

Only problem for Villa is that they are up against Manchester City, the side that won at Real Madrid in midweek. City's last serious game at Wembley was the FA Cup final, when they beat Watford 6-0 and showed utter ruthlessness.

They have also won the League Cup in four of the last six seasons. It's basically their trophy. So maybe Villa will not get to enjoy the experience so much after all.

City and Villa go head to head at 8.30pm on Sunday. The Premier League action kicks off at midnight on Friday when Norwich host Leicester.

Saturday's 4.30pm game is the bitter rivalry of Brighton against Crystal Palace, and the 9.30pm kick off sees Liverpool break another load of records at Watford.

Everton v Manchester United and Tottenham v Wolves get Sunday rolling at 6pm before the final.

Ahead of this week's action, Dominic Hart attempts to predict the outcome of each match in the photo gallery above. To move on to the next image, click on the arrows or thumbnails, or if using a mobile device simply swipe.