Paul Merson's predictions: Manchester United to win, Arsenal to prevail in north London derby

Paul Merson runs the rule over the weekend fixtures
Paul Merson runs the rule over the weekend fixtures

Sky Sports __football pundit Paul Merson is back with another round of Premier League predictions.

The 'Magic Man' got one perfect score last weekend, Everton's 2-0 win over West Ham, and four correct results.

Here is how Merse got on last time out...

Last weekend's results

Result Merse predicted
Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal 0-3
West Brom 0-4 Man City 1-2
Man Utd 0-0 Burnley 3-0
Watford 1-0 Hull 2-0
Tottenham 1-1 Leicester 2-0
M'boro 2-0 Bournemouth 1-2
Crystal Palace 2-4 Liverpool 1-1
Everton 2-0 West Ham 2-0
Southampton 0-2 Chelsea 1-1
Stoke 3-1 Swansea 2-1

Liverpool v Watford (Nissan Super Sunday, 2.15pm - live on Sky Sports 1 HD)

Liverpool have been very good going forward but you need more than that to win a Premier League title, you can't be giving away the kind of goals they did against Crystal Palace. If you look at the first goal, you wouldn't be happy if that happened down the park on a Sunday morning!

It doesn't matter how well they're playing or how much they're dominating, I just can't see them keeping clean sheets, and that's the worry for me. But I don't see anything but a Liverpool win.

Watford had a good result against Hull but they haven't been firing lately. The confidence of their strikers looks a bit low, Isaac Success has been injured and Troy Deeney sort of carries the team and sets the example.

Paul predicts: 3-1 (9/1 with Sky Bet)

Liverpool have impressed in attack
Liverpool have impressed in attack

Leicester v West Brom (Nissan Super Sunday, 4.30pm - live on Sky Sports 1 HD)

West Brom didn't deserve to lose by four against Manchester City, if they can create that many chances and play like they did in patches in that game they will cause Leicester problems. They're good at set-pieces and Leicester have struggled from them this season.

Leicester have looked more like themselves in recent weeks with a couple of good results. I thought they would do a bit better in the league this season because they're still a good team, but I think people have sussed them out a bit. I think they'll still edge this one, though.

Paul predicts: 2-1 (15/2 with Sky Bet)

Leicester have improved over recent weeks
Leicester have improved over recent weeks

Bournemouth v Sunderland (Saturday, 3pm)

Bournemouth had a bad result last week but they've been impressive this season and I expect them to get back to winning ways. 

Sunderland are struggling badly and at the moment it doesn't look like they have a chance of staying up. I know it's still early in the season, but when you haven't won in your first 10 games all of a sudden you've got to go and win three on the trot to even have a chance of getting out of the bottom three. It's a big ask.

Draws are no good at the moment, they need to start winning __football matches and you don't want to be opening the game up against Bournemouth.

Paul predicts: 2-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)

Highlights of Middlesbrough
Highlights of Middlesbrough's 2-0 win over Bournemouth

Burnley v Crystal Palace (Saturday, 3pm)

Burnley have had a great couple of results against Everton and Manchester United and I think they'll win again here. They get dominated a lot but Crystal Palace are on one of those runs now, they generally win six in a row or lose six in a row and they've now lost their last three. 

It will be hard for Burnley to stay up, they're hard to beat but will have to do what they did against United every week until May. They've got to win their home games, so for me it's a must-win game this weekend.

Paul predicts: 2-1 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

Tom Heaton was in inspired form for Burnley at Old Trafford
Tom Heaton was in inspired form for Burnley at Old Trafford

Manchester City v Middlesbrough (Saturday, 3pm)

Middlesbrough have had a couple of great results against Arsenal and Bournemouth, but I just think Manchester City set the bar. If they're up for it and their heads are right then Middlesbrough shouldn't get anywhere near them at the Etihad.

It might be hard to raise yourself from playing Barcelona to Middlesbrough, but if you want to win the Premier League then that's what you've got to do. We saw it with Arsenal the other week who turned up thinking they were going to wipe the floor with them but in the end were a little lucky to get a goalless draw. But I'm still backing City for a comfortable win.

Paul predicts: 3-0 (11/2 with Sky Bet)

Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan were both on target against West Brom
Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan were both on target against West Brom

West Ham v Stoke (Saturday, 3pm)

Stoke have turned the corner big time and West Ham are looking up as well, despite their poor result at Everton last week. Stoke played well against Swansea and Wilfried Bony getting off the mark for them was important.

Neither clubs had a great start to the season but they're getting better and better, I don't see a lot between these two teams so I'm going to go for a draw.

Paul predicts: 1-1 (11/2 with Sky Bet)

Highlights of Chelsea
Highlights of Chelsea's 2-0 win at Southampton

Chelsea v Everton (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Since getting ripped apart at the Emirates Chelsea have been very good, probably the in-form team in the Premier League. Everton turned their slump around against West Ham but Chelsea will be too good here.

They might just be a bit light to win the title, if Eden Hazard or Diego Costa got injured and were out for a while they'd struggle, but they look like top-four material now. Not a lot of teams could go and do what they did against Southampton, who are a decent football team but they didn't give them a look in.

Paul predicts: 2-0 (13/2 with Sky Bet)

Diego Costa and Eden Hazard celebrate Chelsea
Diego Costa and Eden Hazard celebrate Chelsea's first goal at Southampton

Arsenal v Tottenham (Sunday, 12pm)

If Tottenham play like they did in the Champions League in midweek then you can't see anything but an Arsenal win. It was probably their worst-ever performance under Mauricio Pochettino. If Arsenal watched that they'll be thinking they've just got to turn up and get the three points, but of course it doesn't work like that.

That being said, though, I'm still going to go for the Gunners to win this game. If they're at it straight away then I don't see Tottenham being able to live with them. Form does go out the window for a game like this but six games without a win is a lot for Spurs and their confidence doesn't look great. 

Paul predicts: 3-1 (12/1 with Sky Bet)

Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal
Sunderland 1-4 Arsenal

Hull v Southampton (Sunday, 2.15pm)

Southampton were made to look very ordinary at Chelsea, but Hull are struggling badly. They can't score a goal or win a game and I can't see anything but a Southampton win here.

It's a good thing Hull got off to such a good start or they'd be dead and buried by now, they'd be below Sunderland. Southampton are a good team and seventh of eighth will be a very good season for them.

Charlie Austin struggled last week but some games you have to write off and I think he'll be back on the scoresheet.

Paul predicts: 0-2 (11/1 with Sky Bet)

Charlie Austin scores Southampton
Charlie Austin scores Southampton's first goal in the 3-1 win over Burnley

Swansea v Manchester United (Sunday, 3pm)

I was disappointed in Swansea on Monday night, they were pretty light and average. Manchester United, meanwhile, can't score a goal. They had so many shots against Burnley last week but couldn't find the back of the net and that's worrying. 

I think this is a hard game for United and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't win this, but I'm going to back them here. I'd bring Wayne Rooney back in. They haven't done anything without him in the team and they need big players. 

I'm sure if he'd been playing up front for as many games as Zlatan Ibrahimovic without a goal he would have been dropped by now. If he makes something happen and wins the game that will give him confidence and it may get the team on a little run.

Paul predicts: 1-2 (7/1 with Sky Bet)

Paul Merson believes Manchester United should recall Wayne Rooney
Paul Merson believes Manchester United should recall Wayne Rooney

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