Alright, so here we go again, diving into the predictions for EPL week 2. It’s become a bit of a weekend ritual for me, almost like making a cuppa first thing. Not about being a know-it-all, more just for the fun of it and seeing how wrong or right I can be. Keeps things interesting, you know?
So, the first thing I did, as always, was to have a good think about what went down in week 1. Some teams really came out swinging, while others looked like they were still on their summer holidays. You can’t just ignore that. It definitely sets the mood for how I start piecing things together for the next round of games.
I don’t have any fancy spreadsheets or anything like that. Never been my style. I usually just grab a piece of paper, or sometimes just make mental notes. I re-watched a few highlights, mostly of the games that surprised me or where a team looked particularly sharp or, well, particularly rubbish. It’s amazing what you pick up on a second viewing when you’re not caught up in the live excitement.
My Initial Thoughts and Scribbles
I started jotting down some very rough ideas. For instance, there was this one team, let’s call them the “Flyers,” who absolutely smashed it in their first game. So, naturally, I’m thinking they’ve got the wind in their sails. Their opponents for week 2, the “Stumblers,” had a shocker. So, my first instinct there was pretty clear cut. Seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how often the “obvious” doesn’t happen in this league.
Then there’s always a couple of matches that are just a nightmare to call. You know, two teams that both had okay-ish starts, nothing spectacular, nothing disastrous. That’s where I usually spend a bit more time, maybe look at their head-to-head from last season, though I don’t put too much stock in that. New season, new players, sometimes new managers – it can all change.
I also had a quick look at the news, any major injuries reported? Any dressing room dramas filtering through? You know, the usual stuff that can unsettle a team. It’s not the main thing I look at, but it’s part of the mix. Sometimes a key player out can totally change the dynamic.
Getting Down to the Nitty-Gritty
So, after mulling things over, I started to firm up my ideas. It’s a bit like putting a puzzle together, except some pieces are missing and others don’t quite fit.
- For that Flyers vs Stumblers game: Yeah, I stuck with my gut. Had to go for a Flyers win. Confidence just seemed sky-high for them.
- The tricky mid-table clash: This one I kept flip-flopping on. Eventually, I just thought, “You know what, they’ll probably cancel each other out.” So, I put down a draw. Sometimes that’s the safest bet when you’re really unsure.
- The “Upset Special”: I always try to find one game where I think an upset might be on the cards. There was this one team, a bit of an underdog, playing away. Something just told me they might nick it. No real logic, just a hunch. You gotta have one of those, right?
- Big team playing a so-called “weaker” side: These are usually banker home wins, but I always pause. Complacency can creep in. I looked at how the big team performed in week 1. If they were a bit sluggish, I might predict a narrower win than most people expect.
I spent a good hour or so just going through each fixture like this. Sometimes I’d write down a score, then scribble it out, then write something else. It’s not an exact science, is it? Far from it. It’s more about the feel of things, the momentum, and sometimes just pure guesswork!
One thing I always do is step away from it for a bit. Go make another coffee, do something else, then come back to my notes with fresh eyes. Sometimes I’ll look at what I’ve written and think, “What on earth was I thinking there?” and make a few tweaks.
So, that’s pretty much my process. No crystal balls, no complex algorithms. Just an old-fashioned approach of watching the games, having a think, and trusting my gut a little bit. It’s all a bit of fun, and that’s the main thing. Now, we just wait and see how the actual results unfold. Fingers crossed for a few correct ones!
