Watford Looking To Make 7th Spot Their Own Whilst Southampton Are Still Looking For 40 Points: Team News. Manager Comments. Stats, and Prediction.
By: Marc Gingell
Watford have the opportunity to move ahead of the pack chasing 7th spot (Everton, Leicester, and Wolverhampton) and against Southampton, whose defence were all over the place against Newcastle, that shouldn’t be a problem.
| 23-04 | Vicarage Road | Watford (8) | v | Southampton (16) |
| KO:19.45 | REF: M Dean | |||
Another Spanish Lesson
Newcastle’s Spanish frontman Ayoze Pérez proved far too clever for Southampton’s defence and finished with a hat-trick on Saturday. Watford have a Spainish player, similar in stature to Pérez, who is more is than capable of doing another Spanish job on them. Gerard Deulofeu who has Barcelona and A.C. Milan on his resume.
He mesmerised Huddersfield’s defence and is more than capable of doing the same to Southampton’s back line.
Watford Team News
- Unknown Return Date: Domingos Quina Shoulder injury.
- Suspended Until 04 May: Troy Deeney.
- 25% Chance of Playing: Tom Cleverley Calf injury.
- 75% chance of Playing: José Holebas Hamstring injury. Sebastian Prödl Knee injury.
Javi Gracia Comments
“I think before playing the game, my players know perfectly that we need the points more than them. It is the best mentality to get the points available. If we don’t play with that feeling it is difficult to get results.
They really need the points as well. We try to compete as well as possible because I’m sure we will have to if we want the points.All of the teams are honest and always they play very well and it is always difficult to get points in the different circumstances.”
Southampton Team News
- Unknown Return Date: Michael Obafemi Hamstring injury
- 75% Chance of Playing: Alex McCarthy Muscle injury. Jannik Vestergaard Muscle injury.
Ralph Hasenhuttl Comments
“The message must be that a little bit of playing football is not enough for us, so we have to be aggressive again. We have to work harder than we did on Saturday in the first half because otherwise against Watford, a very strong team, it is again a big problem to take something. I think we have the quality to win there or to take a point, but we need a really, really clinical and perfect performance.”
Hasenhuttl On Watford
“Outrageous. If they have the chance of the Europa League, it’s amazing because they are the best of the rest at the moment. To go there is nearly as difficult as to play against one of the top six, so we need a very, very good performance.”
Opta Stats
- Since beating Southampton in six consecutive meetings between November 2004 and October 2008, Watford have only managed one victory in their last 11 matches against Saints in all competitions (D5 L5), a 2-0 win in September 2017.
- Having lost their first top-flight visit to Watford in January 1983, Southampton have since lost just one of nine such trips (W2 D6), a 3-2 defeat in December 1999 in what was the first ever Premier League match between the two sides.
- Five of Watford’s six home league defeats this season have been against sides currently in the top six, with a 0-4 loss against Bournemouth in October the exception. Watford are 2.28 to win.
Watford have conceded in each of their last eight Premier League games, the longest current run in the competition. - Southampton have lost three of their last four Premier League away games (W1), having remained unbeaten in their previous four on the road in the competition (W2 D2).
- Four of Southampton’s last five Premier League away goals have come from outside the box – just four of their previous 44 goals on the road in the competition had come from outside the box.
- Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucouré has scored in three of his four Premier League appearances against Southampton, including both games played at Vicarage Road.
- Charlie Austin has scored four goals in his last three league starts against Watford, although he is yet to start against them for Southampton.
- Gerard Deulofeu has been directly involved in 10 goals in his last nine appearances for Watford in all competitions (8 goals, 2 assists).
Prediction
Southampton had a ragged first half against Newcastle and if they start like that against Watford they could get hammered.
Watford 2 Southampton 2
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