Watford will be looking to secure a double over Stoke at home this weekend.
The Hornets host Stoke at Vicarage Road this weekend, and will be hoping to gain some momentum from their excellent FA Cup win over Arsenal. Watford have struggled for goals in the league recently, with Troy Deeneys’ brace against Crystal Palace the last time they registered a goal in the Premier League. After knocking the reigning FA Cup champions out and advancing to the semi-final stage, Watford must look to steer their league campaign back on track after a mediocre start to the year.
They currently sit 14th on 36 points. While they remain safely above the relegation zone, it does not mean they should not be striving for higher finish. Watford have only won two of their last 12 Premier League matches, winning three, drawing three and losing seven).
Stoke are higher up the table, but have several key injuries that will affect them in the match. They occupy ninth spot with 43 points, but a win could see them jump to sixth, depending on other results, whereas a win for Watford could put themselves as high as 10th, overtaking Chelsea if they were to lose to West Ham.
From the outset, the match appears a tough assignment for the Potters as a number of key stats favour the home side:
- Stoke have failed to score in the last six games against Watford.
- Only Manchester United have kept more clean sheets at home than Watford this season. United have nine, Watford have eight.
- Stoke have gone six away games from home without a clean sheet, conceeding 13 goals.
- There have been 25 goals scored at Vicarage Road this season, the fewest at any Premier League stadium this season.
Key Battle – Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney vs Depleted Stoke Defence
Stoke are depleted largely at the back, so look for Deeney and Ighalo to cause major problems for them. This should be the match that these two rekindle their earlier league form and get all cylinders firing.
CrownBet match odds at time of publishing
Team News
Watford will be without Tommie Hoban via injury and Joel Ekstrand is also out due to a fitness problem, as well as Jose Jurado Marin who has a calf/shin injury.
Stoke will be without seven of their first team squad. Shay Given, Glen Johnson, Marc Wilson, Ryan Shawcross, Xhedan Shaqiri, Charlies Afam and Erik Pieters are all out with injuries.
Head-to-head
Over the last six matches between the two sides, Watford have won four with two draws. The 2-0 win for Watford at the Britannia was the first time these two have met since 2008.
Previous Meeting
Their last match was at the Britannia in October and saw the Hornets come away with all three points. Stoke dominated the first half but had nothing to show for it, with Deeney breaking the deadlock right before half time. Defensive lapses in the late stages of the second half saw Watford put the game to bed, with Ighalo lining up Alman Abdi who smashed it in from the edge of the area.
Prediction
The win against Arsenal will be a huge morale boost and will inject confidence into the team. With so many injuries affecting the Potters, Watford should come away with this one fairly easily.
Watford 2 Stoke City 0
*CrownBet odds at time of publishing are subject to change
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