Watford

Watford V Tottenham Hotspur

Date & Kick-Off: Friday, 27 January 2012 – 19:45 GMT

Venue: Vicarage Road

FA Cup, Fourth Round

Preview

Seemingly now out of the running for the Barclay’s Premier League, Tottenham could soon find themselves with no silverware prospects at all should they fail to negotiate Watford at Vicarage Road in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Not since 1961 have Spurs been crowned champions of England. Their 51-year drought is unlikely to cease any time soon either, not after succumbing to current Premier League pacesetters Manchester City last time out to fall eight points off the pace. The club has vowed to bounce back from that setback and refuses to throw in the towel with regards to the title race, but the manner of the defeat could mean a pre-occupied Harry Redknapp has his work cut out lifting the mood of a dressing room that could be forgiven for feeling a little sorry for themselves.

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has spent much of the week leading up to Friday’s tie in court facing up to charges of tax evasion, so the 64-year-old is unlikely to be in the best frame of mind to galvanise a group of players whose morale has to be questioned following last weekend’s agonising defeat – only their fourth league defeat of the season, and one they certainly did not deserve on the merit of play.

The team will need lifting as well, as Sunday’s game was an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved. To have Jermaine Defoe spurn a gilt-edged opportunity in stoppage time, with the City goal at his mercy, to conceding with virtually the last kick of the game, via a penalty that was converted by a player who should not of been on the pitch at that time, will naturally hurt. It may even leaving a lasting scar, as Tottenham are renowned for capitulating mid-season.

Statistics suggest Watford have it all to do…

Even with their confidence and morale suffering a blow recently, you’d like to think Spurs will have too much class and quality for their opponents. Whereas Tottenham are flying high in the Barclay’s Premier League, where they sit third with 14 wins from 22 games so far, Watford find themselves hovering precariously above the Championship relegation zone following a run of three consecutive defeats. They are also one of the division’s lowest scorers, barely averaging a goal a game.

So a massive ask for the former Premier League outfit turned Championship strugglers, although the Hornets may well fancy their chances at home, at a packed Vicarage Road, against what may well be an understrength Spurs outfit. The Tottenham manager has not shied away from declaring the Premier League his number one priority this season, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see him rotate his squad and hand some of his first-team regulars the weekend off – a similar approach he took in both the Carling Cup and Europa League, with very little success I hasten to add.

It is also worth mentioning that Watford have only lost once at home in their last ten, although that was a 2-1 reverse to Reading in their last Championship fixture at Vicarage Road. It’s also a run strung together against mediocre opposition. But 5 of their 7 Championships wins were earned at home, as were 19 of the 28 goals they’ve scored, so there could be some potential for an upset should Harry Redknapp decide to have a tinker with his team.

Match Pointers

- On their last visit to Vicarage Road, in December 2008 for a League Cup encounter, Tottenham ran out 2-1 winners thanks to strikes from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Darren Bent.

- Watford haven’t beaten Tottenham in their last six competitive meetings, with their most recent success over the Londoners being a 3-2 triumph at White Hart Lane back in 1994.

- The Hornets sit 18TH in the Championship and are on a three-match losing streak, scoring just once in their last 270 minutes of football.

- At home, Watford have suffered defeat just once in their last nine (W5 D3 L1) – though that did occur in their most recent fixture at Vicarage Road, in a 2-1 reverse to Reading on January 14.

- Only Manchester United (8) have claimed more victories away from home in the Premier League this season than Tottenham (winning 6 of 11).

- Spurs have only been beaten once in their last ten matches in all competitions (W6 D3 L1), which was their agonising 3-2 defeat to Man City last Sunday.

Betting

Prediction: Tottenham to WIN @ 1/2 Bet365

Tottenham host Wigan Athletic in their next Premier League fixture before run-ins with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United. With this in mind, and with Spurs not quite out of the title race just yet, it wouldn’t be a big surprise were we to see Harry Redknapp tinker with his team-sheet and hand some of his first-team regulars the weekend off. He may not, but this is a manager who made wholesale changes throughout his side’s Europa League campaign. He did something very similar in the Carling Cup as well, a competition they bowed out of at the earliest departure point after a largely second-string outfit failed to overcome Stoke at the Brittania Stadium.

Rotation could actually be a shrewd move, as one suspects morale amongst the first-team isn’t great following last week’s agonising league defeat to Man City. I expect it will be a mixture though, of first-team regulars and those on the periphery, and that really ought to be good enough to see off average opposition in the form of a Watford team who host this tie on the back of three straight league defeats, having mustered just one goal in this dismal run.

Value Bet: Roman Pavlyuchenko First Goalscorer @ 5/1 Bet365

Having quashed rumours of a move away from White Hart Lane by signing a contract extension, Roman Pavlyuchenko could be rewarded with a start against Watford. The Russian has barely featured under Harry Redknapp this season, with his appearances mainly limited to the Europa League, but he does have 4 in 12 for the campaign and is actually a mean finisher, despite what his lack of starts may suggest. Defoe could be rested while Harry may not risk Adebayor either.

Match Odds

Watford – 7/1 StanJames

Draw – 10/3 Ladbrokes

Tottenham – 1/2 Bet365

Queens Park Rangers

Manager: Neil Warnock
Key Player: Adel Tarrabt

There were times last season where QPR threatened to become a huge player in the Championship. Come they end they flattered to deceive and drop way off the pace when finishing down in 12th place. Considering a substantial amount has been ploughed into the club without any sort of return, the pressure is really on manager Neil Warnock to deliver this season by guiding Rangers to promotion. Every manager which has tried and failed so far has seen the sack, so will Warnock follow suit or will he be the joker in the pack?

We feel it’s fair to say that Warnock has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal and that failure with this bunch won’t be tolerated by this spoilt rotten and expectant QPR board. The former Crystal Palace manager has been handed more transfer funds than most and has actually, at least in our opinion, spent some of it wisely. The Goalkeeper has proved a difficult area to fill in recent seasons but the acquisition of a refreshed, sharper and fitter Paddy Kenny from Sheffield United could prove one of the purchases of the season if Kenny is half as good as what he was during his peak at United. Clint Hill has also reunited with his former manager and will bolster a defence which so often proved their achilles at times last season. In terms of fire-power, Bradley Orr, Leon Clarke and Jamie Mackie have all been dragged into Loftus Road to compliment the already talented attacking options at the club; your Adel Taarabt, Akos Buzsaky, Alejandro Faulin.

We feel Neil Warnock could still do with adding a few more to his squad, mainly for cover really, but his starting eleven will be very competitive and should really be challenging for automatic promotion, with the play-off’s at the very least the minimum they should walk away with at the end of the season. On paper anyway, QPR are a team with plenty of goals in them, so providing they get it all together at the back, something they never really did during the previous campaign, then QPR could finally deliver what they promised several years ago… Premiership football. They will, however, need to some some consistency, something they definitely had little of last season.

To Be Promoted: 4/1 BetFred
To Be Relegated: 28/1 totesport

Reading

Manager: Brian McDermott
Key Player: Jobi McAnuff

Reading made a drastic start to the previous campaign and by Christmas time were genuine candidates for relegation. Were it not for Brian McDermott’s intervention, who didn’t just steady the ship but enabled Reading to excel with a near-miss play-off pursuit and an FA Cup adventure which seen them claim the scalp of Liverpool and Burnley before eventually succumbing to Aston Villa in the quarter’s. It was, though, their late charge for the play-off’s which will have been eye-catching for the punters, as that late surge up the table, when winning 12 of their remaining 20 fixtures after Christmas, gave many of us the impression that Reading are still a gifted bunch and that a possible push for promotion in 2010/2011 might be on the cards.

Brian McDermott’s appointment just before Christmas really did prove to be an inspirational move by the board of directors, as the 49 year-old worked his motivational magic in dragging the team out of the slump they were in, which at the time was relegation, and into some eye-catching form which would later ensure the club would at least salvage their season with safety. However, the problem now being that because Reading finished the last season so strongly, big things are to be expected of McDermott’s players. Looking through his squad, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be a tidy little force in this division. Jobi McAnuff is an exciting little player and could be the player to lite the touchpaper at the Madjeski. He was so often the player which turned dull and drab games into lively affairs. Sigurosson’s 16 goals proved more than useful as Reading fended off relegation, but there are a number of individuals who must play to their full capacity if The Royals really are to be taken serious this season. Simon Church being one of them. He bagged himself 10 Championship goals last season but will need to better that in 2010/2011, as will Irish duo Shane Long and Noel Hunt. Adam Federici is a fine keeper so we have no reservations whatsoever with him, but it’s all about some of these Reading players fulfilling their potential for the club to really excel and push on from a patchy and sometimes unconvincing 2009/2010 campaign.

Reading could enter into the reckoning for promotion this season but are a side which should be backed with extreme caution. They struggled to get out of the starting blocks last season, with their form at home in particular going array. It wasn’t until November Reading actually registered a win at the Madjeski and a similarly lacklustre start would almost certainly see them fall right out of the reckoning, Form and momentum is crucial it would seem, as shown in their final few months of last season when picking up nine wins from their last 11 home games. We feel Reading are best left as viewing material in the early stages – Backed if they hit it off early on and opposed if they make another sluggish start similar to a year ago. There’s enough potential mind for a big season.

To Be Promoted: 4/1 totesport
To Be Relegated: 25/1 VictorChandler

Scunthorpe United

Manager: Nigel Adkins
Key Player: Joe Murphy

The objective every season is to avoid the drop, but this season could prove too much for The Irons, who did remarkably well to remain in the league with an average squad last term. The gap then was just five points, but with both of their first choice forwards leaving the club over the summer, Nigel Adkins faces an uphill task guiding the club to safety for the second season running.

You have to feel for Nigel Adkins. He did a tremendous job last season in keeping the club up and yet has almost seen his valiant efforts go in vein, as Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes both moved to bigger and better things with Celtic and Preston respectively. The Irons were so reliant on the pairs goals last season, with Hooper and Hayes accounting for 28 of their 62, that without them you struggle to see where their goals will come, and now where and when the points will arrive. Even with two handy forwards, Scunthorpe barely had enough in the tank to fend off relegation, so without them they appear doomed. The bookmakers are of the same opinion and have Scunthorpe as favourites to drop back down to League One. We wouldn’t disagree with their quotes of around 11/10 for this to happen as we simply hold no hope whatsoever for Adkins’ men. Chris Dagnell was drafted in as a replacement for the departing forward duo but surely this is too big a step up for the former Rochdale striker. As well as Dagenll, Adkins transferred in Jim McNulty, Robert Grant, Eddie Nolan and Michael Collins of which neither particularly scream Championship quality, more like second tier uncertainty.

It was always going to be a big ask for Nigel Adkins even with Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes, but without them they really do have their backs well and truly against the wall. Chris Dagnell, Jonathan Forte and Bobby Grant, Adkins’ likely choice of strikers, simply aren’t going to score enough goals to keep ‘Scunnie’ in the league. While at the other end, Joe Murphy will need to perform wonders in between the sticks as his goal is likely to be bombarded through the course of the season. The one thing you do get with Nigel Adkins’ teams is a steely attitude, that never say die approach, but with his numbers taken a serious hit over the summer, we fear the absolute worst for him and Scunthorpe this season. Relegation beckons unfortunately.

To Be Promoted: 40/1 PaddyPower
To Be Relegated: 6/5 PaddyPower

Sheffield United

Manager: Kevin Blackwell
Key Player: Darisu Henderson

The Blades will no longer have to content with playing their arch rivals Wednesday this season, which can be seen either way really, but they’re a big club, bigger than most I would say, and fans will expect nothing less than a strong promotion push this season and are praying Kevin Blackwell’s men fair better than their 8th place showing last season.

Blackwell has seen many noteworthy names leave during the summer and not an awful lot coming in the other way. Of those which have left; Gary Speed (retired), Jordan Stewart, Paddy Kenny, Glen Little, Kyle Reid, Billy Sharp and Gary Naysmith, while the likes of James Harper and Henri Camara were released. Steve Simonsen will replace Paddy Kenny as United’s No.1 shot-stopper, while Leon Britton and Danile Bogdanovic were signed on free transfers with the aim being to improve United’s goal return. Blackwell has retained his key elements though, with the Sheffield United defence in particular looking strong and study. Any forward will come over a little hesitant when they face up to Nyron Nosworthy, Chris Morgan and and Nick Montgomery. There’s a lot riding on Ched Evans and Darius Henderson’s broad shoulders, as the pair really do need to find the back of the net more often. Henderson scored a respectable 12 last season but Evans only managed four, and the latter will be under immense pressure now following Daniel Bogdanovic’s switch to Bramall Lane.

We’re very impressed with the defence and optimistic that the forward three of Henderson, Evans and Bogdanovic will play an instrumental role for the club this season, hopefully in guiding the Blade to at least a play-off finish. However, our concerns lye with their midfield, especially now that winger David Cotterill has returned to Swansea following an impressive loan spell with United last season. I like the signing of Leon Britton, but I’m unsure of another fellow newbie in Johannes Ertl while I’ve never been impressed with Mark Yeates. Players like Stephen Quinn, Lee Williamson and Leon Britton will really need to make things happen this season by continuously supplying the forwards with opportunities. They have a decent mixture of power and raw energy up front that they simply must make full use of if they’re to challenge this season.

To Be Promoted: 6/1 SkyBet
To Be Relegated: 16/1 Coral

Swansea City

Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Key Player: Darren Pratley

The Swans played some lovely football during last season when narrowly missing out on a play-off berth by a single point, but with the man that everything possible now deserting them, with Paulo Sousa leaving Wales for Leicester, are we right to predict that Swansea will begin to radpily fall down the pecking order and out of promotion contention following an exciting season which promised so much but in the end delivered nothing. In fact, you could argue that Swansea’s seventh place finish was the worst possible outcome for the club, as with Sousa working wonders in lifting Swansea that far up the table he was always going to alert the ‘bigger’ clubs.

So how will Swansea fair without their Portuguese architecth? We certainly can’t wait to find out as we were one of the many of admirers of the Swans last season. Their football at times was breathtaking considering this is the Championship, a league were at times the tackles are brutal and the football can be dull and boring. You might even say that Swansea set the standard last season, and had they had a quality forward in their midst would have definitely made the play-off’s and possibly been promoted. Enough of the ‘If, Buts or Maybes’ as the reality is Swansea have been deprived of a quality manager and been dumped with Brendon Rodgers, who could barely win a game at Reading. Talk about drawing the short straw. The good news is Rodges does at least have a half-decent squad to pick from, with a large bulk of the team which worked so hard during last seasons exciting campaign still at the club. Those which have left include Steven Dobbie, Leon Britton, Federico Bessone, Marcos Painter, Besian Idrizaj and Guillem Bauza. Some of the new recruits include Scott Donnelly from Acldershot, Neil Taylor from Wrexham, David Edgar, Criag Beattie from West Brom, Lee Trundle from Bristol City from Burnley and Shefki Kuqi, who spent last season on loan at the Liberty Stadium. David Cotterill has also returned to the club following his return from a loan move at Sheffield United.

To be fair, Swansea don’t have a bad squad and could actually cause a few problems if they keep to their pretty football regime. However, if Brenda Rodgers tries to convert them then we fear the worst. Their midfield is where the Swans are at their strongest, with Darren Pratley anchoring the midfield as David Cotterill, Nathan Dyer and Jordi Lopez create the chances for Kuqi, who so often fluffed his lines last season, and another new signing, Cedric Van Der Gun, whose played in the Dutch top division but doesn’t exactly have the most prolific of scoring records. I do like their midfield and I especially love how they play their football. My worry is how they’ll take to their new manager following on from a hugely successful spell under Paulo Sousa. It’s going to be a huge change for some of these players, especially for the likes of Rangel, Orlandi and Lopez who were all introduced to the Championship by Sousa. I’ll be shocked if this lot go down, but at the same time I’ll be surprised if they get close to their eight position finish of last season.

To Be Promoted: 8/1 SkyBet
To Be Relegated: 9/1 totesport

Watford

Manager: Malky Mackay
Key Player: Danny Graham

The Hornets somehow evaded the drop last season when finishing seven points above the drop. While the final gap may have seemed comfortable, the season up till then certainly wasn’t. Watford needed a couple of big wins in the final stage of the season to ensure they survived another season in the Championship and will probably require more heroics this term if they’re to escape relegation yet again.

Watford finished the 2009/2010 campaign in style when recording back-to-back wins over Reading and Coventry City, but for large parts it was nervy and fans would appreciate a much smoother ride this season, if that’s at all possible. With money tight at the club and several leaving over the summer, fans are likely to face another topsy-turvy season at Vicarage Road. Watford’s ability to avoid the drop in recent seasons has been down to the club acquiring some decent youngsters on loan from the Premiership clubs, more notably from Manchester United in recent campaigns with the likes of Tom Cleverely and Ben Foster, while it was Adam Johnson, now of Man City, a few years ago which propelled them away from relegation. This season, though, Malky Mackay has struggled to lure some of England’s rising stars to the club, even on a temporary loan. Tom Aldred and Rene Gilmartin are Mackay’s two only signings of the summer so far. A big blow looks to be losing Jay Demeritt in the centre of midfield. Mackay is now down to the bare bones with this current Watford squad, with nothing special waiting in the wings at Vicarage Road.

This is a poor Watford team and they will struggle to stay up once again this season. Their defence looks a shambles in fairness, with only a decent Scott Loach in between the sticks allowing some room for optimism back there, while it’s anyone’s guess who and where the goals will come from. Danny Graham will be the main man up front but unless he betters his 14 from last season by some considerable distance, we don’t see how Watford will defy the odds this time around. That is unless the club discover and lure another Premiership talent to the club before the close of the window, although they’ll be too late to make Watford’s opening game on Friday 6th August, what is the Championship curtain raiser.

To Be Promoted: 33/1 SkyBet
To Be Relegated: 9/4 PaddyPower

Norwich City V Watford

Friday, 6th August – 7:45 PM Kick-Off
LIVE on Sky Sports

It’s the curtain raiser to the 2010/2011 season, as Norwich play host to Watford at Carrow Road. Despite Watford spending the previous two seasons in the Championship and Norwich having gained promotion only last season when lifting the Coca-Cola League One trophy in May, it’s the Canaries which head into Friday’s encounter as the bookies favourites.

Norwich were simply too good for League One last season, and their 29 wins from 46 games demonstrated just how domineering they were. The likes of Wes Hoolahan, Chris Martin and Grant Holt were too strong for their fellow League One opponents, with the latter two returning with figures of 15 and 24 respectively. However, it’s the latter, Grant Holt, which could miss the clubs opening game of the season following a magistrates hearing over a motoring offence. Holt faces a 200-mile trek back to Norwich and may not arrive back in time for the 7:45PM kick-off. Should he miss the deadline then summer signing Simeon Jackson, who left relegated Gillingham for the Championship, could be handed his début against the side many believe could face the axe come May next year.

The Hornets face an uphill task avoiding the drop this season, with manager Malky Mackay facing up to life with an average squad and the possibility of managing a team which could very well drop down into League One for the first time in over ten years. That’s certainly something he won’t want on his managerial CV, so he’ll be giving it his all this season in a bid to propel the club up the table and far away from the bottom four. Mackay’s best efforts may not be enough to save Watford however, especially as they haven’t evenm bothered to explore the possibility of recruiting a Premiership star on loan like they’ve done in previous season, something which has proved hugely successful.

Despite Norwich being the ones who prevailed in League One last season, it is the Canaries which boast the superior squad and team. Even without Grant Holt, Norwich should prove too much for Watford, but for the Hornets it’s a game they will genuinely believe they can win, perhaps have to win considering winnable games are likely to be at a premium this season. I suppose Watford’s hunger and determination, as well as retaining some of the battling qualities which helped them fend off relegation last season with some important last-ditch victories, should even up the field a little.

However, it was indeed Watford’s away form last season which got them into relegation uncertainty in the first place, running out victors on just four occasions away from home last term when picking up a rather lousy 18 points from a possible 69. On the other hand, Norwich were immense at home last season and suffered just three league defeats during 2009/2010. Granted the opposition wasn’t up the standard they’ll be facing on a regular basis this season, but it’s vitally important you get your home form in tip=top shape right from the off and they’ll be in confident mood knowing that their record at Carrow Road last term was superb – 17-3-3.

Match Odds:

Norwich – 1.85 bWin
Draw – 3.60 VCbet
Watford – 5.00 VCbet

Our Prediction: Norwich City to WIN – 1.85 bWin

We’re a tad tentative with this selection purely as Norwich maybe without the prolific Grant Holt, and the fact Watford will be up for this fixture seeing as it could be one of those rare away occasions where three points aren’t exactly impossible to obtain. Nevertheless, with the quality Norwich have in their midst, in midfield especially where the opportunities are manufactured, and with Watford’s away record last season more than weak, the Canaries look a decent enough bet at odds of just over evens. Let’s hope Holt makes it back in time and isn’t a little jaded from his hefty road trip.

Chelsea V Watford

Sunday 3^rd January – 15:00 GMT

Chelsea maybe struggling for some consistent displays of late but they really shouldn’t come across too many problems when they aim to dispatch Championship outfit, Watford, at Stamford Bridge this Sunday. Carlo Ancelotti couldn’t of wished for many easier ties than a draw with a fairly poor Watford side. The Hornets have been strapped for cash for some time now and their league position of 13^th is a fair reflection on how restricted the talent is at the club. Chelsea, however, are firm favourites to do the business in a competition where they are the actual favourites outright.

Chelsea

FA Cup Odds: 4/1 SkyBet

Chelsea put in yet another sluggish and below par display in their last outing. A 2-1 victory over a Fulham side that led for the best part of an hour. The Blues’ were sloppy on the ball, lethargic going forward and ridiculous at the back. The Chelsea in recent weeks doesn’t look a shade of the team that was steam rolling sides in the early part of the season and it appears even the great man himself hasn’t quite put his finger on what’s going wrong at the club.

Carlo Ancelotti must surely know that his defence is at sixes and sevens at present and quickly needs reinforcing. The January transfer market is about to open and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see a fresh defender walk through the Stamford Bridge gates as their current crop simply haven’t made the cut of late, even their captain, John Terry, has been abysmal. In actual fact, Terry is where the root of the problem, with his usual high standard leadership ability going missing in recent weeks. Why that is we just don’t know but someone really does need to take that Chelsea defence by the scruff of the neck, although they should breeze through this encounter.  

Their defence is drawing a lot of attention but a clean, tidy performance at home to Watford, regardless of the standard of their Championship opponent, would be a step in the right direction ahead of what will be a difficult new year. Carlo Ancelotti has already had to wave goodbye to several of his African contingents; Didier Drogba, Michael Essien & Salomon Kalou the more notable departures, and we wouldn’t go as far as to say that Chelsea are down to their bare bones but the true strength of the club will be put to the test in the forthcoming month or so. In attack, especially, as Nicolas Anelka becomes Chelsea’s only recognised forward, although he has had a few niggling knocks of late and so Daniel Sturridge has had to step in, unconvincingly for us.

Writing a team off before a ball has even been kicked is always dangerous but Chelsea really should sail through this fixture and into the draw for the fourth round. The miserable and ungrateful Chelsea fans will, perhaps, remember their victory over the Hornets last season, beating Watford 3-1 at Vicarage Road in the Fifth Round, but Chelsea made the task a lot harder then it should have been and we expect nothing less than a convincing victory for the home side on Sunday.

Watford

FA Cup Odds: 500/1 BetFred

Watford fans must feel they are the unluckiest fans around as they draw Chelsea in the FA Cup for the second season running. They were soundly beaten come the end but did put up a battling fight in the opening exchanges of that encounter, and with Chelsea suffering a defensive crisis of late, a similarly good start could see Watford give Chelsea an early dose of the blues, although the inevitable defeat will come at some point.

The Hornets have been cash strapped for some time now and this has restricted the amount of talent at Vicarage Road. A stadium which once welcomed Chelsea on a more regular basis when Watford were flying their mast in the Premiership, albeit in a couple of short stints .Now, though, Watford are lucky to avoid relegation each season and the fans have pretty much got used to mid-table mediocrity nowadays. The ‘Yellow Army’ as the natives like to call them, are currently 13^th in the league table, nor bad nor good, but in what is expected to be a pretty dull season for them, a trip to Stamford Bridge will bring about a rare dose of excitement and enthusiasm for the loyal Watford fans.  

Watford are having a typical Watford season at present, with genuine form very rare indeed. The last time they recorded back-to-back wins in the league was early November, but that was just the second occasion they have reached such a feat this season. Their 2-2 draw at Bristol City via a late John Eustace header, meant Watford have drawn two on the bounce but, more importantly, are now without a win in their last four games. Their last win and only win in seven came at home to QPR, winning 3-1, but you have to stretch back to the middle of October, a 1-0 victory at Middlesborough, for Watford’s last away success, seven away outings ago.

Watford have a terrible away goal difference of 12-21 and considering that their opponents this season are quite some way off matching their FA Cup opponents, a Chelsea side top of the Premiership, then it doesn’t bode at all well for their chances heading into the capital. The Hornet’s, who don’t travel too well at the best of times, have failed to score in a third of their away games this season and another drab display in front of goal looks imminent in a contest Watford will be lucky to escape with a respectable score.

Match Verdict: Chelsea to WIN – 1.17 Coral

The only factor that may put punters off delving into Chelsea at such a terrible price is the fact that it’s an FA Cup fixture and that the romance of the cup does provide a few shocks every now and again. Sunday, at Stamford Bridge, should not be the setting for such a thing as Chelsea should stroll through this encounter with a Watford side who have struggled on their travels this season. Chelsea themselves haven’t been playing at all well but they’ve still been picking up points. Their defence hasn’t been up to scratch but a clean sheet, regardless of their ordinary opponents, would do them the world of good and we expect a tidy display from Chelsea as anything but would raise plenty of eyebrows.

Match Odds:

Chelsea – 1.17 Coral

Draw – 8.00 SkyBet

Watford – 23.00 SkyBet

SoccerBetting Value Tip: Chelsea to WIN to NIL – 1.50 BlueSquare

Watford

Manager: Malky Mackay
Key Player: Jay DeMerit
Stadium: Vicarage Road

Promotion Odds: 14/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 7/2 Bet365

Transfers In:
Jure Travner, Danny Graham, Scott Severin

Transfers Out:
Steve Kabba, Alhassan Bangura, Theo Robinson, Lee Williamson

SoccerBetting Opinion – Gone the days when Watford were battling it out against England’s finest in the Premiership. In fact, gone the days when Watford were even challenging for Championship honours. Now, the priority each season is survival with funds at the club at a premium. Their star player Tomas Priskin looks destined for the exit and it does look gloomy for the Watford fans. They’ve had plenty of surprising seasons before where they’ve mounted a promotion challenge but we can’t see that happening this time around.

SoccerBetting Prediction: 18th Position