Bournemouth and Watford will both be delighted with the way in which they have acquitted themselves in the Premier League after promotion, but now have to do battle against each other as the two teams which went up automatically from the Championship last season.
Eddie Howe has been delivered the ultimate blow this week, with his main striker Callum Wilson ruled out for at least six months – the third cruciate knee ligament injury in the squad – and how his side can bounce back from such bad news here could dictate the result.
Watford were disappointing in defeat to Crystal Palace last week, but had won back to back league games before that and will be aiming to be back on it here at Dean Court.
After Bournemouth nicked the Championship title from them in the dying embers of last season, the Hornets will be out for revenge here and that added ingredient could be the catalyst this game needs.
Tactics
Bournemouth have by and large stuck to their attacking principles so far this season, with Eddie Howe reasoning that such an approach has been the only way that’s brought success in the past. With Wilson’s injury that suddenly looks a little harder than it might have been, but Glenn Murray and Joshua King will vie for a place upfront, while the creativity of Lee Tomlin and Matt Ritchie has never been so badly needed.
Captain Tommy Elphick has been in good form at the back for the Cherries, and he will continue to be relied upon for both big performances and leadership on the pitch, but the biggest challenge for Howe may not be tactically. After such big injuries in the squad, things could get a little downbeat and it will be the manager’s job to get his side fully up for this one.
Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores has stuck rigidly to his pragmatic principles so far this season, with defence always the priority over attack. Although the Hornets have improved going forward of late, their defensive work still stands out as superb and if they continue to work in that way here then any threat Bournemouth possess should be nullified.
The back four of Allan Nyon, Sebastian Prodl, Craig Cathcart and Ikechi Anya has impressed throughout, though Chelsea loanee Nathan Ake is pushing for a start at left-back, and will continue to be the bedrock of Flores’ game-plan here. With Nyom and Anya offering the perfect balance between defence and attack from full-back, Prodl and Cathcart have largely been protected from any opposition danger, while Etienne Capoue and Ben Watson will continue to do their patrolling job in midfield. The Hornets will be looking for a little more adventure going forward but another clean sheet would greatly please Flores.
When they last met
The sides last met at the end of January, in what was a massive game at the top of the Championship.
Watford travelled south off the back of a thumping 7-2 win at Blackpool, but any confidence that they had gathered there was soon shot as they saw defender Gabrielle Angella sent off inside 30 seconds of kick-off.
That killed the game as a contest and the Cherries ran out comfortable 2-0 winners, Yann Kermogant’s penalty and Matt Ritchie’s second-half finish the difference.
Both sides went on to achieve automatic promotion though, in another tightly-fought Championship promotion race.
Injury news
Bournemouth’s injuries are well documented, with Tyrone Mings, Max Gradel and Wilson all out for the majority of the season. Harry Arter remains doubtful.
Watford have had a little more luck so far, with all of the players named in Flores’ Premier League squad still fit.
The only absentee comes in the form of the suspended Valon Behrami, who serves the last of his three-match ban.
Predicted XI's
Bournemouth (4-2-3-1): Boruc; Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels; Gosling, Surman; Ritchie, Tomlin, Pugh; Murray.
Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes; Nyom, Prodl, Cathcart, Anya; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Deeney, Jurado, Ighalo.
Prediction: Bournemouth 0-2 Watford