After differing starts to the season, Watford and West Brom go toe-to-toe at Vicarage Road on Saturday, with the hosts looking for their first win back in the Premier League.
The Hornets’ Head Coach Quique Sanchez Flores will have been pleased with the point which his side earned at Everton last week, despite the fact that they led twice late in the game, and if they can reproduce that display against a hurting West Brom then they will stand a chance of a first win back in the big time.
The Baggies were hammered 3-0 by Manchester City on Monday evening and know that defeat here would be an ominous sign in their battle against the drop this season.
Previous meetings
The two sides last met at Vicarage Road in April 2010, when a Danny Graham volley was equalised right at the death by Chris Brunt.
The result moved the Baggies one step closer to promotion while the Hornets eventually came out the positive side of their relegation dogfight.
The two sides have never met in the Premier League though, so there is little that can be taken as an indicator of which way this one will go.
Tactics
Watford boss Flores appears to have taken to English football like a duck to water, setting his side up perfectly last weekend to frustrate Everton of their own home turf. Using his favoured 4-2-3-1 formation, Flores ordered his holding midfielders to be right on the toes of the back four, mopping up any loose balls around the edge of the box, and allowed his front four players to use their pace and creativity on the counter-attack.
He will have to adapt for this one though, confirming in his pre-match press conference that he expects a “strong and physical” West Brom side to pitch up at Vicarage Road. It is possible that his side will need to sacrifice some of their pragmatism for attacking flair, possibly by replacing last week’s goal-scorer Miguel Layun with Odion Ighalo, and if Flores is on the money tactically as he was last week, then his side will have a great chance of winning this one.
Tony Pulis isn’t one to over-attack either, and he could come to Watford in an attempt to stop their natural flowing football. Despite his defensive instincts, his sides tend to go about things in a different way to Watford, using set-pieces and physicality to the best of their advantage. With centre-halves playing at full-backs and holding midfielders often playing wide, it is clear that West Brom will look to out-muscle Watford rather than out-football them.
With his glasses and cap, Pulis is rather more agricultural than the stylish Flores, though that is not a reflection on their respective managerial abilities. Pulis is sure to set his side up in a similar way to what caused Watford problems last season, the Hornets lost at home to Wolves and Ipswich who both came to frustrate, and this could be an intriguing tactical battle.
Team news
Almen Abdi and Steven Berghuis missed last weekend’s encounter with Everton at Goodison Park and are doubts for this clash, too.
Odion Ighalo has overcome a slight issue which saw him settle for a place on the bench at Everton, while the deal to bring Alessandro Diamanti to the club is not yet over the line.
Record signing Salomon Rondon is unlikely to feature at Vicarage Road, with Tony Pulis loathe to break up the partnership between Rickie Lambert and Saido Berahino which he believes can serve him well.
