Last weekend, Watford created history by securing their first ever opening day Premier League victory with a 2-0 win over Brighton at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets produced a very impressive display and silenced many of the doubters who have tipped them to be relegated at the end of the season.
However, manager Javi Gracia will know that his team will need to build on their performance in the upcoming matches in an away trip to Burnley, and home game against Crystal Palace this month.
The Hornets had four matches last August, remaining unbeaten in the league with a win away at Bournemouth and two home draws against Liverpool and Brighton. The loss came in the second round of the Carabao Cup to Championship outfit Bristol City and the Golden Boys are yet to find out who they will face this time round.
Let’s take a look at the remaining fixtures this month and analyse how many points Gracia’s men should expect from them.
Burnley (a) – August 19
The Hornets travel to Turf Moor on Sunday, a ground where they have failed to pick up a victory since 2004 in the old Division 1 thanks to goals from Paul Devlin, Heider Helguson and Lee Cook.
Since returning back to the Premier League in 2015, Watford have lost two on the bounce away to Sean Dyche’s side including a 1-0 defeat last December.
The Golden Boys will surely fancy their chances this time around as Burnley will compete in the Europa League on Thursday against Istanbul Buyuksehir, meaning that Watford should be the fresher team on the weekend.
Burnley have already played in four competitive matches this season due to their European participation, and this might have played a factor in their goalless draw against Southampton on the opening weekend on the Premier League season.
Watford should be brimming with confidence following the comfortable win over Brighton last Saturday, with Roberto Pereyra looking to add to his two goals.
One man who will feel he has something to prove is striker Andre Gray. The Hornets spend a record transfer fee to acquire his services last summer from Burnley but he has since failed to live up to expectations.
The 27-year-old enjoyed a positive pre-season and alongside club skipper Troy Deeney, he’ll be seeking to get his name on the scoresheet this season as soon as possible.
Expected points – 3
Crystal Palace (h) – August 26
The loss against Palace at Selhurst Park last season was essentially the beginning of the end for former manager Marco Silva.
After a heart-breaking 2-1 defeat, the Hornets lost four of their next five matches in all competitions.
At the time, Palace were already fighting for their Premier League survival but they are likely to visit Vicarage Road in an upbeat mood.
The Eagles have received a massive boost after Wilfried Zaha signed a new long-term contract at the club in midweek. The forward is their best player and nailing him down for the foreseeable future is a huge bonus for them.
Before visiting Vicarage Road, Palace face a tricky home fixture against Liverpool next Monday but they have a decent record against the Reds at Selhurst Park – the incredible 3-3 draw which dashed Liverpool’s chance of claiming their first Premier League title in 2014 still remains fresh in the memory.
Palace also hold the upper hand against Watford when it comes to the head to head record, with the Hornets’ last home victory over them coming in the Championship during the 2008-09 campaign.
Both sides played out a 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road last season but with Palace and Watford scoring twice on the opening weekend this time around, we can expect goals and a more entertaining encounter.
Expected points – 1