Watford will look to make it an unprecedented four Premier League wins out of four when they host Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon.
Javi Gracia has enjoyed a wonderful start to his first full season with the Hornets and his side already look set to comfortably defy the pessimistic predictions and keep Watford in the top-flight for a fifth consecutive campaign.
With Spurs coming to town, Watford will face their toughest challenge of the season so far so let’s take a look at what can be expected in this intriguing fixture.
Will the unbeaten run come to an end?
Both Watford and Tottenham have flown out of the blocks in the Premier League this season, picking up nine points from three matches.
The Hornets made it four victories in a row with a comfortable midweek 2-0 win over Championship outfit Reading in the Carabao Cup.
With both sides brimming with confidence, is it plausible to think that we could be saying goodbye to an unbeaten record this season?
The two clubs played out a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road last season but it was the first stalemate between them in eight matches in all competitions. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will be favourites going into the match following their emphatic 3-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night.
The Hornets have not secured a victory over Spurs in all competitions since 1994 so they’ll need to produce something special this weekend if they want to maintain their unbeaten start.
Kane and Alli to get on the scoresheet
Despite their exploits for England during this summer’s World Cup, Watford supporters won’t be looking forward to seeing Harry Kane and Dele Alli this weekend.
Tottenham’s main men have a knack of scoring against the Hornets which has included a goal apiece in the 2-0 win at Wembley last season, and both forwards netted twice in Spurs’ 4-1 rout at Vicarage Road during the 2016-17 campaign.
For the first time in his Spurs career, Kane has found his shooting boots in August with a composed finish against Fulham and a first Old Trafford goal against Jose Mourinho’s side.
Alli has also found the net with his first of the campaign being the winner in the opening day fixture against Newcastle United. Although it’s still early, both men have failed to score in the same match this season but that can all change this weekend.
Can Moura maintain impressive form?
One man who finally appears to be adjusting to life in the English top-flight is Tottenham forward Lucas Moura.
The Brazilian opened the scoring with a stunning strike in the victory over Fulham, before producing a sensational performance at Old Trafford with two second-half goals. With Heung-Min Son away on international duty, Spurs needed another attacking outlet alongside Kane and Alli and Moura has been a revelation so far this season.
The forward is playing with a smile on his face and he’ll be desperate to continue his form and score in the third consecutive Premier League match for the first time in his career with the North London club.
Pererya to continue scoring?
Similar to his South American counterpart, Roberto Pereyra has enjoyed a fantastic start to the new campaign.
After securing a move to the Hornets from Serie A champions Juventus two years ago, the Argentine struggled for consistency after picking up a number of injuries. However, he is now playing with confidence and he has already notched up three league goals in as many games – Pereyra only needs two more goals to match his total in all competitions from last season.
Tottenham have only conceded two league goals this season but the 27-year-old will certainly cause them a lot of problems and he could be the league’s top goalscorer by the end of the weekend.
Can Watford take another ‘top six’ scalp at home?
Since returning to the Premier League in 2015, the top six sides have struggled to enjoy themselves on their trips to Vicarage Road.
Apart from Manchester City, who have hit six past the Hornets in consecutive seasons, the majority of the English elite have suffered painful defeats at the hands of the Golden Boys.
The Hornets have beaten Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal at home in the past three seasons – not to mention thumping Chelsea 4-1 last season in Gracia’s first Premier League match as Watford manager.
Alongside City, Spurs haven’t lost to Watford in Hertfordshire but recent encounters suggest that a defeat for the North London club could be on the cards, with Tottenham lucky to escape with a draw last season and also fortunate to nick a 2-1 victory in 2015.
With Watford looking to make it five wins in a row in all competitions this season, it is the perfect time to break the cycle and record a first ever Premier League victory over Spurs this weekend.