Southampton v Watford, Saturday 27th January, 3pm
Javi Gracia takes charge of Watford for the first time since replacing the sacked Marco Silva, as the Hornets clash with Southampton for the second time in a fortnight, in one of only three Premier League FA Cup fourth round clashes. Both teams are currently embroiled in a 10-12 team relegation battle to stay in the top-flight, however a rare victory this weekend in the cup would do wonders for their confidence.
Form Guide
Southampton
Look away now Southampton fans. The sorry Saints have registered only one win in their last 12 domestic matches dating back to November. On top of that Pellegrino’s men are without a win in their last five fixtures on their own patch. However, on a more positive note that sole win did come in the FA Cup, while they’re currently on a three-match unbeaten run - losing only once this year - and they will be buoyed by a 1-1 draw against Tottenham last Sunday.
Watford
You can probably tell from Watford’s decision to sack Silva that the club’s form isn’t great, in fact it's woeful. The Hertfordshire outfit have suffered eight defeats in 12 games, while they’ve lost a whopping seven of their previous eight matches on the road, including the last on the spin. Ouch.
Head-To-Head
The clubs played out a 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road two weeks ago in a match that perfectly summed up the well-worn phrase: “a game of two halves”. The Saints stormed into a surprise 2-0 half-time lead, only to return from the tunnel a different side, timidly crumbling to the hosts who bagged two goals to claim a point.
Earlier this season Watford came away from St Mary’s with a 2-0 win, although the Saints have triumphed in four of that last eight meetings since 2011, including a thrilling 4-3 victory last March.
Saturday’s match will be the first FA Cup meeting between the clubs since their semi-final duel in 2003, which Southampton won 2-1.
Did You Know?
- This will be Javi Gracia’s first match in English football - he’s the 10th Hornets boss since 2012.
- Watford have never won the FA Cup, while Saints have triumphed once (1976).
- Southampton beat Watford 2-1 in the semi-finals of the 2002/03 FA Cup.
- The Saints have lost their last five FA Cup home matches against Premier League opposition.
- Abdoulaye Doucoure has scored in his last three games against Southampton.
Team News
Southampton
Southampton smashed their transfer record to sign Guido Carrillo from Monaco for £19.2million, however their new striker isn’t likely to feature on Saturday. Matt Targett is no longer available after joining Fulham on loan, while Charlie Austin remains on the sidelines.
Maya Yoshida and Shane Long are expected to return to the starting line-up, although Ryan Bertrand and Sam McQueen face late fitness tests.
Watford
It will be interesting to see which Watford side Gracia fields down on the south coast this weekend. The Spaniard could decide to completely shake things up as he bids to make an instant impact at his new club. Although captain Troy Deeney is expected to miss out with a bug, while Tom Cleverley is a late fitness test.
Players that are unlikely to feature for the visitors include Younes Kaboul, Miguel Britos, Kiko Femenia, Will Hughes, Isaac Success, Craig Cathcart, and Nathaniel Chalobah.
Prediction
Neither side will want a replay, but given the poor form of the teams, a draw looks the most probable outcome at 5/2, with a 1-1 scoreline available at a best-priced 6/1. In terms of goalscorers James Ward-Prowse, who bagged a brace against Watford two weeks ago, is priced at 3/1 to get his name on the scoresheet, while Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure can be backed at 15/2 to score against the Saints for the fourth time in a row.
Southampton 1-1 Watford
