Will the Hornets keep the Saints at bay?
With a convincing 5-2 away win at Everton FC, Watford climbed to 14th in the Premier League last Saturday. The Hornets thus overtook, among others, today’s guests Southampton, who could not go beyond a 2-2 draw with Burnley. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side slipped to 16th and are stuck in the relegation battle with just one win from their opening nine league games.
However, the Saints have a good record at Vicarage Road. The Hornets have not lost an away game at the stadium since September 2007 (three wins, four draws). Accordingly, in the run-up to the match between Watford and Southampton, the odds are swinging in the direction of the visitors.
However, the Hornets will go into this home game with much more momentum after their recent three-goal win on Merseyside, which makes it extremely difficult to place a bet on the outcome of the match between Watford and Southampton.
We are therefore switching to the promising bet that both teams will score. After all, both sides have scored in seven of their last eight league meetings. Of course, you can also place your bets using your smartphone or tablet.
Watford – Statistics & current form
After a one-year interlude, Watford FC returned to the Premier League this summer in second place in the Championship, where the Hornets previously played continuously between 2015 and 2020.
In the process, the club from the county of Hertfordshire kept its feet remarkably still in the transfer market. There were a few departures and arrivals. However, those responsible at the Golden Boys did not throw money around as is the case with many other English first division clubs.
Three points from the first two games under Claudio Ranieri
Nonetheless, the start to the season was mixed, prompting promotion-winning coach Xisco to be sacked after just seven matchdays following a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United. Claudio Ranieri took over, and the team suffered a crushing 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on his debut at Vicarage Road.
Just a week later, however, the Hornets made a strong debut under the coach who once led Leicester City to the Championship, recording a 5-2 away win at, of all places, LFC’s city rivals Everton. Watford climbed to 14th place as a result.
20 goals conceded in last nine Premier League home games
The promoted team is far from out of the woods when it comes to staying in the league. Nevertheless, after three wins from the first nine league games, they now have a comfortable cushion of six points ahead of the first relegation place, which they need to build on.
The Hornets will go into the tenth matchday as underdogs.
Predicted Watford line-up:
Foster – Masina – Cathcart – Troost-Ekong – Ngakia – Sissoko – Hernández – Kucka – Tufan – Sarr – King
Last matches played by Watford:
Premier League
10/23 2021 – Everton 2 – 5 Watford
10/16 2021 – Watford 0 – 5 Liverpool FC
10/02 2021 – Leeds 1 – 0 Watford
09/25 2021 – Watford 1 – 1 Newcastle United
Carabao Cup
09/21 2021 – Watford 1 – 3 Stoke
Southampton – Statistics & current form
Southampton FC only played in the third-tier League One between 2009 and 2011, but then managed to make the direct march into the Premier League, where the Saints have been a fixture since 2012.
The most successful phase of the team, which won the FA Cup in 1976 and was English runner-up in 1984, was certainly 2014 to 2017, when they finished in the top eight in the final table four times in a row.
Four points out of a possible six from the last two games
Currently, however, the men from the southern English port city are once again fighting relegation in their fourth year under Ralph Hasenhüttl.
Only one of the first nine league games was won: a 1-0 home victory over Leeds United.
However, the Saints were unable to confirm exactly that three-point win from matchday eight last weekend, when a 2-1 lead against Burnley at home was not enough (final score: 2-2). Furthermore, there was no reward for a great fight against Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Tuesday either, when the southerners failed to score on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Won only one of last 17 league away games
Although they have only lost three league games in five draws, the Saints are only 16th in the table and need to improve their attack, which has only scored eight goals in nine league games. The odds on an away win for Watford against Southampton are correspondingly bad.
The men from the English port city have not lost any of their last Premier League away games at the Hornets (three wins, four draws). Overall, however, Southampton are anything but strong away from home. They have just one win in their last 17 league games away from home (four draws, 12 defeats).
Predicted line-up of Southampton:
McCarthy – Perraud – Salisu – Bednarek – Livramento – Elyounoussi – Diallo – Romeu – Walcott – Redmond – Broja
Last matches played by Southampton:
Carabao Cup
10/26 2021 – Chelsea London (4)1 – 1(3) Southampton
Premier League
10/23 2021 – Southampton 2 – 2 Burnley
10/16 2021 – Southampton 1 – 0 Leeds
10/02 2021 – Chelsea London 3 – 1 Southampton
09/26 2021 – Southampton 0 – 1 Wolverhampton
Watford – Southampton Direct comparison / H2H balance
Head to head: 26 – 22 – 37
There have been a total of 85 meetings between the two teams so far and the Saints lead the head-to-head comparison with 37 wins. The last Premier League defeat at Vicarage Road was in September 2007 (three wins and four draws in league action since).
Watford – Southampton Tip
When it comes to Watford vs Southampton, the prediction must not overstate the record clearly swinging in the Saints’ direction. In fact, the Hasenhüttl eleven has several construction sites. Only one of the nine league games has been won, while only one victory away from home is to be found among the last 17 Premier League away games in the meantime.
It is correspondingly difficult to give a tip on the outcome in this match. Much more value can be found in betting that both teams will score. After all, goals have been scored on both sides in seven of their last eight league encounters.
