Watford vs Manchester City Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Preview
Watford will be looking to finish the season strongly and secure Premier League status for next season as they welcome Manchester City to the Vicarage Road. The match will be shown live on TV from 17:00 GMT and with the home team needing the win, it should make for a pulsating encounter.
The Hornets are currently in 17th place, just three points above the drop zone with two games to play. They have full control of their destiny as they would only have to win their remaining two matches.
They must be working towards bouncing back from a 3-1 loss to fellow strugglers West Ham at the London Stadium. Michail Antonio opened the scoring for his side in the sixth minute. West Ham then took a 3-0 lead into the halftime break with goals from Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice. Troy Deeney pulled one back for the hosts after Abdoulaye Doucoure’s shot hit the post. The Hornets, however, didn’t look like they could complete a comeback as West Ham secured all three points and moved six points clear of the bottom sides.
The Cityzens started the week with good news in relation to their Champions League ban. They, however, haven’t been able to transfer that highly spirited atmosphere onto the pitch, with poor performances of late. Even with winning the EFL Cup in March, Pep Guardiola must have his sights set on the UEFA Champions League which is to be played in the first week of August.
They missed the chance to add another silverware to their trophy case after a disappointing 2-0 loss to Arsenal in the semifinals of the FA cup on Saturday night.
The Gunners started the match pretty well as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired his side into the lead on the 19th-minute mark. Heading into the second half, Manchester City took control of the game as Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling came close to equalizing for their team. Manchester City was left to rue their missed chances as the Gabonese striker recorded his brace in the 71st minute and helped his side progress to the FA Cup final.
Manchester City don’t really have a lot to play for in the league and will be looking to rotate their squad for Wednesday’s game in order to keep their first-team squad fresh for Real Madrid on August 7. Star striker Sergio Aguero is however still nursing his knee injury. With regards to The Hornets, they would be without the services of Isaac Success, Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Delofeu and Etienne Capoue.
Over the past nine games, Manchester City have been absolutely dominant against their opponents in the league with nine straight wins. In the reverse fixture back in December, The Hornets were thrashed 6-0 at the Etihad Stadium. They will be looking to break that jinx and secure that much needed three points.
Watford vs Man City Prediction
The pressure will be on Watford as they’re on the brink of relegation with two games to play. They need four points from the remaining two games against Manchester City and Arsenal. This is a tough task but we’ve seen relegation-threatened teams in the past pull off miracles in the final few games of the season. Manchester City, on the other hand, will be looking to bounce back from the Semifinal loss on Saturday with a very much expected rotation squad. This might present an opportunity for West Ham but with the squad depth that the Cityzens posses, they’re hard to bet against.
