Everton vs Watford
29th October 1945hrs
Football – England – EFL Cup
Pick Everton
Bookmaker Coral
Odds: 7/10 odds taken 2000 GMT, Monday 28 October)
It’s an all Premier League tie at Goodison Park on Tuesday as Everton and Watford battle it out for a place in the quarter finals of the EFL Cup.
Everton vs Watford Live Stats & Betting Odds
Everton Preview – Can Toffees defeat Hornets to reach quarter final stage for the first time in four years?
It looked for long periods that Everton were going to be getting their first away win in the league this season away to Brighton on Saturday. Somehow, not only did they fail to win but they failed to take even a point. Controversial decisions going against them and some awful defending ensured they lost the game 3-2 and take another step back having won so well the previous week at home to West Ham. It’s now four away defeats in five in the league and keeps Everton in the bottom five teams. Pressure remains on Marco Silva and he knows his team will have to start producing better results – especially on their travels.
The ironic thing for Everton is they have reached this stage of the EFL Cup courtesy of two away wins. Victories over Lincoln City and Sheffield Wednesday have given them a chance to go beyond this round for the first time since reaching the semi-finals back in 2016. Considering their struggles in the league, this is certainly a competition where Silva will now be prioritising more than he would have planned for at the start of the campaign.
Watford Preview – Will Watford put their league woes behind them and see off former manager?
Whilst their opponents are still awaiting their first away win in the league, Watford remain on the lookout for their first win of any kind in the Premier League. That follows their fifth win in 10 matches which keeps them bottom. It’s now four points between themselves and safety but the longer it goes without a win then the more nervous everybody gets. Things don’t get any easier for the Hornets as they welcome an in-form Chelsea to Vicarage Road on Saturday.
Before then, Quique Sanchez Flores takes his team to Goodison on Tuesday with the objective of adding to what is his only win since returning to the club. A 2-1 home win at home to Swansea and a comfortable 3-0 success, also at home, to Coventry in the previous round continued what has been an impressive year in cup competitions for Watford. This is, however, the furthest the club have gotten in this particular cup since 2008.
Key-Facts – Everton vs Watford
- Everton lose their fourth away league game in five at the weekend but both victories in the EFL Cup have come on their travels
- Watford remain the only team in the Premier League without a win following their fifth draw in 10 matches – can they fare better with a change of competition
- The teams have already met in the league this season with Everton running out 1-0 winners back in August
Everton vs Watford Betting Advice
It’s fair to say that neither of these teams have enjoyed this season to date. Everton were one of the biggest spenders in the whole of Europe in the summer so their current position of 16th is well below their expectations. Watford, who were so good last season, are now very much in a relegation scrap and in desperate need of their first league win of the season. I don’t imagine an extended run in this competition would have been high on their agenda but a win on Tuesday is now more important for both than it would have been back in August.
This fixture has taken on a bit of an edge since Marco Silva left Watford and eventually ended up in his current position. He got the better of his former employers for the first time in three games in that narrow win earlier this season. Everton are certainly better at home and you sense that home advantage is going to be key here and relieve some of the pressure that his been building on the Toffees’ manager.
