Watford vs Crystal Palace
24 August 1945hrs
Football – England – League Cup
Pick Watford
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 21/10 odds taken 2000 GMT, Monday 23 August
Patrick Vieira remains in search of his first win as Crystal Palace boss as he and his side make the short journey to Watford in the second round of the League Cup on Tuesday.
Table of Contents
Watford Preview – Will Hornets make it another away day disappointment for new look Palace?
It’s just two weeks into the Premier League season but you sense we’ve already had an insight into how Watford are going to be. Going three goals up against Aston Villa on the opening weekend and eventually winning 3-2 showed that there is match winners in this squad and on their day they can compete against solid Premier League outfits. However. a meek performance on Saturday away to Brighton when losing 2-0 also highlights their inability to be consistent.
Xisco will be concentrating on what’s ahead rather than what’s been but he will have got an understanding as to how challenging this season is going to be after the weekend.
As always with Premier League clubs who are attempting to avoid relegation these early League Cup rounds are not usually seen as a priority. Watford are a club in that bracket and they have a lot of players which haven’t seen game time in the league thus far. This will be a good opportunity to get them some minutes and that includes the likes of Andre Gray, Isaac Success and Nathaniel Chalobah.
Their record in the competition is not great and they had an embarrassing exit away to Newport last year, they have however won their last two ties en route to the quarter-finals.
Crystal Palace Preview – Can Palace get past this stage for the first time since 2018?
The appointment of Patrick Vieira was a surprise to some and a welcome one for others as Palace attempt to go in a different direction after the reign of Roy Hodgson. It could barely have been a more difficult start as the Eagles visited the home of the European champions. Chelsea dispatched them with ease with Palace unable to offer much resistance.
A home game at home to newly-promoted Brentford presented a more realistic chance of points but it was just one. A lack of creativity with the long-term injury to Ebe Eze is going to cause Palace problems if they don’t bring in somebody before the end of this transfer window. They’re one of only four teams in the league who have yet to score a goal.
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Palace do not have the same size of squad as their opponents so although some changes are expected it will be a more familiar team taking the park for the Selhurst Park club. That gives a chance to some of the attacking players to find some form ahead of another London derby this time away to West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.
The Eagles have went out at this stage in the past two seasons losing on penalties to both Colchester and Bournemouth.
Watford vs Crystal Palace Betting Advice
It’s fair to say that this competition will not be a priority for either Watford or Palace. These two teams have been mentioned plenty when it comes to favourites for relegation and survival will undoubtedly be their objective. That said, this particular game will be more important for the visitors who have not scored a goal under their new manager.
Palace’s last win at this venue was 2015 when a Yohan Cabaye penalty gave the then Alan Pardew coached team the points.
Key Facts – Watford vs Crystal Palace Betting Tip
- Watford have not lost a home tie in this competition since 2017
- Palace got their first points of the season after a goalless draw at home to Brentford on Saturday
- You have to go all the way back to 2015 for the last time Palace won at this venue
Watford will likely make the most changes for this but they do have players capable of scoring goals and winning games, something which their opponents don’t have. Take the home team to progress. And heap more pressure on Vieira in the process.
Best Betting Odds for Watford vs Crystal Palace
