Watford vs Southampton
30 October 1500hrs
Football – England – Premier League
Pick Both teams to score
Bookmaker Betfair
Odds: 4/6 odds taken 2000 GMT, 25 October
Southampton travel to Vicarage Road on Saturday knowing that a win will put them above Watford, with the hosts coming into this game on the back of a valuable win last time out.
Table of Contents
Watford Preview – Will Hornets make it back to back wins for the first time this season?
Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge was a 5-0 defeat at home to Liverpool and at that point it looked like his arrival was going to do little to halt the Hornets’ slide down the table. Watford had taken just four points from the previous six games before Ranieri took over and the performances were just as concerning. So when they were 2-1 down away to Everton with just over 10 minutes to go last weekend it looked certain they were going down to another defeat.
Four unanswered goals seen Watford clinch the most unlikeliest of victories and get the Ranieri era off and running. Josh King – who was on loan at Everton for the second half of last season – scored a hat-trick which were his first league goals for Watford.
The win sees them sit in 14th spot with 10 points from nine games. It’s not a bad start by any means for a promoted team and they also have a six point cushion over the bottom three. The former Chelsea, Leicester and Fulham boss has essentially been brought in to keep the club in the league.
That makes these sort of games all that more important as Watford will have to pick up points against the teams below them, particularly when they’re at home.
Southampton Preview – Can Saints register a rare away win in the Premier League?
It’s been a bit of a slog for Southampton this season who have won just once of their nine games in the league to date. That victory came at home to Leeds a fortnight ago but they were unable to follow that up last time out in a game they would have expected to win at home to Burnley. That match ended 2-2 and Ralph Hassenhuttl will see it as an opportunity lost against a team currently in the bottom three.
Saints were also left frustrated in midweek when exiting the League Cup. Despite holding Chelsea over 90 minutes they came undone on penalties and will have to pick themselves up for this one.
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It’s been away from home where Saints’ troubles have been most obvious. In their 15 league games on the road in 2021 they have won only one (2-0 against Sheffield United last season) and lost 12. It’s a terrible record and one that if continues will undoubtedly lead to Southampton playing Championship football next season.
Saints will take some confidence from the display at Stanford Bridge in the League Cup as well as holding Manchester City to a draw in the league. That level of performance here would give them a chance of getting a rare away win in this match.
Watford vs Southampton Betting Advice
You sense that this is an important game for both teams and their aim of staying in the Premier League. It may be the final week of October but Watford and Southampton are both likely to be in similar positions come the end of the campaign so the matches against each other take on more significance.
Recent fixtures between the teams have featured plenty of entertainment. There have been 25 goals in the last eight matches with both teams scoring in six of those.
Key Facts – Watford vs Southampton Betting Tip
- Claudio Ranieri got off the mark as Watford boss with an amazing 5-2 win away to Everton last week
- Southampton have won just one of their last 15 away games in the Premier League
- Both teams have scored in seven of the last nine meetings between these two clubs
As three points are important for the two clubs I expect this to be another game which will feature goals at either end. Back both teams to score, it’s occurred in four of the last six games for the two teams.
Best Betting Odds for Watford vs Southampton
W
