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West Ham United vs. Watford FC
After a few days without games, the Premier League is finally back. Already during the week there is the starting signal for the 25th matchday and on Tuesday evening at 20:45 the fans of the round leather can look forward to the encounter between the Hammers from London and the Hornets from Watford. Both clubs are playing a completely different season and yet we can look forward to an exciting match. What we think about this match, you can read in our West Ham – Watford tip.
If we take a look at the Premier League table before this clash, we see David Moyes’ Hammers in 5th place. The Londoners are playing a very strong round and with 37 points they are well on their way towards international football next season. Upcoming opponents Watford, as promoted clubs, have only one goal and that is to stay in the league. The Hornets are on 15 points and thus in 18th place. West Ham are favourites for us and we will be curious to see how the Hammers will perform after two defeats in a row recently.
West Ham – Watford Info:
– Date & Time: 08.02.2022, 20:45 hrs.
– Venue: London, Olympic Stadium London
– Competition: Premier League, Matchday 25
– TV broadcast: Sky
West Ham Form & Balance Check
West Ham United’s Hammers are well on their way to Europe. The team of manager David Moyes plays a very convincing season so far, even if the last weeks were not very successful. Against Watford, the Hammers are under a bit of pressure, as they lost both of their last two games. The direct competitors Arsenal FC, Tottenham and Wolves also have one game less than the Hammers. In their last match, they suffered an unfortunate 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Red Devils from Manchester. The Hammers only conceded defeat in the 90th minute through a Marcus Rashford goal.
Back to winning ways
With the game coming up, only one thing matters, back to winning ways. The Hammers fans won’t care how that is achieved. First and foremost, a whole lot will again depend on the control centre around captain and key player Declan Rice. The England international is the lynchpin of the Hammers’ game. In addition to Rice, the services of Antonio will also be needed again. The forward already stands at eight goals and six assists.
West Ham Facts & Analysis
– West Ham are 5th in the table with 37 points.
– Lost last two games.
– A full 23 goals scored in West Ham last 6 games.
Watford form & balance check
Ranieri is followed by Hodgson. The promoted Watford side are now on their 3rd coach this season and now Roy Hodgson is set to lead the Hornets out of the bottom of the table. The former Crystal Palace head coach is known for a well-functioning defence, a lightning-quick switching game and strong corners and free kicks. Hornets fans can therefore look forward to a slightly different style of play from their team. Hodgson’s debut was a goalless 0-0 draw against Burnley, leaving the London club without a win in nine matches.
Dennis is back, Sarr is still missing
How quickly things can change in football is currently shown by the personnel matter of Dennis. The striker of FC Watford was loaned to 1. FC Köln last season and there the Nigerian did not set foot on the ground and in the meantime he is virtually the life insurance of the Londoners with eight goals and five assists. He was absent for the last game due to suspension and should now be back on board. Right winger Ismaila Sarr is unlikely to be available as he only won the Africa Cup with Senegal on Sunday and now the celebrations are on.
Watford facts & analysis
– Winless for nine games
– Dennis top scorer with eight goals and five assists.
– Currently in 18th place with 15 points
Predicted line-up – last update on 7 February 2022
West Ham’s Hammers are looking to go with a classic 4-2-3-1 for the upcoming fixture. The Londoners will field the full squad and that also means that Fornals, Lanzini and Bowen will have all the freedom behind Antonio. Upcoming opponents Watford are likely to rely more on a 4-3-3 with Dennis again expected to provide the goals.
West Ham – Watford direct comparison & stats
If we take a look at the direct comparison, we see the men from West Ham with a clear advantage. Out of 49 games, West Ham won 30, Watford 12 and seven times both shared the points.
– Neither of the teams scored a goal in their last match.
– West Ham United’s performance in their last 5 matches is better than Watford FC’s.
– In their last match, West Ham United won by 3 goals.
– Michail Antonio is the top scorer with 8 goals. Emmanuel Dennis scored 8 times for Watford FC
