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PREVIEW: Stoke City vs Watford – 31/01/18

Stoke City vs Watford

Date: 31/01/18

K/O: 20:00pm

Venue: bet365 Stadium (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)

Referee: Jonathan Moss

The Potters visited Vicarage Road in game week 10, which saw an early goal (16’) from Darren Fletcher, vollying a Xeridan Shaqiri corner from the edge of the box.

Stoke City went on to hold off an attacking Watford squad, 1-0, notching their 3rd victory of the season. It was the third time in three years the Potters had taken points on the road against the Hornets.

On the season, Stoke City remains a point (22) above the relegation zone, picking up their first victory under Paul Lambert, the wake of Mark Hughes departing the club. For the Potters, the time is now, as they face a struggling Watford, winless in their last 4 games.

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Watford have a single victory against Stoke City in the last 5 meetings. However, the Hornets as of late, recorded just one win in their last 10 PL fixtures and will look to change their fortune under new manager, Javi Gracia after the untimely departure of Marco Silva. Currently 10th in the table, Watford are just 4 points from the relegation zone.

Team News:

Stoke City and Watford appear to be teams headed in opposite directions, as the Potters come off a much needed victory behind goals from Joe Allen and Mame Biram Diouf. They will look to Xeridan Shaqiri as the catalyst in the midfield to control the game and engineer attacks on a struggling Hornets defence. Shaqiri has provided just a single goal and assist in the last 10 games.

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Watford coming off a dismal 1-0 loss over the weekend in the FA Cup against So’ton. The Hornets turn to Richarlison to regain his form against the Potters. No goals and only 3 assists in the last 12 games, as the Watford starlet appears to be fatigued. A young defence continue to struggle at the back, a task made more challenging as Watford will be without Heurelho Gomes, as Orestis Karnezisgets the start.

Predicted starting XI’s:

Watford (4-2-3-1): Karnezis, Zeegelaar, Kabasele, Prödl, Janmaat,
Doucoure, Cleverley, Richarlison, Pereyra, Carillo, Gray

Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Butland, Pieters, Zouma, Shawcross, Bauer, Fletcher,
Allen, Chuopo-Moting, Allen, Shaqiri, Diouf

Predicted Score: Stoke City 2 Watford 1

Watford will look for that “new manager bump” as Gracia takes the helm for his first EPL game, on a cold night in Stoke. They will need to get off to a fast start, as a string of poor performances early in matches have caused the Hornets to give up early goals. However, it’s Stoke City riding high off the first win under Lambert, will look to hit Watford while they are down through Shaqiri and pick up three points.

Written by Stephen Toumi.

Stephen Toumi

Watford supporter! #FPL ID#446 | Vegan | Craft beer enthusiast, homebrewer #FPLBeerClub | #30SecondBeerReview Host of Pitch & Pint Pod #pitchpintpod

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