Watford vs West Ham
Date: 19/11/17
K.O: 16.00pm
Venue: Vicarage Road
Marco Silva’s Watford host West Ham at Vicarage Road on Sunday, with the game marking David Moyes’ first Premier League game in charge of the Hammers.
Given the recent form and league position of both teams, the winner seems easy to predict. However, the last time I said this was when Watford faced an out of form Everton who had recently lost their manager.
Everton pulled back a spirited home performance to pull a late winner against a good Watford side. This time Watford will hope the fact the Hammers are not at home may stifle the spirited display many teams find when they’ve recently lost a manager.
Watford will also be wary of conceding late goals and will stay vigilant as ever after their loss at Goodison Park. Their inform winger Richarlison will be a large in the attacking and determined Watford midfield, who should on paper steamroll West Ham’s underwhelming middle-men.
West Ham, however, will be desperate to respond from their 4-1 home defeat vs Liverpool before the international breal. The Hammers will hope that with the unquestionable talents of their summer signings will find a new lease of life under David Moyes and an away win against an in form Watford would be a great way to kick-start this momentum after the international break.
It’s difficult to say whether Watford will have learnt from their mistakes up north, but my prediction is they have, and will fight for a difficult three points against a tenacious but ultimately homeless and unfriendly West Ham team.
Predicted starting XI’s:
WAT: Gomes; Femenia, Britos, Kasabele, Holebas; Cleverley, Doucoure; Pereyra, Hughes, Richarlison; Gray.
WHU: Hart; Zabaleta, Reid, Ogbonna, Creswell; Kouyate, Noble, Antonio, Lanzini, Arnautovic, Hernandez.
Prediction: Watford 2 West Ham 1
Written by Sam Hay.
