Pick of the stats - Watford v Portsmouth

Watford v Portsmouth graphic
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On Boxing Day, Watford host a Portsmouth side that are fresh off the back of a morale-boosting 4-1 victory over Coventry City.

The Hornets sit in the Championship's top eight with 34 points and are just one point off Middlesbrough in sixth.

Pompey have spent large parts of the season in the bottom three but have recently found some good form at home that has lifted them above the dotted line and they currently sit 20th.

  • Watford have won their last three home league games against Portsmouth, although this is their first meeting since a 2-0 win back in November 2011.

  • The last six league meetings between Watford and Portsmouth have all been won by the home side.

  • Watford have lost each of their last two league matches on Boxing Day, last suffering three straight defeats on this date between 1956 and 1958.

  • In the second tier, Portsmouth are winless in their last seven games on Boxing Day (D4 L3) since a 3-1 win over QPR in 1997.

  • Watford have won both previous Boxing Day meetings with Portsmouth, beating them 1-0 in 1988 under Steve Harrison and 2-0 in 1994 under Glenn Roeder.