Watford

Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign Watford and Senegal attacker Ismaila Sarr, with the Hornets wanting £40m for the 24-year-old. (Football Transfers), external

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Watford could be relegated this weekend regardless of the result at Selhurst Park but need a win to stand any chance of staying up.

So who should Roy Hodgson trust to get the points at his former club?

Cucho Hernandez has returned to training but is doubtful so do you stick with the side that ran out of steam against Burnley last week?

Or should Hodgson bring in some fresh legs to try to get a result?

Pick your Watford XI

Image source, Getty Images

• Manchester City and Liverpool are already assured of their top-four places. If either club wins this season's Champions League, there is no 'extra' place for English clubs.

• West Ham cannot make the top four but if they win the Europa League, they will also play in the Champions League group stage.

• Even if Chelsea lose the FA Cup final, the Blues will play in the Europa League as they cannot now finish lower than fifth.

• Arsenal are guaranteed a place in the Europa League, as they can’t finish below sixth.

• If Leicester win the Europa Conference League, they will qualify for the Europa League group stage.

You can now watch all the highlights and analysis from Saturday's six matches in the Premier League.

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Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford fans were fed up again on Saturday as they watched their side throw away a lead in the last seven minutes and lose their 11th match in a row at Vicarage Road. Supporters left shaking their heads in frustration and annoyance; the pain is increasing with every defeat at the Vic.

Burnley scoring those two goals at the end came as little surprise. Watford defended so deep right from the start of the second half that they invited the pressure. The introduction of Ashley Barnes added some aggression and spite to the visitors up front - a substitution which handsomely paid off. 

That Clarets change made Watford’s decision not to bring on any subs even more baffling. It was a strange situation. Boss Roy Hodgson was unwell but in the dug out. However, he kept a very low profile and it was unclear who was actually leading the team and making decisions - him or assistant Ray Lewington?

Whoever it was had an off day. Burnley had threatened all half and seemed bound to score. Yet no fresh legs came on, nor did anyone come on to address the issue of how deep they were playing.

Were the Watford management pair simply taking a huge risk and hoping to see it out? Do they rate the subs so little that they didn’t want any of them on? Were they making a point to the board that the squad isn’t good enough? We’ll never know.

What we do know is that this team lack confidence, leadership, character and commitment especially when the going gets tough. Dropping down to the Championship will be easier but the Hornets have many, many issues to resolve in the overall running of the club.

Image source, Getty Images

• Watford have lost each of their past 11 Premier League games at Vicarage Road, becoming the first side in English top-flight history to lose 11 consecutive home league matches.

• Burnley have won three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since April 2019, while the Clarets have won as many league games in their past three matches as they had done in their previous 21 combined.

• The Hornets have conceded in each of their previous 22 Premier League home games, becoming the first top-flight side to do so since Queens Park Rangers (22 games between August 1968 and August 1973).

• Michael Jackson is the first Burnley manager to win three of their first four league games in charge since Jimmy Mullen in October 1991 (won 4 of 4).

Image source, Reuters

Matthew Howarth, BBC Sport

Before Saturday, the only side in the top four tiers of English football to have lost more than 10 consecutive home league games were Rochdale, who suffered 14 straight defeats in Division Three North between 1931 and 1932.

Watford’s loss to Burnley was their 11th in a row on home soil and leaves the Hornets staring at an immediate return to the Championship.

It was all going so well for Roy Hodgson’s team, who were full of energy in the early stages and could have added to James Tarkowski's own goal.

However, a combination of poor passing on the counter-attack and wasteful finishing set up a tense finish as Burnley slowly turned the screw.

Jack Cork’s header deservedly hauled the Clarets back on level terms, before Josh Brownhill’s low strike sparked jubilant scenes among the visiting fans and in the away dugout at Vicarage Road.

This is the first time Burnley have won three Premier League games in a row since 2019, while Mike Jackson also becomes the first manager to stay unbeaten in his first four top-flight matches in charge of the Clarets.

The last manager not to lose any of their first four league games with the club was Owen Coyle in 2007.

Watford assistant boss Ray Lewington, speaking to Match of the Day: "I thought we brought it on ourselves because we played ever so well first half, but because we have not won in so long there is a massive fear factor.

"Footballers try to protect it, they have seen the clock and the last 15-20 minutes they were almost camped on the edge of our own box. If you are allowing balls into the box, however many players you have behind the ball, there will be space somewhere.

"It would need something spectacular [to stay up] but there is more to play for than the points, we have got to play for our pride."

On boss Roy Hodgson: "He has been unwell, he is OK but needed some rest really - he will be fine and I imagine he will be in on Monday."

We are bringing you live text and radio commentary of Watford v Burnley, plus the rest of Saturday's Premier League action.

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You'll be able to catch up with all the post-match reaction on this page after full-time at Vicarage Road

Watford make three changes to the team that lost 5-1 at Manchester City last weekend.

Juraj Kucka and Kiko Femenia return after missing the trip to Etihad Stadium through injury, while Joao Pedro is also restored to the side.

Jeremy Ngakia and Joshua King are among the substitutes, but Tom Cleverley misses out.

Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara, Sissoko, Louza, Kucka, Sarr, Joao Pedro, Dennis

Subs: Bachmann, Ngakia, Ekong, King, Masina, Sema, Gosling, Kalu, Kayembe

Aaron Lennon returns for Burnley, while Matej Vydra also keeps his place after Jay Rodriguez suffered an injury during the warm-up at Vicarage Road.

Maxwel Cornet is ruled out with a knee issue, while Erik Pieters is only set to resume full training next week.

Burnley XI: Pope, Roberts, Collins, Tarkowski, Taylor, McNeil, Cork, Brownhill, Lennon, Rodriguez, Weghorst

Subs: Hennessey, Lowton, Barnes, Stephens, Bardsley, Vydra, Long, Thomas, Costelloe

Mark Lawrenson takes on Arsenal fan and one half of Chase and Status Will Kennard in the latest round of Premier League predictions.

Lawro's prediction: 2-1

Watford's home form is obviously awful - they have lost 10 in a row at Vicarage Road - but they haven't played badly in all of those games.

In their last home game, against Brentford, they only lost out in injury time and after coming close to nicking a late goal themselves.

You can probably see where I'm going here. I'm not being anti-Burnley either, I just feel Watford will win a game at some point and the best chance of that happening is going to be on Saturday, against the team one place above them.

Will's prediction: 0-1

This could be massive for Burnley, and they are playing pretty well.

Find out how Will and Lawro think the rest of the weekend's Premier League games will go

Image source, Getty Images

Watford welcome back Juraj Kucka and Kiko Femenia, both of whom missed the defeat at Manchester City through injury.

Burnley will monitor Maxwell Cornet, who is nursing a minor knee issue.

A calf problem forced Jay Rodriguez off against Wolves but he has trained this week and should be in contention.

This game is expected to come too soon for Erik Pieters, who is set to resume full training next week.

Ben Mee, Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Ashley Westwood remain sidelined.

Do Kucka and Femenia return to your Watford line-up?

Choose your Clarets XI

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford aren't down yet but it seems just a matter of time. The Hornets need to win four of their five remaining games to stay up - and even that might not be enough.

After a woeful campaign, fans are already looking ahead to the next one. You can't blame them. For those supporters who only watch the Hornets' home games, they have only seen two victories all season.

Bearing in mind most of the promotion-winning season was played behind closed doors, and the season before that they were also relegated, fans haven't had any sustained success for a very long time.

Three years ago actually - and that good FA Cup run. So you can understand why this season has almost been written off by fans.

Attention has now turned towards who will succeed manager Roy Hodgson at the end of the season. Gino Pozzo, Scott Duxbury and the board have got to get this right.

They have claimed, in a recent fans' meeting, that they want more stability at the club and less manager chopping and changing. For that to happen the next manager has to be the right one.

Names like Diego Martinez (ex-Granada boss who Pozzo will know well) and former Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, who has worked in China and Saudi Arabia, are two being mentioned.

But maybe it's time to hire a young one with English Football League experience - a promotion or two on their CV wouldn't go amiss either.

After Roy Hodgson left Friday's training feeling unwell, Ray Lewington spoke to the media before Watford host Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from the Hornets boss:

• On Hodgson, he said: "He was unwell last night in the hotel. It's very unusual for him." However, he added: He absolutely surely will be there tomorrow, but he just needed a rest."

• Kiko Femenia and Juraj Kucka could both return from injury, but the game comes too soon for Cucho Hernandez.

• On relegation fears, he said: "With every game we lose it makes it harder."

• He drew on similarities when he was at Fulham with Hodgson and said: "As hopeless as the situation looks, there is a way out sometimes."

• He added: "We're positive, we know that we can do it. But talk is very cheap and we need to get out there and do it."

Follow Friday's Premier League manager news conferences here

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave bring you the latest from the world of fantasy football.

They offer some differential players for your fantasy football team, as well as ask why we didn’t flag up Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus.

Plus BBC Radio 5 Live’s Steve Crossman joins the podcast to play a crucial game of Sutton Death against Ali.

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

• After winning their first Premier League home game against Burnley in February 2017, Watford are winless in their last three against the Clarets at Vicarage Road (D1 L2).

• This is both Watford and Burnley’s 300th Premier League match, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also reaching that milestone in this round of games. It’s just the second time two sides are meeting in their 300th game in the competition, after Everton 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur in January 2000.

• In the Premier League this season 21% of Burnley's goals have come in the opening 15 minutes of games (6/29), the highest share in the division. However, the Clarets have scored a league-low 7% of their goals in the final 15 minutes this term (2/29)

• The Hornets have lost each of their last 10 Premier League home games – no side in top-flight history has ever lost 11 consecutive home league games before.

Unai Emery is interested in taking Watford's Nigerian striker Emmanuel Dennis, 24, to Villarreal this summer. (Standard), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

It's a big game at the bottom of the Premier League on Saturday as the Hornets host relegation rivals Burnley.

Roy Hodgson's side were outclassed by a rampant Manchester City team on Saturday and Watford need wins fast to avoid the drop.

With time running out, what should Hodgson do to help the Hornets' chances of survival?

It's time to pick your Watford starting XI to face Burnley