Watford

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Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford lost their eighth home game in a row against Arsenal, but this was a much better performance than most of those other seven.

And yet the aftermath of another defeat is one of more fan disenchantment, this time with manager Roy Hodgson.

For the first half hour, Watford were bright and confident. They played some good football and won the physical battle against the Gunners.

The crowd appreciated it and the support was strong and it was welcoming to at last see smiles in the stand. Yes, Arsenal were really threatening going forward but at 1-1 there wasn’t much in it.

Tom Cleverley’s mistake for the second goal completely deflated the team. After all that hard work, Watford couldn’t re-find the same energetic rhythm but at least they were putting up a fight. So there were reasons to be happier.

Except midway through the second half, the supporters were upset by Hodgson’s substitution of Imran Louza and they made it quite clear he wasn’t who they thought should come off. Louza was given a standing ovation by each stand as he walked round around the perimeter of the pitch heading back to the dugout.

Not long after, when Cleverley gave the ball away, Hodgson exchanged words with a fan in the Sir Elton John Stand as to why he was still on the pitch.

Hodgson defended himself post-match (Louza was at fault for the third goal) but his comments certainly haven’t eased tensions. His dismissive attitude towards the fans has not gone down very well at all.

Everyone needs to be in this together if Watford are to survive. Disharmony at this stage of the season is dangerous.

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Newcastle are "very close" to securing their Premier League survival, leaving six teams fighting for relegation, accoring to the Telegraph's Luke Edwards.

Below the Magpies in the table are Brentford, Leeds, Everton, Burnley, Watford and Norwich, with 10 points separating 15th to 20th.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily, Edwards said: "Newcastle have five wins out of six and are eight games unbeaten. They only won one game all season before Christmas so to win five out of the last six is remarkable.

"They are not quite out of it yet but are very close to getting themselves out of it now.

"Then I think it’s out of the six teams and Watford are one of them. Roy Hodgson will make them hard to beat and that’s what they needed. They’ve got the attacking players to crawl over the line though I personally don’t think they will do.

"Of any of the teams in the bottom three at the moment I would fancy Burnley to get out of it just because they are Burnley and it’s Sean Dyche.

"Brentford would be the one for me who are currently out of the relegation zone who I would be worried about."

Hear more on the relegation fight from 33'30 on BBC Sounds

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• Arsenal have won four consecutive away games in the Premier League for the second time under Mikel Arteta (also April/May 2021).

• Watford have lost more Premier League games against Arsenal than they have versus any other side in the competition’s history (13).

• The Gunners have scored in all 16 of their Premier League games against Watford – only against West Brom (26/26) do the Gunners have a better 100% scoring rate in the competition.

• Moussa Sissoko has scored two goals in his last three Premier League appearances, as many as he’d netted in his previous 131 combined.

• Bukayo Saka has been directly involved in more goals than any other under-21 player in the Premier League this season (13 - 8 goals, 5 assists).

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Emlyn Begley, BBC Sport

The Gunners continued their surge up the table with an entertaining, albeit ultimately tense win, keeping them unbeaten in the league since New Year's Day.

They played some really top-quality, slick football, even though they only had four efforts on target and were hanging on in the end after Moussa Sissoko struck.

It could have been so different though had Emmanuel Dennis timed his run better before slotting in Joao Pedro's pass just seconds into the game.

But Bukayo Saka was excellent again and involved in all three goals. He has scored or assisted 13 Premier League goals this season, with only Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz (17) involved in more in Europe's top five leagues among players under the age of 21.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta had a big hand in the third goal, too, grabbing the ball after it went out of play and quickly passing it to Saka, who took the throw-in that led to the goal.

Watford played their part in an engaging contest - Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale was the much busier goalkeeper - but have won just once under Roy Hodgson.

They become the fourth team to lose eight successive Premier League home matches, after Sunderland, Wolves and Norwich.

Watford boss Roy Hodgson told BBC Sport: "On the whole, I think we did about as well as I had hoped. We knew we were playing against a team in form with good players.

"We found ourselves 1-0 and 2-1 down so we were fighting a deficit but we still kept going. I think we did get the ball in and around their penalty area and we were decent value for our two goals but we paid a high price for the errors we made.

"I actually don't think we could do an awful lot more offensively and defensively. During the 90 minutes we really played our part and had we got a draw I don't think people would have complained too much."

Watford make three changes from their 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

Kiko Feminia and Joao Pedro are back and Cucho Hernandez comes into the team.

Ismaila Sarr, who has a hamstring injury, Jeremy Ngakia and Joshua King all miss out.

Watford: Foster, Kamara, Samir, Femenia, Cathcart, Cleverley, Louza, Sissoko, Pedro, Dennis, Hernandez. Subs: Bachmann, Etebo, Masina, Sema, Kabasele, Kalu, Sierralta, Kucka, Kayembe.

Arsenal are unchanged from their 2-1 win over Wolves.

Emile Smith Rowe is still out through illness while Takehiro Tomiyasu has not recovered from a calf injury in time to feature.

Arsenal: Ramsdale, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Soares, Xhaka, Partey, Martinell, Saka, Odegaard, Lacazette. Subs: Leno, Holding, Pepe, Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny, Nketiah, Swanson, Hutchinson.

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford are still fighting for their lives and the draw at Manchester United last weekend was another point on the board in the bid for survival.

Since Roy Hodgson became manager, the Hornets' away form is pretty good; one win, two draws and a defeat. In contrast, the home form has continued where it left off under Claudio Ranieri, with two rather miserable losses at Vicarage Road.

At home this season, Watford have won two out of 13 games. Seven points from a possible 39 is the worst tally in the league. It's been really tough on the Vicarage Road faithful and Hodgson has to try to sort this out before the season ends.

The Hornets have lost their past seven at Vicarage Road and the home fans need some proper cheering up. It seems a long time ago - November versus Manchester United - since the supporters were victoriously applauding their side off the pitch.

The problem Hodgson - and Watford - has is his system is better set up for an away game. Soak up pressure, allow the opposition to have more possession and exploit on the counter-attack. It's easier to do away from home. There's not as much pressure and there isn't as much of an onus to attack.

At home, supporters demand more, but you get the feeling Hodgson - to coin a phrase - is not for turning. The way Arsenal play it could work this weekend. But against teams outside the top six it's a system which is difficult to warm to.

Watford knew what they were getting when they hired Hodgson. Supporters will have to hope that his style will start getting them points at home as well as away if they are to stand any chance of surviving in the top flight.

Watford v Arsenal commentary on BBC Three Counties Radio 103.8FM

Mark Lawrenson takes on legendary guitarist Johnny Marr, a lifelong Manchester City fan, in the latest round of Premier League predictions.

Lawro's prediction: 1-2

With three wins in a row, Arsenal are on a nice little run at the moment, and they are well placed in the race for fourth.

Compared to Manchester United and Tottenham, the Gunners have got the advantage of a settled squad that are all pulling in the same direction, while they have far more strength in depth than West Ham.

Mikel Arteta's side have found the knack for winning games when they don't play well or things go against them, which is down to the manager - he has made them a team again.

Watford got a great draw at Old Trafford last week but they rode their luck to leave with a point and the same will have to happen for them to get anything here.

Johnny's prediction: Watford are struggling but I don't think this is going to be a slam dunk for Arsenal, even if they are getting it together a bit now. I can see a surprise happening here. 1-0

Find out how Lawro and Johnny Marr think the rest of the weekend's fixtures will go

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Watford are without winger Ismaila Sarr, who suffered a hamstring injury in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

Full-back Kiko Femenia is back in contention after missing the game at Old Trafford with a minor issue.

Arsenal welcome back Emile Smith Rowe, who sat out the win over Wolves because of illness.

Takehiro Tomiyasu is doubtful because of the calf injury that ruled him out of Thursday's match.

Who makes your Hornets team to face Arsenal?

Pick your Gunners starting XI against Watford

Roy Hodgson has been speaking to the media before Watford host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from the Hornets boss:

• Hodgson confirmed both winger Ismaila Sarr and centre-back William Troost-Ekong will miss the game with the Gunners through injury.

• He said facing Arsenal is a "very big challenge", like the fixtures against Aston Villa and Manchester United, but Watford "came out on the right side of those games".

• On the balance of the team, Hodgson said you need "both sides of your game" to come together to get a result.

• The objective against Arsenal will be to "match" the Gunners and aim to cause Mikel Arteta's side problems by denying them chances at Vicarage Road.

• An improvement to Watford's home form is a must for Hodgson after defeats by Crystal Palace and Brighton, but the Hornets manager doesn't quite know why his side has been better on the road in recent games.

• Hodgson praised the work the club and its fans are doing to help the people of Ukraine. "They’re doing a really good job," he added.

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

They discuss who you should be picking for your squads and try to help you navigate through playing your chips at the right time.

Also - presenter Nick Bright pops by to talk beating Ali in the head-to-head league and play a game of Sutton Death.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

• Watford have earned just seven points from 45 available against Arsenal in the Premier League (W2 D1 L12), though four of these have come in their last three home games against them (W1 D1 L1).

• Arsenal have scored in all 15 of their Premier League games against Watford – only against West Brom (26/26) do the Gunners have a better scoring rate in the league.

• Watford have kept three clean sheets in their six Premier League games under Roy Hodgson, as many as they had in their previous 38 under four different managers. However, the Hornets have only scored twice in their six games under Hodgson.

• Arsenal have won each of their last three Premier League away games, having won just two of their first eight on the road this season (D1 L5). The Gunners have opened the scoring in each of their last five Premier League away games, last having a longer run between January and May 2015 (7).

• Roy Hodgson has won just one of his 12 Premier League home games against Arsenal (D4 L7), winning 1-0 over Fulham in August 2008. His final home match in charge of Crystal Palace ended in a 3-1 defeat to the Gunners in May last season.

Watford host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday as they hope to take a step towards Premier League survival.

It has been a tough start to life at Watford for Roy Hodgson, who have won just one game and scored two goals.

However, there was a positive result with a draw against Manchester United last Saturday, so would you pick the same side that started that match?

It's time to pick your Hornets XI to face Arsenal

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Matt Rowson, BHaPPY blog, external

The conventional wisdom is that goals are exciting.  Given the choice between a 4-4 draw and a 0-0 with no emotional investment you’d choose the former every time.

This equation changes with a stake in the game. Watford’s FA Cup fifth-round replay with Walsall at Vicarage Road finished 4-4 after a tremendous effort by the third-tier Saddlers in a fine game, but my grandad was so exercised by the whole thing that he committed never to attend another game and didn’t.

Equally, there can be beauty in a goalless draw. Not always, admittedly. Sometimes a rubbish game is just a rubbish game, to mangle a popular saying.  But when you’ve gone through half a season of shipping goals far quicker than you can score them the sudden ability to throw a wet blanket over a game and club the life out of it can be a fine, fine thing.

Witness the goalless draw at Old Trafford. If there was more fortune about it (not to say two fewer points) than the win at Villa Park a week earlier you’d nonetheless have to be a miserable soul not to enjoy Cristiano Ronaldo running into Hassane Kamara, falling over and gesticulating in impotent desperation, or Samir slamming into a defiant block, or Bruno Fernandes’ shot through the forest of legs bouncing off the affronted Ronaldo and away.

It may not be enough in the long term. But it’s something, and we’re clinging to it.

When it comes to this week's FA Cup fifth-round and Premier League action, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra have you covered:

Tuesday, 1 March

• Middlesbrough v Tottenham (19:55) – 5 Live

• Burnley v Leicester (19:45) – Sports Extra

Wednesday, 2 March

• Luton v Chelsea (19:15) - 5 Live

• Liverpool v Norwich City (20:15) – Sports Extra

Thursday, 3 March

• Everton v Boreham Wood (20:15) - 5 Live

Saturday, 5 March

• Burnley v Chelsea (15:00) - 5 Live

Sunday, 6 March

• Watford v Arsenal (14:00) - 5 Live

• Manchester City v Manchester United (16:30) - 5 Live

All times GMT