Watford

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

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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

Image source, Getty Images

We asked Watford fans what has gone wrong at Vicarage Road this season.

Here is a sample of your views:

Alison: The turnaround this year has been remarkable. Last year we had the best defensive and home record in the whole football league but you wouldn't have believed it from this year's performances. A big problem seems to be that whilst we seem to compete well (but lose) against 'good' teams, we have really struggled against mid- and lower table teams.

Rory: The same tactics of player turnover and chopping and changing managers that carried us through our last stint in the Premier league have failed. We have not replaced personalities like Deeney, Hughes and Chalobah and there is no-one holding players accountable and pushing us to do better. We need stability and a leader on the pitch.

Brian: Even with five wins, we will probably still go down. We should have kept with Xisco and given him the support of Hodgson or similar earlier in the season. Sarr is just making sure that he doesn’t get injured before the end of the season while a number of others are just going through the motions. I hope Hodgson stays or we get Dyche back.

David: Shocking run of form from the owners really. Another season of mediocre additions to the team and managerial merry-go-rounds have left us facing the drop. Even beating Everton and Burnley leaves us one point behind Everton, assuming their results mirror ours.

Have your say over here

Image source, Getty Images

• A defeat for Watford would also leave them on the brink of relegation as the Hornets would be 12 points adrift of safety with only four games left.

• At the top of the table, Manchester City and Liverpool have already secured their places in the Champions League group stage for next season.

• Chelsea are guaranteed at least a spot in the Europa League next year because - even if they lose the FA Cup final - they cannot finish lower than sixth.

It's another huge week in Europe for English clubs on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, as Manchester City and Liverpool play the first legs of their Champions League semi-finals, and West Ham bid to reach the final of the Europa League.

There are also Premier League commentaries, involving the relegation fight and race to finish in the top four.

Monday, 25 April

• Crystal Palace v Leeds United (20:00)

Tuesday, 26 April

• Manchester City v Real Madrid (20:00)

Wednesday, 27 April

• Liverpool v Villarreal (20:00)

Thursday, 28 April

• West Ham United v Eintracht Frankfurt (20:00)

• Manchester United v Chelsea (19:45, Sports Extra)

Saturday, 30 April

• Watford v Burnley (15:00)

Sunday, 1 May

• Everton v Chelsea (14:00)

• West Ham United v Arsenal (16:30)

*All times BST

Image source, Getty Images

With only five games remaining, Watford's chances of staying in the Premier League look very slim.

After a heavy defeat by Manchester City that leaves Roy Hodgson's side nine points away from safety, do you think relegation is now a certainty?

BBC Three Counties Radio commentator Geoff Doyle feels the Hornets' current squad is filled with too many Championship-level players not capable of keeping the club in the top flight - do you agree?

Let us know your thoughts here

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

After Manchester City’s comfortable win Roy Hodgson said he needed ticks next to all his players, indicating they had played to their maximum ability if they were to stand any chance of getting something at Etihad Stadium.

Unfortunately there weren’t enough and the inevitable occurred. It was unsurprising.

This Watford team and squad haven’t shown enough all season, let alone at one of the best clubs in the world. To get eleven ticks would mean a high level of consistency among the players, a smart indicator of just how good they actually are.

This was another nod towards the general consensus that the majority aren’t quite up to the level and they are nowhere near City’s. Rightly so. City can spend £100 million on one player.

Watford should be compared to the mid-table teams. The problem has been they haven’t been at their levels either. And that comes back to recruitment last summer and in January.

Hodgson has been criticised by some Watford fans - with some justification at times - but one wonders whether his opposite number Pep Guardiola would have done much better.

It always comes down to players. Apart from three or four these lot are Championship rather than Premier League level. And that’s where they’re heading back to.

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

Stream the action now on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Getty Images

Chris Bevan, BBC Sport at Etihad Stadium

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was repeatedly asked whether Gabriel Jesus could leave the club in the summer after the Brazilian's brilliant four-goal display had blown Watford away at a gusty Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola made it clear he is not even thinking about that now, with his side entering the final month of what could be another stellar season with the two biggest prizes, domestically and in Europe, in their sights.

Five wins in City's five remaining games will secure the Premier League title and, while Guardiola must be hoping they are all as straightforward as Saturday's one-sided game, he knows they won't be.

So, rather than speculating whether Jesus will sign a contract extension or not before his current deal runs out in 2023, he urged focus on the task ahead on both fronts - starting with Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg with Real Madrid, every game is must-win now.

For Watford boss Roy Hodgson, staying up is the only target and the chances of that happening appear to be receding every week.

When the Hornets last won a game, against Southampton on 13 March, only goal difference kept them in the bottom three. Now, after four successive defeats, they are nine points adrift with five games to play and have a goal difference drastically worse than the two teams immediately above them.

While they won't be down mathematically if they lose their next game, against fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday, defeat would surely end their hopes of escaping the drop.

The good news there is that the Clarets are much more beatable than City, of course, but the problem for Watford is that they face them at Vicarage Road, where they have lost their past 10 games.

Image source, Getty Images

• Manchester City have now won 15 consecutive games against Watford in all competitions, the longest-ever winning run by an English league side over another. The aggregate score in those 15 meetings is 58-8.

• The Hornets have lost 13 of their 14 Premier League games against an opponent starting the day top of the table, winning the other 3-0 against Liverpool in February 2020.

• Pep Guardiola has won all 11 of his meetings with Watford in all competitions, by an aggregate score of 47-5. It’s his best 100% win rate against an opponent in his managerial career.

• Emmanuel Dennis has been directly involved in 52% of Watford’s 31 Premier League goals this season (10 goals, six assists); only Teemu Pukki for Norwich (59%) has had a hand in a higher proportion of his club’s goals in the competition in 2021-22.

Watford boss Roy Hodgson to BBC Match of the Day: "We were architects of our own downfall. It would've been very tough here whatever happens but you need to give yourself a little bit of leeway.

"But you concede a goal in the very first minute and then just before half-time you concede a third goal. I thought that was a little bit harsh because at 2-1 I thought we were making a decent effort to stay in the game and making life as difficult for them as I could expect us to.

"But then the fourth goal, in the first minute of the second half, is unforgivable really if you seriously think you're going to come here and dent any hopes they would have of beating you so we had to pay the price for that.

"The last two matches we haven't really been that bad, it was circumstances that caused us to lose those games. I haven't got the feeling we lost them because there's no spirit, no fight or no heart. It (the relegation battle) is not over yet."

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

Follow all the action here

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