Watford

Manchester City make six changes from the side that beat Brighton on Wednesday.

Ruben Dias, who returned from a hamstring injury when he came off the bench for the second half against the Seagulls, makes his first start since 1 March.

Oleksandar Zinchenko gets the nod at left-back, while Fernandinho comes into midfield to play alongside Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne.

Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish form the attack, and will be hoping to link up better than they did when they started at Wembley in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final.

Man City XI: Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Laporte, Zinchenko, Rodri, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sterling, Grealish, Jesus

Subs: Steffen, Ake, Gundogan, Bernardo, Mahrez, Foden, Egan-Riley, Mbete, Palmer

Image source, BBC Sport

Watford make three changes from the side that were beaten by an injury-time goal by Brentford last weekend.

Jeremy Ngakia starts at right-back for his first game since the end of February, Tom Cleverley is back in midfield and Joshua King returns up front.

Kiko Femenia and Juraj Kucka are out with minor knocks and Joao Pedro drops to the bench.

Watford XI: Foster, Ngakia, Samir, Kabasele, Kamara, Sissoko, Cleverley, Louza, Sarr, Dennis, King

Subs: Bachmann, Ekong, Pedro, Masina, Sema, Nkoulou, Cathcart, Gosling, Kayembe

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Lawrenson takes on Austin Brown, singer and guitarist of rock band Parquet Courts, in the latest round of Premier League predictions.

Lawro's prediction: 4-0

It is not really a question of whether Manchester City will win this one, more a case of how many will they score?

City put eight past the Hornets the last time they came to Etihad Stadium in 2019 and, while I don't think the damage will be as bad this time, they should win comfortably again.

Watford boss Roy Hodgson's strength is his defensive organisation and he will set his side up to try to keep City out and make things difficult for them.

The problem there is that City are just too good. Once they get one goal, the floodgates could open.

Austin's prediction: A good friend of mine, Euan, who plays saxophone for the Welsh musician Cate le Bon, is a big Watford fan and he was a mascot when he was a kid. He got quite upset with me recently when I told him they were going down and it would be a good thing because the games would be better for them in the Championship. He didn't like that much. We don't have promotion and relegation in America so I guess I don't fully understand the concept on an emotional level! 4-0

Find out how Lawro and Austin Brown, singer and guitarist of the Parquet Courts, think the rest of the weekend's fixtures will go

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City will assess the fitness of Nathan Ake and John Stones, who were forced off in the win over Brighton.

Kyle Walker is doubtful because of the ankle injury he sustained against Atletico Madrid.

Watford could welcome back defender William Troost-Ekong, who has not featured since the Africa Cup of Nations because of a hamstring injury.

Samuel Kalu and Francisco Sierralta are yet to resume full training, while Cucho Hernandez remains out.

Pick your City side to face Watford

Who makes your Hornets XI?

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Even the most optimistic Watford fan might struggle to find plausible reasons as to why the Hornets should get anything at Etihad Stadium.

Watford have lost more games in the Premier League than any other. They face a City side battling for the title with Liverpool and a goal difference deficit of six to make up. Pep Guardiola's side might think they can make inroads into that on Saturday.

Roy Hodgson's side are preparing for this one like they did for the Liverpool game at Anfield at the beginning of the month. It worked pretty well on Merseyside and will have to be repeated for Watford to stay in the game like they did against Jurgen Klopp's team.

They will look to frustrate the current champions, try to close space and catch them on the counter-attack. Even then they will be cautious. Hodgson has spoken about how dangerous City are on the break themselves.

This is a funny time for Watford fans. Most have accepted that relegation is inevitable. They are seven points adrift and after this match will have five games left which they will probably have to win all of to survive. It's more a question of 'when' rather than 'if'.

It's difficult not to look ahead to life in the Championship and try to work out which players might still be on the books at Vicarage Road. To make up the television money shortfall some of the top players will have to be sold but the owners rarely allow anyone to leave who won't make them a profit.

With a bigger parachute payment to be given this season the hope is that it should be even easier for the relegated Premier League clubs to come back up at the first time of asking.

Image source, Getty Images

Pep Guardiola has praised Watford manager Roy Hodgson and says it's "not true" that he did not speak with him after Crystal Palace won at Etihad Stadium.

Hodgson said on Thursday that Guardiola "would probably never speak to me again" if the Hornets pulled off a shock victory on Saturday and the City boss is wary of their threat.

"After games, I speak to managers, I invite them for a glass of wine," said Guardiola. "If he beats me, we celebrate. Why should we not be friends?

"You are happier when you win, sad when you lose, so I'm sure it was a joke.

"He has incredible experience as a manager. We struggled to break down Palace when he was there.

"With their quality and their physicality upfront, we will have to be ourselves to get the three points."

• Manchester City have won their past 14 meetings with Watford and could become the first English league side in history to win 15 consecutive competitive games against an opponent.

• Watford have lost 11 of their past 12 away games against City, with the exception being a 0-0 draw in December 2006. Their last away win against City was in the top flight in April 1987 (2-1).

• Pep Guardiola's side have won 15 of their past 16 Premier League games against sides in the relegation zone (D1), since a 3-2 loss against Norwich in September 2019. Since drawing 1-1 with West Bromwich Albion in December 2020, the Citizens have won their past nine such matches by an aggregate score of 31-0.

• The Hornets have taken just one point from 39 available in away league games against reigning top-flight champions (W0 D1 L12), drawing 2-2 at Chelsea in December 2015. The Hornets have conceded 45 goals in these 13 games, losing 8-0 at City last time out.

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave reunite in the middle of gameweek 33 to discuss potential wildcard teams, the form of Bruno Guimaraes and whether a throw-in should be classed as a set-piece.

Also, listener Jonah Philpott joins the podcast to try to restore family honour in Sutton Death.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Watford manager Roy Hodgson wants to upset Pep Guardiola again on Saturday and launch a late bid for Premier League survival in the most unlikely place.

The Hornets have lost their past 14 matches to Premier League leaders Manchester City and have not beaten them since 1989.

The former England boss did, however, mastermind a 3-2 win at Etihad Stadium in 2018 and also held City to a draw two years ago while in charge of Crystal Palace.

Last weekend’s late defeat at home to Brentford left his side seven points from safety with six games left.

But Hodgson will not send the Hornets out to go toe-to-toe with slick-passing City and is instead planning a pragmatic performance that frustrates Guardiola and his players.

“What we’re going to do is try to make ourselves unpopular,” said the former Liverpool manager.

“If we want to make ourselves popular with Pep, the City crowd and everyone else, we go hell for leather to try to win the game and match them at their own game.

“At least 99% of people, certainly those who work in football, know that is a recipe for disaster. We need to make life as difficult for them as we possibly can.

"Pep didn’t speak to me for a long while after Palace managed to steal a win up there and if we get a win this time, he will probably never speak to me again!”

Roy Hodgson has been speaking to the media as Watford prepare to face Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from the Hornets boss:

• There's good news for Hodgson as defender William Troost-Ekong has returned to full training after recovering from a slight hamstring strain.

• However, Cucho Hernandez is sidelined because of an issue with his hamstring, while Samuel Kalu and Francisco Sierralta, who both missed the game against Brentford, will take part in modified sessions on Thursday.

• The Watford boss knows the enormity of the task that faces his side when they travel to Etihad Stadium at the weekend. Hodgson acknowledged the "wealth of talent" Pep Guardiola has at his disposal.

• After an agonising defeat by Brentford last weekend, Hodgson said he is hoping Watford's confidence "hasn't been totally shattered" by Pontus Jansson's late goal. He felt the Hornets' second-half performance was one of their best in a long while.

• Watford could have a hand in the title race if they manage to grab a result against league leaders City. Hodgson said they will meet a "deadly serious" team on Saturday. If City don't get three points, it could be a "massive blow to them", adds Hodgson.

• Hodgson revealed Pep Guardiola didn't speak to him "for a long time" after Crystal Palace managed to secure a win at the Etihad under his management in 2018. He then joked the Spanish boss "might never speak to me again" if Watford repeat the same feat.

Watford travel north on Saturday for a daunting match against Manchester City.

But who should Roy Hodgson be backing to go toe-to-toe with the reigning champions?

The Hornets gave a decent account at Anfield earlier this month so should he be following a similar blueprint?

It's time to pick your Watford side to face Manchester City

It's another busy week of Premier League commentaries across BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra as the race for the title, the hunt to finish in the Champions League places and the battle to avoid relegation continues.

Tuesday, 19 April

• Liverpool v Manchester United (20:00)

Wednesday, 20 April

• Chelsea v Arsenal (19:45)

• Everton v Leicester (19:45, Sports Extra)

Thursday, 21 April

• Burnley v Southampton (19:45)

Saturday, 23 April

• Manchester City v Watford (15:00)

Sunday, 24 April

• Chelsea v West Ham (14:00)

• Liverpool v Everton (16:30)

All times BST

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

Stream the action now on BBC iPlayer

Image source, Reuters

Harry de Cosemo, BBC Sport

Watford boss Roy Hodgson's face in the first half said it all for Watford. He said after the game that he'd drilled the importance of a win over Brentford into his players because of their precarious position in the Premier League but, on the early evidence, they weren't responding.

While it was a much different story after half-time, they gave themselves too much to do. Brentford were allowed to find their rhythm after Christian Norgaard's early goal, and though they didn't get out of second gear, they didn't have to.

By the time Emmanuel Dennis levelled with his 10th goal of the season and the intensity levels inside Vicarage Road increased, time was against them. Brentford waited it out and regained their composure to break hearts through Pontus Jansson's 95th-minute header.

But the margins are so small and so cruel. Just before Dennis scored, Ivan Toney missed a great chance; but just before Jansson struck, Imran Louza missed an open goal.

Watford also hit the woodwork twice, so their luck wasn't in. But then, they haven't deserved for it to be for much of the season.

While the Hornets contemplate the increasing likelihood of an immediate return to the Championship, Brentford can look towards a late push for a top-half finish.

Image source, Getty Images

• Watford are only the third team to lose 10 consecutive top-flight home games in a row, after Birmingham City in February 1986 and Sunderland in August 2005 - and only the second to do so in a single season (also Birmingham).

• Brentford have won five of their past six Premier League games (L1) and have won three top-flight games in a row for the first time since September 1946. 

• Hornets boss Roy Hodgson is the first manager to lose his first five home Premier League games in charge of a club since Chris Ramsey with QPR in 2015.

• The Bees have scored three league goals via throw-in situations this season, one more than the rest of the division combined, with Christian Norgaard netting two of those and assisting the other.

Watford boss Roy Hodgson, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Someone up there doesn't like us. Our first half performance was nowhere near good enough, we conceded a very poor goal so that was very disappointing considering how much we built the game up with the players during the week. They recognised the game needed to be built up because it was one of the last chance games we'd have.

"In the second half we did more than well enough, 1-0 down of course. But we got ourselves back in and I thought at least we looked good value or a 1-1. To lose to a free-kick in the 95th minute seemed to be a harsh judgement on the team.

"We haven't been lucky, but that doesn't alter the fact we haven't been good enough either. Today we should have been congratulating ourselves, if that is the right word, on a 1-1 draw. I didn't think we deserved to be contemplating another home defeat; taking the second half, that is probably the best we've offered our home fans. That doesn't say much.

"Any joy I've had over that performance has been snatched from me. There are 18 points left to play for, we've got no choice but to keep fighting. If we take all 18, we might well survive."

We are bringing you live text commentary of Watford v Brentford, 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 Vicarage Road

Watford have made one change from the side that lost to Leeds last weekend, with Emmanuel Dennis replacing Cucho Hernandez.

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

Image source, BBC Sport

As for Brentford, Pontus Jansson replaces Mathias Jorgensen in their only change from the win over West Ham.

Brentford XI: Raya; Henry, Pinnock, Jansson, Ayer; Janelt, Norgaard, Eriksen; Mbeumo, Wissa, Toney

Image source, BBC Sport

Mark Lawrenson takes on Joe Elliott, frontman of rock legends Def Leppard, in the latest round of Premier League and FA Cup predictions.

Lawro's prediction: 1-2

Brentford are on a roll now, with four wins out of their past five games.

I don't know what is going to happen with Christian Eriksen because I am reading how all sorts of teams want to buy him in the summer, but he has arguably been the signing of the season and I'd love it if the Bees could find a way to keep him.

Watford, in contrast, have lost four of their previous five games. Usually, when you look at teams trying to stay up, you point to their home form being crucial but the Hornets have a dreadful record at Vicarage Road, and I don't think it will improve on Saturday.

Joe's prediction: Apologies to [Hornets fan] Elton John, but Watford are done this season. Brentford have got momentum, and they have got Eriksen too. 0-1.

Find out how Lawro and Joe Elliott, frontman of Def Leppard, think the rest of the weekend's fixtures will go

Watford could be without forward Cucho Hernandez, who hasn't trained since limping off during the first half of the defeat against Leeds.

Centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou is fit after a long-term hamstring injury.

Brentford defender Pontus Jansson is expected to play after missing last weekend's win over West Ham because of illness.

Josh Dasilva could return from a hamstring problem while Frank Onyeka's foot injury will be assessed.

Choose your Hornets side to face Brentford

Pick your Bees XI