Watford

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.

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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

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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

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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

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Roy Hodgson has admitted he hasn't had the impact he hoped and expected to have at Watford.

Since his arrival as boss, the Hornets have lost seven of their 11 games and sit six points from safety.

Reflecting on his time at the club so far, Hodgson said: "I've enjoyed it, there's no doubt about that.

"I'm disappointed because when Gino (Pozzo) and Scott (Duxbury) asked me to come with Ray [Lewington] I honestly thought we could make a difference and maybe we could help the club out and get the results which had been missing up to that point.

"But unfortunately we've failed in that respect because we haven't been able to do that. The results are still not what we want them to be. We're still not taking enough points and we're still in the bottom three.

"I certainly haven't enjoyed that aspect of it.

"We've been given all the support that we need to try to help the team win games.

"The set-up is quite outstanding: the training ground, everything around the training ground, the medical facilities.

"An awful lot around Watford Football Club I think is very, very good and Ray and I have benefited from all of the support that we think we would need to try  to get this team to get results and pull away from the relegation zone.

"But we've not succeeded in doing so."

Roy Hodgson has been speaking to the media before Watford host Brentford on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He confirmed Cucho Hernandez is likely to miss the rest of the season and said "I'm afraid his muscle injury, a hamstring injury, is a serious one. So, I'm afraid we won't be seeing him for a considerable period of time".

• In other injury news, Samuel Kalu has an ankle injury, Willy Ekong has a hamstring strain, while Francisco Sierralta has a calf injury. The trio will all miss Saturday's game.

• On Brentford, Hodgson said: "We know they are going to be hard to be beat, but the opportunity exists for us".

• He added: "We are fully aware that unless we start getting three points from some of these games, we are going to slip even further behind".

• On the importance of Saturday's game, he said: "Last week was a must-win too. But we didn't succeed it".

Follow Friday's Premier League manager news conferences

Alistair Bruce-Ball, Chris Sutton and Statman Dave reunite for another week of fantasy football fun.

They discuss Ali’s performance at Augusta, as well as why you should always be nice!

And, this week, listener Sam plays Sutton Death against Chris.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

• Watford have lost their past two league games against Brentford, as many as they had in their previous 16 (W9 D5). They last lost more consecutive matches against the Bees between 1929 and 1931 (5).

• Brentford are looking to complete their first league double over Watford since 1976-77 in the fourth tier. However, they’re winless in their past seven league visits to Vicarage Road (D2 L5).

• The Hornets have suffered 12 home Premier League defeats this season, with every other top-flight team to lose 12 or more such games in a single season going on to be relegated (20 previous occasions). Only 32% of their points this season have come at home (7/22), the lowest percentage by a team in an English top-flight season in history.

• Ivan Toney has been involved in 10 goals in his past eight Premier League appearances (eight goals, two assists), with only Spurs duo Harry Kane (15) and Son Heung-Min (13) involved in more goals in 2022 so far.