Martin Fisher
Match of the Day commentator

What a welcome addition Neil Warnock has been to the Premier League scene. A quip here, a moan there but smiles aplenty as his Cardiff side have risen to the challenge and defied the odds by climbing four points clear of the relegation zone.

True, they need to improve on the road and maybe this is the day?

Watford haven't won since October, which makes the decision to award Javi Gracia a new four-and-a-half year contracttwo weeks ago even more baffling given the owners' historical preference for short-term deals.

I'm sure Warnock would see the irony in that.

Image source, Getty Images

Like I just said, this is the first top-flight meeting between these two sides.

Watford have only lost one of their nine Premier League home matches against promoted opposition, while Cardiff have only managed one point from their past nine Premier League away games.

Should Cardiff win this, it will mark consecutive top-flight victories for them for the first time since - get this - April 1962.

Watford manager Javi Gracia makes one change from the side that drew 2-2 with Everton last weekend.

He brings in Gerard Deulofeu in the place of Isaac Success, who drops to the bench.

Watford XI: Foster, Deulofeu, Deeney, Sema, Cathcart, Doucoure, Quina, Femenia, Holebas, Kabasele, Pereyra

Subs: Gomes, Mariappa, Cleverley, Success, Masina, Chalobah, Okaka

It's one change for Neil Warnock's Cardiff too as they look to push on from last weekend's victory over Southampton.

Junior Hoilett is the man who moves into the starting line-up, in the place of Nathaniel Mendez-Laing who is a substitute today.

Cardiff XI: Etheridge, Bennett, Morrison, Ecuele Manga, Arter, Murphy, Paterson, Gunnarsson, Camarasa, Bamba, Junior Hoilett

Subs: Smithies, Peltier, Ralls, Zohore, Reid, Mendez-Laing, Harris

It's days like this I'm very glad I'm not a professional footballer.

It's freezing, the sky is very dark over Vicarage Road and it's absolutely bucketing it down. Ahhhh winter.

BBC Sport HQ feels very cosy all of a sudden. Anyway, let's look at today's teams.

Hello!

It's pretty chilly out there, isn't it? Well put on your comfies, grab a cuppa and join me for this, the first top-flight meeting between Watford and Cardiff City.

Neil's up for it...

Image source, Getty Images