I wonder if Eddie Howe is watching on. We are into the dying breaths of the Premier League season now, one that really does feel like it's lasted a lifetime.

Here come Manchester City, new kits on in the Hertfordshire sunshine.

Lee Dixon
Former Arsenal and England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Nigel Pearson turned Watford around and did a brilliant job, he cannot lose whatever happens now.

If they stay up then he brought them off the bottom of the table and if they go down it wasn't his fault.

The players responded to him and they were fantastic against Liverpool.

What he has done for this club is clear to see and that is why he is getting the well wishes.

Image source, Getty Images

A Watford win would nearly relegate Villa before they play later - it could depend on goal difference, though the teams are very tight.

Should Villa get beaten tonight, and the Hornets DO NOT lose, then Villa will be back in the Championship.

A Villa loss and a Watford loss would take it to the final day of the season.

A point for Watford tonight would cement Bournemouth's relegation too.

Lee Dixon
Former Arsenal and England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

The Watford owners will have made the decision to sack Nigel Pearson and thought they have got enough to stay up.

Trying to work out what the Pozzo family is difficult. It is just their way, it is a different model but it does not make it wrong. Their argument will be they are in the Premier League and success for them is straying up every year.

They will want to progress but that is difficult when changing managers all the time. It may seem ridiculous but if they stay up they will be justified.

Something has gone on between the owner and Pearson, enough for them to let him go.

I'm not going to lie to you, I've got a strong urge now to sack this off and watch Rocky III. But we'll persist.

Lest we forget, Watford have already beaten champions Liverpool at Vicarage Road this season.

Manchester City are guaranteed to finish second. The last team to beat both top-two teams at home in the Premier League in a season was Manchester United in 2016-17 (1-0 vs Spurs, 2-0 vs Chelsea).

Lee Dixon
Former Arsenal and England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

It definitely will be 'hurtsville' for Manchester City, they will be very disappointed about the FA Cup semi-final defat

Arsenal did a right job on them. That will have hurt Pep Guardiola and he will have looked at his student in the other dugout and thought he has done me there. It was a masterclass in not having the ball and winning the game.

If City get the first goal, they may get a hatful.

What's your prediction for the fight?

Image source, Getty Images

Jonathan Pearce
BBC Match of the Day commentator

Another day, another manager. Hayden Mullins is one of 12 men to be put in charge of Watford in the last eight years.

It's a fair point - Watford's goal difference is currently four better than that of Aston Villa below them.

Remember that Pep Guardiola averages four goals per game against Watford and you can see what Richard is getting at.

City have nothing to play for, though. They are marooned in second place.

Richard Browne: Let's be realistic here, the issue for Watford tonight is protecting that goal difference advantage.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Alistair Bruce-Ball and Lee Dixon will be on 5 Live from now previewing Watford v Manchester City – with plenty of chat about Pearson/Mullins and City’s approach to the rest of the domestic season.

Then there is full commentary of that game before Rory Smith, Chris Sutton and Dion Dublin join the debate in the studio.

They will discuss the relegation battle, Arsenal’s backbone, De Gea/Henderson, Liverpool’s all-time XI, the Liverpool trophy lift, the Championship finale and more....

Hayden Mullins is patrolling the middle of the pitch, taking part in some of the drills as his players go through their warm-ups. What an odd situation he finds himself in.

Still, a result tonight against the odds would be enormous for Watford.

West Ham United

West Ham don't play today, but it could still be a significant night for them. If Villa do not beat Arsenal, then West Ham are safe.

A draw in either of the Hammers' final two matches would also put their security beyond any doubt.

It's so often the way. There are a lot of seasons where my favourite hour has been the hour before the first game of the season kicks off.

Gabriel Jesus has scored in 33 Premier League games for Manchester City and ended on the winning side in 32 of those (D1), a win ratio of 97% - the best of any player to have scored in at least 20 games in Premier League history. City have won the last 30 league games when Jesus has found the net.

You do wonder if it's even worth Watford appointing a full-time manager again or whether they should go down the Have I Got News For You route, post-Deaton, and just have a different person in charge every week.

Would be interesting.

Lovely use of 'caretaker manager bounce'...

Manchester City

In fact, Man City need to score four goals in this match to equal the Premier League record for goals against an opponent in a single season (12), having won 8-0 in the reverse game.

The record is held by Blackburn (1995-96 vs Nottingham Forest) and Spurs (2009-10 vs Wigan); City have averaged four goals per game under Pep Guardiola against Watford in the Premier League.