Hull vs Watford – Match Preview

Another big weekend in the bid to beat the drop as 17th placed Hull play host to 10th placed Watford at The KCom Stadium this afternoon and Marco Silva will be looking for his side to continue their impressive home form in a bid to beat the drop.

Since Hull moved out of the bottom three on April 5th after their 4-2 win over fellow strugglers Middlesbrough, nothing has really changed with both they and Swansea losing their next two fixtures. So defeat in isolation has been all that bad as no-one has taken advantage of their results.

But that is something that cannot last forever and Hull will know that they cannot rely on just earning 30 points between now and the end of the season, if they are to secure a second successive Premier League season they are going to have to add more points to the board.

Not only will their home form go in their favour but what also might work for them is the fact that their opponents Watford have already reached the hallowed 40 point marker and while not mathematically safe you get the feeling that it is job done for Walter Mazzari’s men.

Hull therefore will look to take full advantage of the drop off that may well be apparent in these Watford players later today and they know that nothing less than all three points will be the requirement as they look to keep Swansea in 18th place.

It’s been back to back defeats on the road for Hull. After defeat to Manchester City a fortnight ago there would have been some disappointment not to have got anything from a Stoke side that previous to last Saturday had lost four matches in a row.

Hull’s opponents Watford do come here in good form after winning three of their last four matches. A run of results which has seen them move into the top half of the table and in turn relieve the pressure on Italian manager Walter Mazzari.

There are still question marks over his methods and whether or not he will be in a job at Vicarage Road next season, but the best way to answer those question is by getting wins and as of late that is exactly what he has managed to achieve.

The caveat in that though is the fact that the three wins have all come at home and their only game on the road was a heavy defeat to Tottenham a fortnight ago. That coupled with their perceived safety could very well play into Hull’s hands this afternoon.

Last weekend Watford would have done Hull a massive favour as they brushed aside Swansea thanks to Etienne Capoue’s winner. It’s fair to say that Swansea were masters of their downfall though as Alfie Mawson dithered on the ball and allowed Capoue the perfect opportunity to score.

Hull will have to make sure they are not as generous when they face Watford in a few hours time. They cannot afford to make life any harder than it is already is but with Marco Silva in charge you can be sure that his players will be fired up for the task in hand.

I think Hull’s home form coupled with Watford’s all but safety will be a massive advantage and so much so that I can see this being a huge win for Hull as they bid to beat the drop. Regardless of goings on at Swansea, I can see this being all three points for The Tigers this afternoon.