West Brom vs Watford – Premier League Match Preview

Dan Tracey September 30, 2017 Leave a comment 1,816 Views

If you were to sum up West Brom’s start to the season you would have to sum it up in one word. That word being average. A half dozen matches have provided them with two wins, two draws and two defeats with a goal difference of minus two they will look to enhance that return when they play host to Watford this afternoon.

If you were to ask the same question a couple of weeks ago then the answer would be one that is slightly more positive. After back to back wins opened the campaign they have now failed to win any of their last four matches with a trip to North London on Monday being their last outing.

That was because they went head to head with Arsenal and once again came away empty handed from The Emirates as Alexander Lacazette’s double turned out to be the difference. That said the complexion of the game could have and should have been a lot different had the Baggies been awarded an early penalty.

Jay Rodriguez was probably to honest for his own good as he decided to stay up and get a shot away after a tackle from Shkodran Mustafi. It’s honourable from the one time England international but if you were Tony Pulis you would be quietly wishing that the former Southampton man stayed on the deck.

He didn’t and Arsenal recovered from their early jitters to earn all three points. Talking of recovery that is exactly what Watford did after beating Swansea last Saturday. The week previously they were soundly beaten 6-0 by a rampant Manchester City.

As City’s win over Crystal Palace last weekend showed they will not be the only team to get a hammering from Pep Guardiola’s but it would not have been the way that Marco Silva envisaged losing his first Premier League game in charge of Watford.

But last Saturday saw the Hornets travel to South Wales and pick up victory thanks to Richarlison’s strike in the last minute of the game. It was a goal that was pretty much gifted to them by a hapless Swansea but Watford were certainly not going to turn do the opportunity that had been presented to them.

That win sees them sit sixth in the table and it is fair to say that they are the surprise package in this early part of the season. There is no doubting that they are much improved under the tutelage of Marco Silva but they now need to make sure that they can sustain this kind of form across the whole season.

The last thing that Watford fans will want to see is another post New Year slump, an occurrence which has happened in the last two seasons. Something that has ultimately also cost the former incumbents of the Vicarage Road hotseat their jobs.

West Brom have only found the net on four occasions this season while Watford have scored nine Premier League goals, that being an average of 1.5 goals per game. Tony Pulis’ team need a return to winning ways but I don’t think it will be today that said I can see them grinding out a share of the points as this ends in a draw.

Here is what social media thinks will happen – you can still vote on the outcome