Manchester City vs Watford 10/03/19

10 March 2019

Saturday’s Premier League action concludes at the Etihad Stadium as the league toppers Manchester City take on an improving Watford side.

The reigning holders have taken full advantage of Liverpool’s drop-off in form to leapfrog them on the table after racking up five successive Premier League triumphs. The Citizens not only boast the best PL home record (W14, L1), but they have also ensured eight consecutive home wins across all competitions in the build-up to this encounter, scoring 36 goals while conceding just two in the process. What’s more, Man City have outmaneuvered Watford in six of their previous seven H2H meetings in Manchester (W7, D1), bagging 2+ match goals in each triumph. Additionally, Pep Guardiola’s men have kept three clean sheets in their last four PL home outings, as they remain the third-best defensive home team in the English top flight.

Meanwhile, a strong run of form that has seen Watford pick up three wins in their previous four PL fixtures (W3, L1) currently ranks them eight in the table, with a fair chance of reaching the Europa League promotion. Considering the fact they share the same tally of points as Wolverhampton Wanderers, the visitors are obliged to walk away from the Etihad with something in their pockets. However, it seems to be an almost impossible task, given the fact that they’ve suffered nine consecutive defeats to Man City across all competitions. Furthermore, the Hornets indifferent road form in their previous five PL road games (W2, D1, L2) indicates Javi Gracia will have to come up with something special to beat the leaders. Watford’s attacking approach has seen five their last six PL away games produce over 2.5 goals with goals coming on both ends four times in the process.