2019-20 Premier League: Week 16 – Watford vs Crystal Palace

Managerless and relegation battling Watford welcome Crystal Palace to Vicarage Road, as the Eagles continue their hunt for a fifth-placed finish.

A win for Watford will see them remain rock-bottom but move closer towards safety and into double-figure points. Palace meanwhile look to temporarily climb to fifth if they can take victory. 

 

Team news 

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Daryl Janmaat and Christian Kasabele could return from respective knee and thigh injuries for Watford. 

Craig Dawson (head) could also feature if he too passes a late fitness test along with Janmaat and Kasabele. 

Danny Welbeck (thigh), Tom Cleverley (heel), Sebastian Prodl (knee) and Jose Holebas (ankle) are all ruled out indefinitely. 

Palace will be without Mamadou Sakho for their next three matches as he serves a suspension, having been sent off during Tuesday’s win over Bournemouth for a late challenge. 

Gary Cahill (knee) and Scott Dann (ankle) are both set to return if they pass late fitness tests. 

Max Meyer (illness), Joel Ward (knee) and Patrick van Anholt (hamstring) are all ruled out. 

 

Stat Attack

• Watford are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Crystal Palace across all competitions (W3, D1). 
• All three meetings last season were won 2-1 by Watford with the home team scoring first in each clash. 
• Andre Gray was the only Watford striker to score in any of last season’s three meetings. 
• Joel Ward is the only Palace player to have made an error leading to a goal this season. 
• Craig Dawson is the only Watford player to have made double figure blocks this season, having producing 16 blocks in comparison to just six by Craig Cathcart. 

 

Prediction

After a brutal battering from Leicester in midweek, Watford need to start showing their attacking quality because if Palace get control of this game then I can see one-way traffic. 

I however am worried about Palace’s defensive issues because they could well have only three defenders available, which might well be Watford’s only hope of taking the game to them. 

If that proves to be the case then Watford need to press Palace as high as they can and clinically pounce on any sloppy play, otherwise I can see an away win. 

Prediction: Watford 0-1 Crystal Palace

Result: Watford 0-0 Crystal Palace