Watford begin life under Xisco Munoz as they welcome fellow relegated team, Norwich City to Vicarage Road in Boxing Day’s blockbuster Saturday Night Football clash from Sky Bet Championship.
Should Swansea and Brentford both lose in mid-afternoon, victory could send Watford third whilst Norwich can extend their lead at the summit to eight points.
Team News
William Troost-Ekong is a doubt for Watford after being substituted in their defeat at Huddersfield last weekend with an unspecified injury.
Craig Cathcart (hamstring), Tom Dele-Bashiru (knee) and Isaac Success (Achilles) remain sidelined for the Hornets.
Norwich could welcome Ben Gibson back from a calf injury that has kept the defender sidelined in recent weeks.
Lukas Rupp (hamstring) and Xavi Quintilla (hip) are also set to return but Tim Krul (thigh), Przemyslaw Placheta (hamstring) and Marco Stiepermann (illness) miss out.
Stat Attack
- Watford have won just one of their last five Championship meetings against Norwich (W1, D1, L3).
- Norwich have won just one of their last five Championship visits to Vicarage Road (W1, D2, L2).
- None of Watford’s last five permanent managers have won their first match in charge (W1, D4).
- The Hornets are unbeaten in three of their last five Boxing Day matches at Vicarage Road. (W2, D1, L2)
- Norwich have won just one of their last five Boxing Day away trips (W1, L4).
Prediction
Watford come into this match off the back of a rocky run of form in which sacking Vladimir Ivic feels harsh given that last Saturday’s loss was just their second in 11 matches, although Xisco will hopefully inject a bit more positivity into their play because the quality is present but Ivic failed to utilise it well.
Norwich meanwhile will likely just want this match over with because away trips and Boxing Day just seem to form a bogey hoodoo over the club when combined, but they start this game as favourites with Watford likely adapting to an unusual 4-2-3-1 formation by their standards.
I am therefore expecting a tough contest here but a draw would be a fair result given Norwich’s Boxing Day fragility and Watford seem to get that first match bounce under new managers before reverting to type.
Prediction: Watford 1-1 Norwich
Result: Watford 1-0 Norwich