2025-26 Sky Bet Championship: Week 15 – Friday

Watford host promotion-chasing Bristol City in a Sky Bet Championship clash. 

Victory will lift Watford up to eighth in the table, although a win by a two-goal margin or more will lift them above Bristol City into seventh.

Gerhard Struber’s Robins meanwhile can move as high as fourth with a win.

 

Team News

Watford have no fresh injury concerns to report following their 1-1 draw at Ipswich.

Rocco Vata (hamstring) and Giorgi Chakvetadze (foot) are still sidelined.

Bristol City will be without Mark Sykes after he suffered a shin injury during their defeat to Blackburn.

Neto Borges (calf) could be available but Cam Pring, Joe Williams (both ankle), Jason Knight (groin), Max Bird (calf), Josh Stokes (foot) and Luke McNally (ACL) remain ruled out.

 

When is Kick-Off?

Watford host Bristol City at Vicarage Road on Friday 7 November at 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports in the UK.

 

Stat Attack

• Watford have avoided defeat in six of their last eight league meetings against Bristol City (W3, D3, L2).
• Bristol City have lost three of their last six league trips to Watford (W1, D2, L3).
• Watford haven’t lost consecutive league meetings against Bristol City since May and October 1991 as part of a three-match losing streak started in November 1990.
• Imran Louza has scored in Watford’s last four matches (W2, D1, L1).
• Bristol City are looking to avoid suffering three consecutive league defeats for the first time since a four-match streak between February – March 2024.

 

Prediction

With their strong home form, Watford are certainly in a solid position because their away form is just poor but this will be another tricky home test against a promotion challenge after they cruised past Middlesbrough last weekend, before their resiliently defensive 1-1 draw at Ipswich in midweek.

Bristol City meanwhile are clearly feeling the effects of their injury crisis with consecutive defeats, although they did well to take the fight to Blackburn despite lacking a clinical edge, but they will need to be better if they’re to get a result here because Watford are in hot form on their home turf.

Watford also have Louza in form which will pose a challenge for the Robins to isolate him such is his form but there are other players who could step up if they do try that tactic, as this does feel like it is the Hornets’ to lose.

Prediction: Watford 2-0 Bristol City