Watford vs AFC Bournemouth: Preview & Prediction

Two of last season’s promoted teams meet at Vicarage Road, with the hosts sat safely in the top half and the visitors looking nervously over their shoulders.

The 2-1 win at Crystal Palace two weeks ago took Watford to 36 points, just four short of the magical 40 that is generally seen as the requirement for Premier League safety.

Troy Deeney’s brace at Selhurst Park took him to nine goals for the season as the English striker continues to impress up front with Odion Ighalo; a late surge of strikes for Watford’s no.9 could even see him force his way into England manager Roy Hodgson’s thinking ahead of the European Championships.

In addition to their impressive league season, Watford got through to the last-eight of the FA Cup thanks to their 1-0 win over Leeds last weekend; all in all, it’s been an excellent start to life in English football for Hornets boss Quique Sanchez Flores.

Bournemouth, on the other hand, exited the FA Cup with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Everton last weekend and will now focus entirely on maintaining their top-flight status.

Back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Stoke have left the Cherries four points above the dreaded drop zone and in need of a win to boost confidence ahead of what is sure to be a nail-biting finale to the Cherries’ first ever Premier League season.

Bournemouth haven’t won at Watford since 1997, and were thumped 6-1 at Vicarage Road in the Championship two seasons ago. In all, the two sides are tied at 35 league wins each, and they have shared the spoils on 29 occasions.

Team News:

Watford have no serious injury concerns to deal with, as only winger Jose Manuel Jurado and long-term absentee Joel Ekstrand are on the sidelines.

Bournemouth are only without Max Gradel, Tyrone Mings and Callum Wilson as they have been for the majority of the season to date, with manager Eddie Howe otherwise able to pick from a fresh squad.

League Positions: Watford – 9th (36 pts); Bournemouth – 15th (28 pts)
Previous Meeting: Bournemouth 1-1 Watford – October 3, 2015
League Form: Watford – LLWDLW; Bournemouth – LWDWLL
Key Players: Watford – Troy Deeney; Bournemouth – Matt Ritchie
Shoot Says: Watford 1-1 Bournemouth