Manchester United vs Watford: Preview and Prediction

Manchester United is ready to host the Watford side in the 27th Match Day of the 2021-22 English Premier League season at the prestigious arena of Old Trafford on Saturday. Where the veteran Ben Foster will be guarding the goal of the hornets from the invasion of Cristiano Ronaldo-led United attack.

The former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær had to bid adieu to the red devils as part of consequences when they faced Watford earlier this season. Under the new gaffer Ralf Rangnick, Manchester is currently occupying the fourth position on the table having claimed 46 points from the 26 games so far.

On the other hand, Watford is in the relegation zone with 18 points dangling at the 19th position. The Hertfordshire-based club was promoted to play their eighth Premier League season and will leave no stone unturned to avoid heading back to the Championship.

Current Form

United are unbeaten from their last six Premier League fixtures and obtained 14 match-points through four wins and two tied games. They held the Spanish giants Atlético Madrid for a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. Thus an away draw at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano has boosted the morale of the Manchester roster.

The Red Devils are aiming for a top-four finish as currently four points above the fifth rank holders but Arsenal are threatening them as the arch-rivals are four points behind having played three matches lesser than United.

While Watford could register only one win from their last six games and the victory was an away encounter with higher-ranked Aston Villa side. They’re in real danger of relegation to the second division of the English tier and even three points against United would not pull them out of the zone. 

Head to Head Record

The first encounter between these two clubs at the Premier League was staged in United’s 1999-00 title-winning season. Since then they have battled each other 15 times at this stage as the red side has a head-to-head count of 12, the yellow and blacks could only three.

Snapshot from Watford’s previous triumph over the counterparts at Vicarage Road

In their previous face-off, Watford thrashed the Manchester side by 4-1 in a high-scoring saga where King, Sarr, Pedro, and Dennis were featured on the scoresheet while United skipper Maguire was shown a red card in the 69th minute of the game.

Watford’s roster consists of two former Manchester United players, Tom Cleverley and Joshua King who are visiting their homeland. Interestingly, they’ve never been satisfied with a tied fixture in the history of this league. 

Team News

Edinson ‘El Matador’ Cavani remains unavailable for the action due to a groin injury while midfielder Scott McTominay is also doubtful for the clash. This means that Fred may get a green signal from Rangnick to accommodate Pogba in the lineup.

Anthony Elanga made headlines by scoring an equalizing goal against Atlético and he is likely to receive a start ahead of Marcus Rashford. The German gaffer will be making choices between Victor Lindelöf and Frenchman Raphael Varane to ally with the captain Harry Maguire in the central defense according to his future plans.

Watford will be missing the services of midfielder Peter Etebo and defender Nicolo Nkoulou as the African duo is yet to gain full match fitness. It is a serious concern for the English coach Roy Hodgson as the key players from the core, João Pedro and Juraj Kucka are also counted as doubtful for the clash. 

Predicted Starting Lineups

Manchester United (4-3-3): David de Gea; Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles; Paul Pogba, Fred, Bruno Fernandes; Elanga, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho

Watford (4-3-3): Ben Foster; Kiko Femenia, Craig Cathcart, Samir, Hassane Kamara; Moussa Sissoko, Tom Cleverley, Imran Louza; Ismaila Sarr, Emmanuel Dennis, Cucho Hernandez

Prediction

Head-to-head record and current form are favoring the Red Devils to win this contest. Apart from statistics, United will also have the home advantage and it strengthens their chances against the Hornets. The favorites are likely to emerge as winners of this clash by a scoreline of 2-0 while it will be an outstanding achievement for Watford if they manage to put on a tough fightback and complete their first-ever Premier League double over the counterparty.