Watfordvs.Preston

The Hornets were beaten 3-0 by the Lilywhites in the reverse fixture back in October, but they will need to pick up points this week if they are to keep up with their rivals.

Match preview

Tom Cleverley's Watford are eighth in the second tier, and the 41 points they have earned from their 27 games so far has left them level with West Bromwich Albion and Middlesbrough, all of whom are only separated by goal difference in the race for promotion.

Tuesday's hosts are also just one point behind fifth-placed Blackburn Rovers, and have the chance to leapfrog three of their playoff rivals with a win.

Last time out, the Hornets beat Derby County 2-0 on the road thanks to goals from Imran Louza and Edo Kayembe, a result that meant they went unbeaten in back-to-back games for the first time in more than a month.

Prior to their two most recent fixtures, Cleverley's side went on a four-game losing streak between late December and early January, and the manager will be hoping that his team have stopped the rot.

That being said, Watford have lost their last two home games after avoiding defeat in all of their other matches at Vicarage Road this term, and the hosts will be keen to prove to their home crowd that they have turned the corner on the way to promotion back to the Premier League.

Meanwhile, having lost just twice in their last 13 league games, Paul Heckingbottom's Preston have been in better form than their opponents in recent weeks, despite the disparity in their league positions.

The Lilywhites are 16th in the Championship with 31 points from their 27 matches, five above 22nd-placed Portsmouth in the relegation zone.

However, while Tuesday's visitors have lost the fewest games of any club outside of the playoff spots, they have also drawn more games than every team other than West Brom this season.

With this in mind, it is fair to say that Preston are much harder to beat than their lowly league position would suggest, but that they have found it difficult get wins over the line that could take them towards the promotion places.

It is also notable that the Lilywhites have scored more than one goal in a league game on just three occasions since October, and this means that securing three points against Watford will likely require a strong defensive performance from Heckingbottom's side.

Watford Championship form:

W

L

L

L

D

W

Watford form (all competitions):

L

L

L

L

D

W

Preston North End Championship form:

L

W

W

L

D

D

Preston North End form (all competitions):

W

W

L

D

W

D

Team News

Watford boss Cleverley will be without goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann, who is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, so expect Jonathan Bond to be shielded by a back three featuring James Abankwah, Francisco Sierralta and Matthew Pollock.

Midfielder Imran Louza, who netted his first Hornets goal for more than 18 months against Derby, is likely to be partnered by Tom Dele-Bashiru in the middle of the park, while Saturday's other goalscorer, Edo Kayembe, will be supporting striker Vakou Issouf Bayo alongside Rocco Vata.

As for Preston, the versatile Robbie Brady made the bench last time out after a few weeks off with a rib injury and could contribute on Tuesday, though the game likely comes too soon for Brad Potts, who has been dealing with a knee issue since late last month.

Elsewhere, Brentford-loanee left-back Jayden Meghoma could make his first appearance for the club from the bench in midweek.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Bond; Abankwah, Sierralta, Pollock; Baah, Louza, Dele-Bashiru, Ngakia; Kayembe, Bayo, Vata

Preston North End possible starting lineup:

Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Gibson; Kesler-Hayden, Ledson, McCann, Hughes; Keane, Osmajic, Greenwood

We say: Watford 2-1 Preston North End

While Preston have proven hard to beat throughout the season, Watford will be feeling the increased pressure in the race for promotion, and will be desperate to take all three points on Tuesday.

Written by

Anthony Nolan

Previews by email