Without a doubt Manchester go in as favorites against a Watford side that sits comfortably right in the middle of the Premier League Table. The Red Devils not only have statistics on their side but also have great morale after 3 wins in which they scored 11 goals and conceded just two. Martial and Darmian could return, making LVG’s job a lot easier. Even Smalling is rumored to be back against a Watford side that was not able to win any of their last games against Manchester United. Looking back at the games played by the two, we can also see that Watford’s last win at Old Trafford took place in 1978 so even history is on LVG’s side against the Hornets. Watford is just not the team to shine against the top five as they have lacked firepower and composure in recent games. Even though Ighalo scored 14 times – he has only scored once in the past 7 games, that`s still half of what the team managed to sum up until now.
In terms of lots both teams have issues, with Watford being unable to use Jurado and probably Capoue who is not 100% fit. United are still dealing with a lot on the injury front but managed to recover some key players mentioned above. Marcos Rojo could also be available as his ankle injury against Arsenal seems a lot less complicated than first expected.
Of course, a big part of the pre-match comments involved the use of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford who is in great form. “He’s a very modest guy, so I don’t think that will be a problem, but when you have so much attention from the media it can go another way, but I believe he shall keep his feet on the ground” LVG said. The Dutchman also said: “The older players will guide him and I hope to guide you also in this press conference: he is getting too much attention and it’s not always easy to deal with that attention. It’s remarkable and I can understand that you are praising him, but still he has to show his consistency.” Hopefully the youngster’s scoring streak will continue against Watford and you can follow the game live on our LIVE PAGE with the score updated in real-time with stats, tweets, commentary and more.
Score Prediction: Manchester United 3 – 1 Watford
Predicted Manchester United Starting XI
Substitutes: Romero, Januzaj, Weir, Rojo, Pereira, Martial, Riley
Unavailable/Uncertain according to SkySports: Phil Jones (ankle), Ashley Young (groin), Antonio Valencia (foot), Luke Shaw (broken leg), Cameron Borthwick-Jackson (knock), Wayne Rooney (knee), Sam Johnstone (unspecified), Chris Smalling (shoulder), Marcos Rojo (knock), Marouane Fellaini (hamstring), Bastian Schweinsteiger (knee).
Predicted Watford Starting XI
Substitutes: Pantilimon, Holebas, Behrami, Pugh, Nyom, Amrabat, Obbi Oulare.
Unavailable/Uncertain: Jurado (Calf injury), Capoue (fatigued)