After taking just one point from their 'return' games against Leicester and Burnley, Watford welcome Southampton to Vicarage Road on Sunday evening still looking for their first win since the COVID-19 break.
The Saints, meanwhile, travel to Hertfordshire hoping to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Thursday night. Ralph Hasenhüttl's men now closer to a European spot than the drop zone, and are now looking up the table rather than down it.
Where to Watch
When Is Kick Off? Sunday 28 June
What Time Is Kick Off? 16:30 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Vicarage Road
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports (UK), FuboTV (US)
Referee? Michael Oliver
Team News
Nigel Pearson will probably make some changes to the lineup that lost at Turf Moor, with Watford facing no new injury concerns – although Gerard Deulofeu, Daryl Janmaat and Isaac Success are out for the rest of the campaign. Abdoulaye Doucouré and Roberto Pereyra both featured for more than an hour against Leicester City before starting on the bench at Turf Moor on Thursday, and could return fresh and firing.
Switching focus onto #WatfordFC ? pic.twitter.com/VB4MbLGmcN
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) June 26, 2020
Saints defenderJack Stephens will join Moussa Djenepo on the suspension list following his red card against Arsenal, while Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Sofiane Boufal are both being assessed for fitness ahead of the game. Expect some changes in the Southampton.
Predicted Lineups
Watford: Foster; Kiko Femenia, Kabasele, Dawson, Masina; Hughes, Capoue, Doucoure; Sarr, Deeney, Pereyra.
Southampton: McCarthy; Valery, Bednarek, Vestergaard, Bertrand; Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Hojbjerg, Redmond; Ings, Long.
Recent Form
Watford secured a point in their first game back post-lockdown against Leicester at home, thanks to a 93rd minute Craig Dawson overhead kick – followed by a 1-0 defeat to Burnley. One (admittedly spectacular) injury time goal in two games? Not ideal.
Conversely, Southampton came back with a bang with a 3-0 win over Norwich at Carrow Road, thanks to second-half goals from Danny Ings, Stuart Armstrong and Nathan Redmond. The defeat to Arsenal that followed? Less good.
Here's a look at the five most recent results for both sides.
Watford
Burnley 1-0 Watford (25/6)
Watford 1-1 Leicester (22/6)
Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford (7/3
)Watford 3-0 Liverpool (29/2)
Manchester United 3-0 Watford (23/2)
Southampton
Southampton 0-2 Arsenal (25/6)
Norwich 0-3 Southampton (19/6)
Southampton 0-1 Newcastle (7/3)
West Ham 3-1 Southampton (29/2)
Southampton 2-0 Aston Villa (22/2)
Prediction
Watford are fighting for the Premier League lives – not necessarily well but fighting nonetheless. It's unbelievably tight at the bottom, and one game can completely alter the landscape.
The Saints sit 14th, but their form since a complete turnaround in late November has been far better than that would suggest – and are seventh over the last 18 games. That's not a small sample size, and puts them above European challengers Sheffield United and Leicester in that time. Are they letting off the gas? Seems not.
Prediction: Watford 0-1 Southampton
Source : 90min