Stoke City vs Watford. Premier League.
Bet365 StadiumAttendance27,010.
Tuesday 3 January 2017 18:46, UK
Stoke can welcome back Marko Arnautovic when they return to Premier League action at home to injury-hit Watford on Tuesday evening.
The Austrian has missed the last three fixtures having been dismissed against Southampton but could come straight back into the side as the Potters seek a first win in six top-flight games.
Mark Hughes will be hoping for a home fillip after heavy defeats on the road to Liverpool and Chelsea but Watford - who have won only one of their last seven - were stung themselves last time out, swept aside 4-1 by Tottenham on New Year's Day.
Calling for improved defensive focus against the Hornets, Hughes said: "We have to be a lot sounder defensively in key moments of the game.
"A lot of the elements of our game are very good but we need to address that side of things because it's costing us dearly at present."
Arnautovic could replace Ibrahim Afellay, who lasted just over an hour on his first start since April, but Jon Walters (knee) is a doubt and Marc Muniesa, Geoff Cameron (both knee) and Jack Butland (ankle) are all out.
Hughes fears requests to delay Ramadan Sobhi and Wilfried Bony's departures for the African Nations Cup will be denied by their respective countries and they will therefore miss out, though he is more hopeful on Senegal's Mame Diouf.
Watford boss Walter Mazzarri could be without nine players for the trip, Juan Zuniga unlikely to feature after feeling pain in his ankle during the warm-up against Spurs and Nordin Amrabat doubtful after being taken off with a leg injury in the second half.
A long list of absentees already includes Adrian Mariappa and Roberto Pereyra, who both have knee problems, Isaac Success, Daryl Janmaat and Valon Behrami, who are all out with muscle injuries, and Stefano Okaka, who is recovering from a hamstring strain.
Midfielder Ben Watson also missed the defeat to Tottenham due to personal reasons but defender Miguel Britos is
definitely available again after serving a one-match suspension.
Stoke have won their last two league games against Watford, after a run of six games without a win against them (D2 L4).
However, Watford are unbeaten in their last four league visits to the bet365 Stadium, winning three of these (D1).
Stoke have failed to score in their last four home league games against Watford - if they fail again here they will equal their worst run of consecutive home games without scoring against another opponent (5 vs Leyton Orient in 1925 and Liverpool in 1973).
Troy Deeney has scored two goals in his three previous Premier League games against Stoke City.
Deeney has scored eight Premier League away goals since the start of last season - no Stoke player has scored more than eight at home in this period.
Stoke have won three of their last seven home games in the top flight, losing just once in this run (D3).
Stoke have averaged 1.65 points per game at home in the Premier League under Mark Hughes; a marginally better record than under Tony Pulis (1.61).
The Hornets have lost four successive Premier League away games, shipping 12 goals in the process - although half of these did arrive in their defeat at Anfield.
Peter Crouch will be looking to score in successive Premier League appearances for the first time since February 2015.
Crouch is now on 97 Premier League goals and needs three more goals to become only the 17th different English player to score 100 in the competition.
This is a hard game to call, but I will go for Stoke because they were very good against Chelsea, even though they lost 4-2. Chelsea have only let in five goals in their last eight games and Stoke scored two of them! Watford had a shocker against Spurs and if Stoke show the form they had against Arsenal and Chelsea then I can't see anything but a home win.
Stoke go into Tuesday's Premier League clash with Watford as the 4/5 favourites for all three points. Watford are on offer at 18/5 for the away win, while the draw is a 5/2 chance.
A 1-0 home win and 1-1 draw are the joint most popular correct scores at 5/1, while a repeat of the 2-0 success the Hornets enjoyed in the corresponding fixture at the Britannia last season is 22/1. Stoke's Wilfried Bony is 9/2 favourite in the first scorer betting, with Troy Deeney (15/2) considered most likely for the away side.
