Watford vs Leicester City preview
Highlights published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full time.
Saturday 20 June 2020 18:47, UK
Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Watford vs Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday (kick-off 12.30pm).
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Team news
Watford will be without a trio of players as they return to Premier League action at home to Leicester on Saturday. The relegation-threatened Hornets will be missing Daryl Janmaat and Gerard Deulofeu (both knee).
Striker Isaac Success is also absent having suffered an Achilles injury since returning to training.
Leicester hope to have striker Ayoze Perez and defender Ryan Bennett available for the trip to Vicarage Road. Both men have been nursing knocks, but have returned to training in recent days and are expected to be fit.
However, midfielder Dennis Praet remains a doubt with a calf problem and he will undergo a late fitness test.
How to follow
Keep up-to-date in our dedicated live blog, with highlights published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after full time.
Opta stats
- Watford have won their last three home Premier League games against Leicester City, with each victory coming via a 2-1 scoreline.
- Leicester have won just two of their last 10 league visits to Watford (D1 L7), winning most recently during their title-winning season in 2015-16.
- Nine of the 11 Premier League meetings between Watford and Leicester City have been won by the home side (82%), including each of the last seven. Among fixtures to have been played 10+ times, only Birmingham City vs Middlesbrough (90%) has seen a higher percentage of home wins.
- 24% of the Premier League goals scored in fixtures between Leicester and Watford have been penalties (6/25), the highest ratio of any of the 469 fixtures to have seen at least 20 goals scored.
- Watford have won just one of their last seven Premier League games (D2 L4), though that victory was in their last home game and came against runaway leaders Liverpool (3-0).
- Since Nigel Pearson's first home match in charge of Watford (22nd December), only Liverpool (18) have won more points in home Premier League games than the Hornets (13 - W4 D1 L1).
Charlie's prediction
This is a good test for both of these sides, who are facing differing scenarios. Leicester are trying to hold on to a top-four place and they have some big games left.
Leicester were tiring but this break will have done them some good. Watford are level with Bournemouth and West Ham, hanging just a point above Villa. The teams in the bottom six, aside from Norwich, who are essentially down in my opinion, will be fighting tooth and nail.
With the home games for Watford, it will feel as though they are must-win scenarios to give them some breathing space. Watford are physically competent - I am not sure how fit Troy Deeney will be, but they have pace in those attacking areas.
Leicester are a silky side. Brendan Rodgers will have them playing and ready, but sometimes it takes you time to get into the swing of things and this will be one of those games for Leicester. This will be an important win for Watford.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-0 (10/1 with Sky Bet)
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