Southampton vs Watford; Premier League
Southampton vs Watford. Premier League.
St. Mary's StadiumAttendance26,929.
Live on Sky: Southampton vs Watford preview
Watch Southampton vs Watford live from 5pm on Sky Sports Premier League; kick-off 5.30pm. Match highlights available shortly after full time on the Sky Sports website and app
Saturday 30 November 2019 08:37, UK
Team news, key stats and prediction ahead of Southampton vs Watford in the Premier League.
Team news
Southampton midfielder Stuart Armstrong picked up a hamstring problem during the closing stages against Arsenal, so will not be fit to face Watford.
Ralph Hasenhuttl also revealed Sofiane Boufal is a major doubt after stubbing his big toe on the kitchen table at home, but Jannik Vestergaard has been able to resume training following illness.
Defender Craig Dawson is the latest player in Watford's packed treatment room, having needed stitches in a head wound which forced him off at half-time against Burnley.
Christian Kabasele (hamstring) and Daryl Janmaat (knee) are also not available. Roberto Pereyra is stepping up his recovery from a thigh strain but will not be rushed back.
Tom Cleverley (heel), Danny Welbeck (hamstring), Sebastian Prodl (knee) and Domingos Quina (groin) all continue their own rehabilitation.
How to follow
Southampton vs Watford is live on Saturday Night Football from 5pm; kick-off 5.30pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
Live Premier League
Opta stats
- Southampton are winless in their last three home Premier League meetings with Watford (D2 L1) - they'd only failed to win two of their first eight top-flight home matches against the Hornets (W6 D0 L2).
- The last three Premier League meetings with Southampton and Watford have finished level, with Watford coming from behind to draw each time.
- Just one of Southampton's nine Premier League points this season has been won in home games (11 per cent). Saints could become the first side in English top-flight history to fail to win any of their opening seven home league games in consecutive campaigns.
- In English top-flight history, only Blackpool in 1930-31 (22) have conceded more goals in their opening six home league games than the 21 Southampton have shipped at St Mary's so far this term.
- This is already the fourth meeting between the two bottom-placed sides in the Premier League this season, with the last campaign to see more such games coming in 2004-05 (5). Watford will have been the bottom side in all four of these matches.
- Watford are looking to win consecutive away league games for the first time since winning their opening three on the road in 2017-18. Indeed, the Hornets' only league victory this season came in their last away game (2-0 vs Norwich).
- Watford have a shot conversion rate of just 4.8 per cent in the Premier League, netting eight of their 166 attempts. It's the lowest conversion rate in a campaign since Sunderland's 4.7 per cent in 2002-03.
- Southampton are without a Premier League clean sheet in eight games, since a 1-0 win at Sheffield United in September. They've conceded at least twice in seven of those eight games, including each of the last four - they last conceded 2+ goals in five consecutive league games in November 2012.
- Southampton's Shane Long scored within eight seconds in a 1-1 draw against Watford last season, the fastest ever goal in Premier League history.
- Danny Ings has scored 46 per cent of Southampton's Premier League goals this season (6/13), including five of their last seven. No player has scored a higher share of their side's goals in the competition this term.
Charlie Nicholas' prediction
It is a gigantic game. Southampton should have won at Arsenal and Watford, when I expected them to win, were poor. All of a sudden you have Quique Sanchez Flores under pressure, as much as Ralph Hasenhuttl is too.
Southampton seem to be more comfortable away from home. It is as if they force the game and do not know how to do this properly. They have the energy and honesty, but do they have enough craft? Nathan Redmond has more pace than craft and Danny Ings has a bit. I am unconvinced.
Watford will sit in and try to frustrate, without giving away any stupid free kicks. The defenders of Southampton never seem to get on the end of the ball, be that from set-pieces in attack or defence, despite the height and physical presence of them.
CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-1 (5/1 with Sky Bet)
Fantasy Football
Danny Ings (£9m) has notched consecutive goals against Everton and Arsenal, meaning he has six for the season. Southampton should create enough chances for Ings to score as they face bottom of the table Watford. Play Fantasy Football here.
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Download the Score Centre app for iOS devices or Android , select 'Notifications' from the 'More' section in the app main menu, then toggle on for 'Goals' to get alerts straight to your phone.
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You can follow dedicated live blogs of every Premier League game on the Sky Sports website and app and track goals as they go in with our vidiprinter page.
