Looking to return to winning ways following a maiden defeat last time out, Watford will welcome playoff-chasing Coventry City to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon in the Championship.
The Hornets narrowly lost out at the home of Sheffield United prior to the international break, whilst the Sky Blues were defeated by Norwich City on home soil.
Match preview
![Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/32/tom-cleverley.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Watford head coach Tom Cleverley during the EFL Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Watford at The Den, London, England on August 10, 2024. [on August 11, 2024]")
© Imago
Following a worrying set of results in pre-season - including defeats to Gillingham and Wycombe Wanderers - Watford managed to produce a fine string of performances in August as competitive action commenced, winning five straight matches across the Championship and EFL Cup, netting 15 goals in the process.
However, the turn of the month resulted in a change of fortunes for the Hornets, who suffered their maiden loss of the 2024-25 schedule at Bramall Lane on September 1, when a feisty encounter with Sheffield United resulted in a 1-0 defeat due to Daniel Bachmann's early own goal.
After collecting nine points from their opening quartet of Championship fixtures, Watford currently occupy third position in the early second-tier standings, three points behind Regis Le Bris's Sunderland, who are the only side left with a flawless record in the division.
Owing to his side's stellar start to the season, Tom Cleverley is an unsurprising nominee for the Championship Manager of the Month award for August, with the 35-year-old impressing massively so far during his first-ever full season as a first-team head coach.
Despite scoring just five goals across the entire 2023-24 campaign for Watford, Edo Kayembe has been somewhat of a goalscoring sensation at the beginning of this season, netting three goals in the second tier, including a brilliant brace against Stoke City on August 17.
© Imago
After two failed attempts to reach the Premier League in 2023 and 2024, Coventry City are hoping it is third time lucky as they aim to dine at the top table of English football for the first time in decades, although the current campaign has not started off amazingly for the East Midlanders.
Earning four points from as many matches at the beginning of their 2024-25 itinerary, the Sky Blues are languishing in 17th position in the Championship table, three points behind promotion favourites Burnley in the lowest of the playoff spots, with sixth place or above the minimum goal this season.
Following back-to-back home successes over Oxford United in both the second tier and EFL Cup, Mark Robins's troops suffered their first defeat of the term at the Coventry Building Society Arena prior to the international break, when a Borja Sainz strike sealed a narrow win for Norwich.
Both failing to find the net in the loss to the Canaries, Haji Wright and Ellis Simms will be looking to find their shooting boots and fire the Sky Blues towards promotion this season, with the attacking pair scoring a combined total of 29 goals in the Championship across 2023-24.
Coventry are heading to Vicarage Road this weekend aiming to make it three straight wins at Watford's Hertfordshire base, with Robins's men securing maximum points from their most recent trip to the Hornets in March, when United States international Wright bagged a brace.
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Team News
![Watford's Mileta Rajovic celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at The Den, London, on August 10, 2024 [on August 25, 2024]](https://sm.imgix.net/24/34/mileta-rajovic.jpg?w=640&h=480&auto=compress,format&fit=clip "Watford's Mileta Rajovic celebrates scoring their side's third goal of the game during the Sky Bet Championship match at The Den, London, on August 10, 2024 [on August 25, 2024]")
© Imago
Watford remain without the services of midfielder Imran Louza, with the 25-year-old targeting a return in late September from a troublesome leg issue.
The Hornets allowed last season's leading marksman Mileta Rajovic to depart on loan to Brondby earlier this month, meaning that Vakoun Issouf Bayo will shoulder more of the goalscoring burden.
After his side drew a blank at Sheffield United last time out, Cleverley could opt for alterations to his forward line, with Ken Sema and Daniel Jebbison pushing for starts.
Coventry are unable to call upon the talents of engine room enforcer Ben Sheaf, who is yet to feature in a competitive sense this campaign due to a leg injury.
Josh Eccles's spot in the XI seems relatively secure, although the 24-year-old could have a new partner in midfield, with Jamie Allen potentially replacing Victor Torp.
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Pollock, Sierralta, Morris; Andrews, Sissoko, Dele-Bashiru, Sema; Kayembe, Chakvetadze; Bayo
Coventry City possible starting lineup:
Dovin; Van Ewijk, Latibeaudiere, Binks, Bidwell; Eccles, Allen, Mason-Clark, Rudoni, Wright; Simms
We say: Watford 2-1 Coventry City
Watford have been formidable at Vicarage Road so far this season, winning four straight matches across all competitions by an aggregate scoreline of 12-1.
As a result, the Hornets should be extremely confident of dealing with the threat of Coventry this weekend, so we are expecting a narrow win for the hosts.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
