Both aiming to bounce back to winning ways after tricky runs in the festive period, Watford and Sheffield United will do battle at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The visitors have dropped to third spot in the Championship table in the midst of a three-match winless streak after Christmas, while their hosts now sit eighth following back-to-back defeats.
Match preview
© Imago
Watford return to action on Saturday aiming to move back into the Championship's playoff places, having dropped out of the top six following around the end of 2024.
The Hornets enjoyed a pleasing first half to their first full season under the management of Tom Cleverley on the whole, sitting on 34 points from 21 games at Christmas, having won 10 of those and suffered seven defeats, and they would climb into the top six with a 2-1 Boxing Day win over Portsmouth at Vicarage Road.
They have been unable to build on that result in two further attempts since, though, then hosting Cardiff City last Sunday and succumbing to a 2-1 loss, as Callum Robinson netted a first-half brace for the visitors either side of Giorgi Chakvetadze's equaliser.
A trip to Queen's Park Rangers then followed on New Year's Day and Cleverley's men again came away empty-handed, having gone 2-0 down to goals from Michael Frey and Jimmy Dunne before Kwadwo Baah's finish to reduce the deficit was instantly followed by a Sam Field goal in the second half to seal a 3-1 home win.
Having dropped to eighth spot as a result of those defeats, but still only trailing sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion by two points, Watford will now bid to bounce back and return to the playoff spots with a 12th league win of the season.
© Imago
Their visitors, meanwhile, will also aim to get back to winning ways at Vicarage Road and end their toughest run of the campaign thus far.
Sheffield United enjoyed a fine first half to the season on their return to the Championship, sitting atop the table at Christmas on 48 points from 22 games, despite beginning with a two-point deduction, having won 15 of those and only suffered two defeats.
Chris Wilder's men then headed into a Boxing Day clash with fellow promotion-chasers Burnley and saw an 11-game unbeaten streak brought to an end in a 2-0 defeat, before hosting West Bromwich Albion last weekend and taking a share of the points having gone ahead through Andre Brooks and been held to a 1-1 draw by Karlan Grant's leveller.
Another tough test followed on New Year's Day as the Blades visited fourth-placed Sunderland, and Wilder's men went three matches without a league win for the first time this season, suffering a 2-1 defeat having fallen behind and drawn level through a Luke O'Nien own goal, only for Wilson Isidor to restore the hosts' lead before the interval.
Now left wounded by their toughest spell thus far in the busy festive schedule, Sheffield United have dropped to third spot, albeit only trailing Burnley on goal difference, and they will be keen to stop a growing rot and return to the top two on Saturday.
Team News
© Imago
Watford are set to remain without midfielders Tom Dele-Bashiru and Imran Louza on Saturday due to ongoing injury issues.
Edo Kayembe may come back in from the outset, joining Tom Ince and Moussa Sissoko in the engine room if Cleverley opts to switch to a 4-3-3 shape, leaving Ryan Porteous, Mattie Pollock and Francisco Sierralta to compete for spots in the middle of a back four.
Rocco Vata will hope to return to the attack in support of Vakoun Issouf Bayo, although Kwadwo Baah should keep his place after finding the net in their New Year's Day defeat to QPR while star man Giorgi Chakvetadze is bound to play a key role from the outset.
Sheffield United continue to contend with a long injury list of their own, with Harry Souttar and Oliver Arblaster sidelined by long-term issues, while Femi Seriki, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Vinicius Souza, Jamie Shackleton and Tyrese Campbell all continued absences on New Year's Day and will not be fit to feature at the weekend.
Given those losses, Jack Robinson will continue to join Anel Ahmedhodzic in the middle of the back four, while Tom Davies and Sydie Peck will continue their midfield partnership.
Andre Brooks, who netted his first senior goal for the Blades in the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion, will hope to displace Rhian Brewster and join Callum O'Hare and Gustavo Hamer in support of front man Kieffer Moore, given the absences of Rak-Sakyi and Campbell.
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Ngakia, Porteous, Pollock, Larouci; Ince, Kayembe, Sissoko; Chakvetadze, Bayo, Baah
Sheffield United possible starting lineup:
Cooper; Gilchrist, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Burrows; Peck, Davies; Brooks, O'Hare, Hamer; Moore
We say: Watford 1-1 Sheffield United
Wounded by injuries and the end of their hot streak since Christmas, we see Sheffield United being held at Vicarage Road and playing out a share of the spoils, which may be relatively pleasing for both sides after a busy festive period.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Sam Varley
