Match Day Thread Watford v Manchester City

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WATFORD v MANCHESTER CITY

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4th December 2018
Vicarage Road Stadium
Kick Off : 2000 GMT
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Manchester City could temporarily move five points clear at the top of the Premier League table when they take on Watford in a midweek clash at Vicarage Road on Tuesday.

The champions are still unbeaten after 14 games of the season and come up against a Watford team now sitting in mid-table following a dip in form.

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Watford fans may be beginning to fear a repeat of last season after seeing their promising start to the campaign fizzle out in recent weeks.

Having won their first four Premier League games, the Hornets have managed to pick up maximum points on just two occasions from their subsequent 10 outings, slipping down to 10th place in the process.

It is far from panic stations for Watford - they remain closer to the top four than the relegation zone, after all - but they welcome the champions to Vicarage Road on Tuesday night having picked up just one point from their last four outings stretching back to the end of October.

Just one point from matches against struggling duo Newcastle United and Southampton before the international break was then followed with a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool and a 2-0 loss to Leicester City at the weekend.

Vicarage Road has been something of a bogey ground for defending Premier League champions in recent years, though, with Watford having beaten the holders at home in each of the past two seasons - against Leicester City in 2016-17 and Chelsea last term.

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City were not at their scintillating best against Bournemouth and were forced to survive a minor scare at the Etihad, but in the end Saturday's 3-1 win over the Cherries was still relatively comfortable.

Pep Guardiola made changes for that match and is expected to do so throughout a busy December, although such is the strength in depth at his disposal that the quality of the XI will rarely fluctuate too much and, given the gap between City and almost every other team in the league at the moment, they would still go into most matches as heavy favourites even fielding a second-string side.

The Spaniard might bear that in mind with one eye on Saturday's game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, particularly considering that their last two away league games against Watford have seen them score 11 goals without reply.

Guardiola's side will be looking for a seventh successive league win on Tuesday night, while they are now unbeaten in 20 matches which include 17 victories and three draws.

Two of those draws have come away from home this season - accounting for City's only dropped points of the campaign - but their form on the road is hardly a weakness having gone 13 Premier League away games without defeat, stretching back to January.

Indeed, City have not even conceded an away goal since August and have let in only one in a seven-match streak which dates back to April.



Team News

Adalberto Penaranda remains out with a slight foot problem while the Hornets are waiting on the outcome of an appeal against Etienne Capoue's sending off in Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Leicester City, but the rest of the squad is available for the match.



Sergio Aguero was missing entirely from the squad against Bournemouth due to a muscular problem, and he remains a doubt for this match.

Guardiola is unlikely to risk his star striker - who has 10 goals in his last five games against the Hornets - with a trip to Chelsea on the horizon, which means that Gabriel Jesus is expected to lead the line once again.

Officials:
Referee: Paul Tierney

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Assistants: Constantine Hatzidakis, Mick McDonough
Fourth official: Michael Oliver​

WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD - ENJOY THE GAME ​

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Very good luck to the Golden Boys

 

Thanks, I think we might need it.

 

Travelling down tomorrow
Only the one train back to Manchester tomorrow and its at 11-15pm & gets me back at 2am
There are over 3000 away fans,allocation sold out
They really do like to look after the football supporters

 

Sounds like too much effort,suggest you stay at home.....and persuade your players to do likewise !!

 

Nah
See you tomorrow

 

Probably won't matter who plays as they will be too good for us.

Hope Capoue's red card is overturned as not sure how fit Chalobah is ?

Calls for Jaamatt and Kabasele to come in - maybe some extra pace and defensive awareness might help in future games but not tomorrow..

As for up front - well the young lad Cassidy scoring goals for the Yoof might be no worse !

What minute will Gerry get hauled off throwing his gloves to the ground .

 

Not the game we needed as confidence is getting worse by the match.

Imagine if we won? I can''t see that happening mind.

Cheers for the thread OFH!

 

Well, definitely the expensive ones. Too valuable to risk. Field the kids, for safety’s sake.

 

Are these the only lot we haven’t beaten in ‘recent’ years? Now we’ve done Totteringham.

 

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/sergio-aguero-absent-man-city-13685156

Aguero out?

 

Can't make it back for this one as got my first work xmas do tonight!

Hoping we make a couple of changes - Kabasele to come back in as could do with his pace. Would like Delofeu to go out onto the wing and have a midfield 3 to make it a bit more compact

 

A worrying stat from the BBC:

• Defeat on Tuesday would leave them (Watford) with their lowest points tally after 15 matches in four seasons since they returned to the top flight.

 

Aguero definitely out so I suspect we will start

Ederson
Walker Stones Laporte Delph
Fernandinho
Sterling SilvaB SilvaD Sane
Jesus

 

Not bad ....

 

If I'm (un)lucky I may get to see the first half. Missing the second half probably won't be a problem.

 

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Can we take 0-1 now?

 

any live streams do post them please
COYH!