Manchester United will be eager to consolidate their hold on the fourth spot on the Premier League table when they welcome Watford to Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 2021/22 season is set to enter its climactic period soon, and teams across the Premier League are scrambling to meet their objectives. Manchester United will be in action in Gameweek 27 on Saturday when they play hosts to Watford at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s form continues to be worrisome despite some progress under Ralf Rangnick. The Red Devils are playing a more fluent brand of football but continue to struggle to finish their chances in clinical fashion. The interim manager has overseen just one loss in 16 games but has seen the team play out a concerning seven draws along the way, with the latest being a 1-1 stalemate at Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.
On the other hand, Watford’s campaign has borne a typically unstable look from the onset. Roy Hodgson is the third manager to take charge of the Hornets, who have lost three of the five games since Claudio Ranieri’s dismissal. As a result, only Norwich City are below Watford in the Premier League table, with 17th-placed Newcastle United four points clear.
The reverse fixture was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final game in charge of Manchester United, who suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at Vicarage Road in November. Ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester United
? | #GW27 TEAM NEWS – MAN UTD
?️ Ralf Rangnick: "[Cavani] hasn't been training with us so he won't be available for tomorrow's game and the same is true with Scotty [McTominay]. He is still ill, he hasn't been training with us."#FFScout #FPL #MUFC #FPLCommunity pic.twitter.com/7b6zB7PeGL
— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) February 25, 2022
Ralf Rangnick does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Watford. On Saturday, the Manchester United interim boss will continue to be bereft of the services of three first-team players.
Edinson Cavani is still recovering from a groin injury, while Scott McTominay is unavailable due to an illness that kept him out of the midweek UEFA Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. The third and final absentee is Mason Greenwood, who is indefinitely suspended.
Manchester United will line up in the hybrid 4-3-3 setup Rangnick has preferred lately, with Bruno Fernandes getting a free role in midfield. Paul Pogba and Fred will be the other two central midfielders, with the duo sitting deep to provide cover to the defensive line. Pogba will thus essentially act as the deep-lying playmaker.
In Cavani’s absence, Cristiano Ronaldo is an automatic choice to spearhead the Manchester United attack. However, the Portuguese striker desperately needs to rediscover some semblance of positive form after a poor start to 2022.
Anthony Elanga is in line to start as one of the two wingers after making a major impact off the bench against Atletico Madrid. Marcus Rashford will make way for his fellow Manchester United academy product, with Jadon Sancho a certain starter on the left flank in his current form.
Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire will likely pair up at the heart of the Manchester United defence, with Diogo Dalot and Alex Telles expected to be the two full-backs. The duo will be tasked with being outlets down their respective flanks while containing the threat of the Watford wide men. Finally, David de Gea picks himself in goal for Manchester United.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): de Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles; Bruno Fernandes, Fred, Pogba; Elanga, Ronaldo, Sancho
Watford
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester United dugout, Roy Hodgson has been handed a major boost on the team news front ahead of the trip to Old Trafford. The Watford manager will be without only two first-team players on Saturday.
The good news is that Juraj Kucka (abdominal injury), Joao Pedro (calf) and Joshua King (back) are all available after recovering from their respective fitness issues. The trio’s return leaves Nicolas Nkoulou (hamstring) and Peter Etebo as the only absentees against Manchester United.
? | #GW27 TEAM NEWS – WATFORD
? Watford say that João Pedro and Juraj Kucka are "back in contention" for the Manchester United game, while Joshua King (knock) has also been training. There are no fresh injury concerns in Roy Hodgson’s squad.#FFScout #FPL #FPLCommunity pic.twitter.com/jQy2WDxjpJ
— Fantasy Football Scout (@FFScout) February 25, 2022
Roy Hodgson started his Watford stint by employing the 4-4-2 formation but has shifted to the 4-3-3 in the last two games. The veteran manager will likely persist with the new setup, with former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster taking his place between the sticks.
The defensive unit was shambolic when Crystal Palace handed Watford a crushing 4-1 defeat earlier in the week. But Hodgson should keep faith in the quartet to contain and frustrate the Manchester United attack. Craig Cathcart and Samir will thus pair up at the heart of the Watford defence, with Kiko Femenia and Hassane Kamara being the two full-backs.
The four Watford defenders will largely remain compact, although Femenia will have some chances to embark on runs into the final third. Up ahead in midfield, Moussa Sissoko will be the life of the engine room, although his primary duty will be to keep a check on Bruno Fernandes. Sissoko will line up alongside Edo Kayembe and Imran Louza in the middle of the park.
The fit-again King might miss the cut in the starting eleven, with Ismaila Sarr likely to get the nod on the right flank due to his direct approach. Emmanuel Dennis will take up the left-wing berth, with Cucho Hernandez leading the line for Watford against Manchester United.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Foster; Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Louza, Kayembe, Sissoko; Sarr, Hernandez, Dennis
Key Stats
- Manchester United have never lost a home league game against Watford (W11 D2). They have not faced any side more often at home in their league history without suffering defeat (also 13 vs Hull City). But the Hornets are looking to complete their first-ever league double over Manchester United; they have won two of their last three against the Red Devils in the top-flight, having won just one of their previous 15 before this (L14).
- Manchester United are unbeaten in their last seven Premier League games (W4 D3), with no side currently on a longer run without defeat in the competition than the Red Devils. They have lost just one of their 14 league matches since Ole Gunnar Solskjær left the club in November (W8 D5).
- Following their 1-0 win at Aston Villa, Watford will be looking to win consecutive Premier League away games for the first time since a run of three in August/September 2017 under Marco Silva.
- Just 7% of Manchester United’s Premier League goals this season have come from set-piece situations (excluding penalties), the lowest ratio in the competition this term. However, they did net their first goal from a corner this season in their 4-2 win at Leeds last time out.
- Bruno Fernandes has been involved in seven goals in his last seven Premier League appearances (four goals, three assists), although all but one of these goal involvements have come away from Old Trafford.
Player to Watch
Anthony Elanga
In a season that has primarily been dominated by forgettable news, Anthony Elanga’s breakthrough has been one of the few positives at Manchester United. The academy graduate has received a lot of faith from Ralf Rangnick, who personally intervened to ensure he did not embark on a January loan spell.
The confidence from Rangnick has rubbed off on Elanga, who has produced some memorable performances in the past month. The latest such display came in the 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid, with the youngster keeping Manchester United in the tie by scoring a late goal.
In the aftermath of that game, Rangnick heaped praise on Elanga, calling him a role model for up and coming prospects in the youth setup. And Elanga will hope to continue producing solid performances when the Red Devils take on Watford.
Prediction
Manchester United 2-0 Watford
The Watford game can be tricky for Manchester United, especially considering the Hornets’ big win in the reverse fixture. But the visitors are struggling to pose a threat. And despite Manchester United’s vulnerabilities at the back, Watford might be unable to beat David de Gea on Saturday.
At the opposite end, Manchester United will need to be patient before finally breaking the deadlock. The in-form Anthony Elanga could be the player to make the difference again, with Bruno Fernandes also delivering the goods. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Ralf Rangnick’s men.
