West Ham will be aiming for their first win in three Premier League matches when they take on Watford on Tuesday.
After back to back defeats at the hands of Manchester United and Leeds United, West Ham appear to have lost ground in the race for the top four places.
The Hammers are currently fifth in the league table with 37 points, having played more matches than all of their three direct competitors in Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. It makes Tuesday’s clash with Watford a must-win encounter, as David Moyes’s men look to keep up the pressure on fourth-placed Man United while remaining ahead of Spurs and Arsenal.
In addition to their back to back defeats in the Premier League, West Ham are coming into this game on the back of a strenuous FA Cup fixture against Kidderminster Harriers that stretched until the 120th minute, with Jarrod Bowen saving the day with a late winner.
Their midweek opponent Watford, meanwhile, are dawdling on the wrong end of the table. With just 15 points on the board, the Londoners are currently in the drop zone, just a couple of points ahead of bottom club Burnley. The Hornets are are without a win in ten games in all competitions, with their last victory coming against Manchester United back in November.
On a positive note, Watford did bring in veteran Roy Hodgson to replace Claudio Ranieri for the remainder of the season. The former England boss started his tenure with a goalless draw with Burnley. One would imagine the visitors will be happy with a similar result, although given West Ham’s form, Hodgson’s men will certainly fancy their chances of stealing three points at the London Stadium this midweek.
Team News & Tactics
West Ham United
After resting a host of his first-team regulars in the FA Cup encounter, David Moyes is set to ring in the changes and field the strongest possible eleven in this home fixture against Watford.
Team news from David Moyes:
• Michail Antonio is back.
• Manuel Lanzini has an achilles injury.
• Arthur Masuaku seeing a specialist about his knee.#WHUFC #COYI pic.twitter.com/wKWrv6MMWe— West Ham Fan Zone (@WHUFCFZ) February 7, 2022
The ones set for a return to the team sheet are defenders Craig Dawson, Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell, with Issa Diop, Ryan Fredericks and Ben Johnson likely to make way. Even Lukasz Fabianski is expected to return in goal at the expense of new signing Alphonse Areola.
Moyes is likely to stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation, employing a direct, traditional approach that will look to take advantage of Watford’s leaky backline. However, it is essential that they hold the fort in midfield, and that is where the return of Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek could be pivotal, especially given Watford’s effective second line of press.
Moving forward, Moyes could once again shuffle his pack, bringing back Jarrod Bowen to add more dynamism in the final third. The wingers Said Benrahma and Bowen are set to play a crucial role in offering width on the flanks, whereas the onus will be on Pablo Fornals to offer the creative essence behind the main forward Michail Antonio.
While Manuel Lanzini would usually get the nod ahead of Fornals, the Argentine apparently has an Achilles problem that may rule him out of the match. Nikola Vlasic and Andriy Yarmolenko, meanwhile, remain other attacking alternatives for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Dawson, Zouma, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio
Watford
Roy Hodgson is one of the most traditional managers in England, and given the draw with Burnley, the Englishman has no reason to tinker with his 4-4-2 setup that will look to operate in a low defensive block and frustrate the West Ham attackers.
“There are no words that will get you out of the situation. The only thing that will get us out of this situation is playing performances.”
? Hodgson is keen to see his team do their talking on the pitch ahead of #WHUWAT.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) February 7, 2022
At the same time, the offensive duo of Emmanuel Dennis and Joshua King are set to play a pivotal role in the attack. While both the players are set to operate as runners, they may also look to put pressure on the West Ham centre-backs, especially in possession, in an attempt to create turnovers in dangerous areas of the pitch.
While the two forwards are set to press the centre-backs, the wide midfielders in Juraj Kucka and Ken Sema will have the opportunity to close in on the West Ham fullbacks, thus eliminating the passing option for the defenders. At the same time, the onus will be on these two to make marauding runs forward and provide crosses into the box.
There is a chance Watford may have Ismaila Sarr back, following his triumph at AFCON. The Senegalese international could replace either Sema or Kucka. But as for the central midfield department, Hodgson is set to stick with the combination of Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe, with Tom Cleverley serving as an alternative.
Defensively, Watford are still missing out on the services of Nicolas N’Koulou due to injury. It leaves Hodgson with no option but to persist with the same backline that started against Burnley, with fullbacks Kiko Femenia and Hassane Kamara providing aid to centre-backs Samir and Craig Cathcart.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Foster; Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara; Kucka, Kayembe, Sissoko, Sema; King, Dennis
Key Stats
- West Ham United have won their last four Premier League matches against Watford, scoring at least three goals in each victory, including a 4-1 win earlier this campaign at Vicarage Road.
- Three of Watford’s five Premier League wins over West Ham have come away from home, winning in 2006-07, 2016-17 and 2018-19. Their seven away Premier League games against the Hammers alternated between a defeat and a win each time, losing 3-1 in July 2020 on their last visit.
- Among the 55 teams West Ham have faced more than 20 times in their league history since 1919, their best win ratio is against Watford, winning 27 of 43 matches against the Hornets (63%).
- Watford have lost 73% of their Premier League away games in London (29/40), the highest loss rate in the capital of any side to have competed in more than two seasons in the competition.
- West Ham have lost just one of their last 11 midweek Premier League games (W6 D4), going down 2-0 at Arsenal in December.
Player to Watch
Michail Antonio
? TEAM NEWS
"Michail has returned and has had a couple of days’ training, so hopefully he’ll be fit."
? David Moyes#WHUWAT
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 7, 2022
After being excluded from the FA Cup tie against Kidderminster Harriers, Michail Antonio was a slight doubt heading into this clash, owing to his international duty with Jamaica. But David Moyes has confirmed his impending return in the game against Watford, which could prove to be a major boost for the hosts.
The forward has been at the heart of West Ham’s success under Moyes and is currently the club’s top goalscorer with eight goals in the league. The 31-year-old has also bagged six assists, which is indicative of his work rate in the final third. His combination play with the likes of Bowen, Benrahma and Lanzini is vital in West Ham’s attacking setup.
Antonio’s presence upfront could be crucial as the Hammers look to rekindle their winning momentum after a rough patch.
Prediction
West Ham United 1-0 Watford
This is a difficult game to predict, given West Ham’s disappointing run of form coupled with Watford’s new managerial appointment that will certainly impact their results.
Indeed, the introduction of Hodgson saw Watford exhibit more solidity at the back against Burnley, but it is fair to point out that West Ham have a far deadlier attacking setup – one that could make life difficult for Cathcart and co.
We are expecting both sides to be pragmatic and conservative with their approach, which could potentially lead to a low-scoring encounter. The hosts West Ham certainly have the advantage due to the home support, while the return of star players might just be enough to help them overpower the relegation candidates.
