Watford vs. Southampton: Premier League – Preview and Predictions

Southampton jump right back into the action when the visit Watford on Tuesday in a huge match that could push the Saints that much closer to safety.

With a game in hand on Cardiff, a victory on Tuesday could push the Saints 8 points above the relegation zone with only 3 matches remaining. The first matchup had some controversial moments and ultimately ended 1-1 with the teams splitting the points.

Watford have been having a fantastic season by anyone’s standards outside of the top-six and will be a tough matchup for the visitors Tuesday night. Let us take a look at how both sides matchup and how they could come away victorious.

Why Watford Will Win

The home side are coming off a 1-2 victory against lowly Huddersfield and look to leapfrog Everton for the 7th spot on the table with any sort of points from this match. Watford, will not be without Troy Deeney however because he is still serving his suspension for the straight red he received from the Arsenal match.

Despite missing one of their strikers, Watford will have more than enough fire power to take on the Saints. Gerard Deulofeu, has had a resurgence with Watford and has scored 9 goals and bagged 5 assists this season for the Hornets and will likely start on Tuesday against the Saints. His pace and skill on the ball could pose a threat for the Saints backline and if they are not mindful of the Spaniard he could have a big match.

Another threat for Watford going into this match will be Abdoulaye Doucoure who has been having a fantastic season thus far. As a midfielder he has netted 5 goals and 6 assists this season and been an engine in the middle.

Watford are enjoying a great season and will want to finish in a potential Europa League spot so will look to take advantage of a midweek matchup at home.

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Why Southampton Will Win

When Southampton have dropped points with Hasenhuttl at the helm they have always seemed to respond well the next time out. Failure does not seem like an option under Ralph and he is going to turn around and have an aggressive and strong game plan for Watford on Tuesday.

I suspect the team will be set up similar to the Wolves match. The Austrian, knows how close they are to safety and is not going to pull any punches in these final few matches. The health of Valery and Vestergaard is still unknown so we may have to wait and see who is in the Starting XI but I suspect it will be an attacking set up.

If Southampton can strike first, they have a good shot at getting the vital points they need in order to ensure their safety. Hasenhuttl, has said 40 points is the goal and they are only 4 points away from reaching that goal.

Predicted Lineups

Watford: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper: Ben Foster

Defenders: Adam Masina, Craig Cathart, Adrian Mariappa, Kiko

Midfielders: Ken Sema, Etienne Capoue, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Will Hughes

Forwards: Andre Gray, Gerard Deulofeu

Southampton: 3-4-2-1

Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn

Defenders: Jan Bednarek, Maya Yoshida, Jack Stephens

Midfielders: Yan Valery, James Ward-Prowse, Pierre-Emili Hojbjerg, Ryan Bertrand

Attacking Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong, Nathan Redmond

Strikers: Danny Ings

Predicted Score: 1-1