EPL: Watford ambush Spurs

Watford vs. Tottenham
Venue: Vicarage Road
Kick off: 1:30PM

Watford play host to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this afternoon sitting outside of the relegation zone for the first time since August.
For the most part of Tuesday’s win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, Jose Mourinho would have been pleased with the performance of his side, especially in the final third of the pitch.
However, gifting the Championship outfit a way back into the contest in the closing stages would have frustrated the Portuguese, who still has only one clean sheet to his name since replacing Mauricio Pochettino in October.
While supporters will be optimistic regarding the progression of Japhet Tanganga and Giovani Lo Celso, they will acknowledge that they will not earn a place in the Premier League’s top four at the end of the campaign unless they improve in defence.
The meeting with Watford is followed by a home clash against Norwich City – one which Mourinho and his squad will be expected to win with relative ease.
However, with Manchester City lurking around the corner, Spurs are under pressure to build some momentum ahead of welcoming Pep Guardiola’s team to North London.
As for the Hornets, they head into the contest having recorded three successive home wins in the Premier League, a run which has ultimately turned their season around after a dismal opening four months.
The manner of the 3-0 triumph at Bournemouth will also fill Nigel Pearson with confidence as the Hertfordshire-based outfit threaten to move clear of the dropzone.
That said, the newly-appointed boss now faces a different issue to what he probably expected upon his arrival as he bids to avoid any complacency creeping into the mentality of his squad.
That is the potential cost of the surprise swing in momentum, although there are enough strong characters behind the scenes at Vicarage Road to keep this in-form squad level-headed.
With this game taking place before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures, Watford can move to the dizzy heights of 14th place with maximum points.

Watford possible XI: Foster, Mariappa, Dawson, Cathcart, Masina; Chalobah, Capoue, Sarr, Doucoure, Deulofeu, Deeney.
Tottenham Hotspur possible XI: Gazzaniga, Tanganga, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Dier, Lo Celso, Moura, Alli, Sessegnon, Son.