Watford vs Everton
Venue: Vicarage Road
Kick off: 1:30pm
Watford has the chance to leapfrog Everton if they can turn around their blip in form as the visitors has won once in nine attempts since a run of four successive victories ended in September.
To spark an upturn in fortunes, Romelu Lukaku will have to start scoring more frequently.
Lukaku has just one goal in his last six matches. Everton’s next top-scorer is Gareth Barry.
The home side has done well this season under Walter Mazzarri with the Italian adjusting well to English football.
They have been inconsistent at times, but they are well placed in mid table and are set to avoid a relegation fight for the second season running.
There is a platform to push on from and classy signings like Daryl Janmaat and Roberto Pereyra suggest that they are going to do so over the coming years.
On the other hand, it is a year of transition for Everton as Ronald Koeman begins to build the squad that he thinks will be good enough to challenge at the very top of the Premier League. In the past, the problem has been a lack of finances, but that is no longer an issue at Goodison Park.
They spent big over the summer and are set to spend again in January.
The Toffees need to be patient as Koeman has the ability to take them to new heights.
Watford have won two of their last five league matches, but they have lost their last two, which could develop into a slump if they aren’t careful. Last weekend, they lost to West Brom, a disappointing result considering that the Baggies are one of the teams that Watford will want to compete with this season.
The visitors have taken only seven points from their last nine matches, which is well below what they would have targeted. It has been the first drop in form under Koeman and it has made the festive period even more important for the Toffees.
Watford Possible XI: Gomes, Prodl, Britos, Zuniga, Holebas, Behrami, Capoue, Success, Amrabat, Okaka, Deeney.
Everton Possible XI: Stekelenburg, Williams, Funes Mori, Coleman, Baines, Barry,Gueye, Mirallas, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku.
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