Crystal Palace vs. Watford
Venue: Selhurst Park
Kick off: 4PM
Watford will be looking to build on last weekend’s shock victory over Liverpool when they travel to Crystal Palace in the Premier League this afternoon.
The Hornets became the first Premier League team to beat Liverpool this season when they triumphed last time out, but Nigel Pearson’s side are still 17th in the table, five positions behind Palace.
Palace lost three straight matches to Southampton, Sheffield United and Everton before recording successive victories over Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion in their last two Premier League fixtures.
A poor start to 2020 saw Roy Hodgson’s side go seven matches without a win, but they will enter Saturday’s contest having picked up six points from the last six available.
It is difficult to say that the Eagles are completely out of the relegation mix, but they are nine points clear of 18th-placed Bournemouth and therefore it is difficult to imagine them being dragged into trouble.
Looking up the division, Palace is only four points off seventh-placed Tottenham Hotspur and would fancy their chances of rising up the table should they triumph this weekend.
Watford, as mentioned, will enter this match off the back of a shock 3-0 victory over Liverpool last Saturday. Not too much was expected of the Hornets heading into the clash, but Ismaila Sarr scored twice before Troy Deeney added a third against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Pearson deserves huge credit for giving the capital side a fighting chance of avoiding the drop, but they are level on points with 18th-placed Bournemouth and therefore far from out of trouble.
Even Norwich City at the foot of the table will feel that they still have a chance of avoiding relegation having picked up an impressive victory over Leicester City last time out.
Watford will surely believe that they have the firepower to cause Palace problems, although the Hornets have lost classy attacker Gerard Deulofeu for the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury.
These two teams played out a goalless draw when they locked horns at Vicarage Road in December, but Watford have won three of their last four meetings in all competitions.
Palace possible XI: Guaita, Ward, Dann, Cahill, Van Aanholt, Zaha, Kouyate, McCarthy, McArthur, Ayew, Benteke.
Watford possible XI: Foster, Kiko, Kabasele, Cathcart, Masina, Capoue, Hughes, Pereyra, Doucoure, Sarr, Deeney.