Watford vs. Newcastle United
Venueh Vicarage Road
Kick off: 4pm
Two teams enduring a tough time in the Premier League of late meet at Vicarage Road in the FA Cup on Saturday (today) as Watford host Newcastle United.
Despite their recent slide, Watford have impressed in their first season back in the top flight and might fancy a cup run, while Newcastle’s main focus is escaping the drop in the next four months.
No win in three since Christmas and two straight defeats mean Watford come into this match not exactly high on confidence.
However, all three matches were against so-called big boys, with a 2-2 draw at Chelsea followed by crushing late defeats at home – both by a 2-1 scoreline – against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.
Despite the defeats, Watford have now scored in their last eleven matches and that is largely down to the exploits of captain Troy Deeney and strike partner Odion Ighalo.
Deeney was recently linked with a move to Arsenal, but the player and Gunners boss, Arsene Wenger, dismissed the speculation earlier today.
Watford fans would not have been happy to see top-scorer Ighalo seemingly issuing a come-and-get-me plea to Manchester United by saying that it was his dream to play at Old Trafford like childhood heroes Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, but a sale this month is still unlikely.
The Hornets, who have never won the FA Cup, were beaten 3-0 at Chelsea in last year’s third round and their best run in recent times was nine years ago when they got to the semi-finals before losing to Manchester United.
Watford are still ninth with 29 points and how Newcastle would like to be part of that impressive top-half cluster with the likes of West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Stoke City.
Steve McClaren’s side have lost three in a row – the longest losing streak in the Premier League – and lie in the bottom three after 20 games of the season.
All three defeats have been by a 1-0 scoreline, last time going down at Arsenal, and the Magpies have managed just one goal in four games since impressive back-to-back wins over Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur at the start of December.
Goals have been a problem all season long and a new striker seems to be McClaren’s number-one priority this month in the transfer window, with French duo Loic Remy and Alexandre Lacazette both linked with January moves.
Newcastle, six-winners of the competition, have a poor recent FA Cup record, losing at the first hurdle the last four years and losing six of their last seven third-round contests.
Watford possible starting lineup: Arlauskis, Anya, Prodl, Cathcart, Holebas, Abdi, Guedioura, Behrami, Jurado, Deeney, Ibarbo.
Newcastle possible starting lineup: Darlow, Janmaat, Lascelles, Mbemba, Dummett, Thauvin, De Jong, Tiote, Gouffran, Toney, Mitrovic.