Following a midweek visit to the Premier League champions, Watford will shift their focus back to the Championship as they host high-flying Sunderland at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.
The Hornets were eliminated from the EFL Cup after their match against Manchester City on Tuesday night, while Sunderland have had a full week to recuperate since their last Championship game at the Stadium of Light.
Match preview
Having lost their last 15 encounters with Manchester City by a combined score of 58-8, Watford might have dreaded their trip to face Pep Guardiola’s side in the third round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday. However, the match ended on a relatively positive note for the Championship visitors.
In their fifth instance of conceding within the first five minutes in the last six matches across all competitions, Watford saw Jeremy Doku score early and Matheus Nunes add a second goal in the first half. Despite this, Watford managed to score a late consolation goal with a brilliant strike from Tom Ince.
Looking at the broader picture, Tuesday’s narrow defeat at the hands of the Premier League champions leaves Watford winless in their last four games across the Championship and EFL Cup. This is a stark contrast to their impressive five-game winning streak in August.
Watford’s most significant defeat of the season occurred in their last Championship match on September 21, when they suffered a 4-1 loss to Norwich City, with goals from Callum Doyle, Borja Sainz, Marcelino Nunez, and Ben Chrisene.
Despite recent struggles, Watford can draw confidence from their strong home form as they prepare for the weekend’s match against Sunderland. They remain unbeaten in their last six matches at Vicarage Road, including a pre-season friendly against Premier League Brentford in early August.
With scouts from Champions League finalists Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in attendance, Sunderland’s rising star Chris Rigg made an impact in his side’s recent Championship match. The promising 17-year-old scored the only goal of the game to secure a victory over Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.
Since their return from League One in 2022, Sunderland’s squad has featured several talented young players. However, as was the case last season, the conditions for these players to thrive haven’t always been ideal, with the North-East club finishing 16th in the Championship following a challenging 2023-24 campaign.
Putting his Ligue 1 relegation with Lorient behind him, Régis Le Bris is starting to turn things around at Sunderland. The French coach has led the Black Cats to five wins in his first seven competitive matches in charge.
Following last weekend’s win over Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough, Sunderland sits second in the Championship standings with an impressive 15 points from six games, just one point behind league leaders West Bromwich Albion as the October international break approaches.
In keeping with the club’s focus on developing young talent, 21-year-old Romaine Mundle leads Sunderland’s early Golden Boot race with three goals in six Championship appearances, a notable improvement from his single goal in 11 appearances last season.
**Watford Championship form:**
**Watford Championship form:**
W W W L D L
**Watford form (all competitions):**
W W L D L L
**Sunderland Championship form:**
W W W W L W
**Sunderland form (all competitions):**
L W W W L W
Team News
Watford’s first-choice goalkeeper, Daniel Bachmann, will be sidelined until next month due to a muscle injury, so backup Jonathan Bond will continue as the starter.
The Hornets will also be without Francisco Sierralta, who is aiming to return after the October international break from a muscle issue.
Aaron Connolly, who joined Sunderland as a free agent following his release from Hull City, could make his debut for the Black Cats at Vicarage Road this weekend.
Seventeen-year-old Rigg, enjoying a standout start to the season, is expected to play alongside Jobe Bellingham and Daniel Neil in midfield.
Sunderland will still be missing Ajibola Alese and Jenson Seelt, leaving Le Bris with limited defensive options.
**Watford possible starting lineup:**
Bond; Pollock, Porteous, Morris; Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Baah, Chakvetadze, Bayo
**Sunderland possible starting lineup:**
Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O’Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham, Roberts, Rigg, Mundle; Mayenda
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