Watford vs Sunderland Prediction: Watford crashed out of EFL Cup

Watford will welcome Sunderland at Vicarage Road in Game Week 7 of the English Championship. Watford crashed out of EFL Cup and will be looking to focus on the league. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?

A third-round EFL Cup match between Watford and Manchester City would normally be of little historical significance. But the fact that Watford had not won any of their last 15 matches against the team, nor scored a single goal more than the team's aggregate scoreline of 58-8 would prove to be something entirely else. At halftime in the contest, Watford was holding a two-goal lead over Manchester City with goals from Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes. Tom Ince later scored a consolation goal for Watford.

This defeat extended Watford's run of games without a victory to their last four games in the Championship and EFL Cup. The team had entered August having won five successive matches, but this was their worst defeat so far this season when they were thrashed 4-1 by Norwich City on September 21.

Despite recent problems Watford will draw solace from their impressive performances in recent home matches ahead of their game with the Black Cats this weekend. They haven't lost in their last six games at Vicarage Road, after all, and that includes one during the preseason against Brentford in August.

Bond; Pollock, Porteous, Morris; Andrews, Dele-Bashiru, Sissoko, Sema; Baah, Chakvetadze, Bayo

Representatives from Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund saw 17-year-old rising star Chris Rigg score the goal for Sunderland that ensured an easier win in their Championship match against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light. Since their promotion from League One in 2022, the side has brought on some quality young players for Sunderland, although their assimilation into the side has sometimes stalled, as attested to by their finish last season in 16th position. Now under the tutelage of former Lorient manager Regis Le Bris, who went down during his tenure in charge of the French side's stint in Ligue 1, the side has won five out of the last seven matches. Following a close win against Middlesbrough, Sunderland managed to take second place in the Championship so far with 15 points from six matches, one point behind the league's leader, West Bromwich Albion. With Romaine Mundle leading the Golden Boot race for Sunderland, 21-year-old Romaine Mundle has also done a great job as he has so far scored three goals in six games, a great improvement from last season where he was only able to score once in 11 matches.

Patterson; Hume, Mepham, O'Nien, Cirkin; Neil, Bellingham; Roberts, Rigg, Mundle; Mayenda

After losing only one of the five games they played at Vicarage Road this term, Watford should feel confident of taking the form they have shown recently onto the field and collecting at least a positive result this weekend. Meanwhile, Sunderland looks a solid threat under the tutelage of Le Bris this term and will certainly return with at least a draw in Hertfordshire.