English Championship: Game Week 7
Stadium: Vicarage Road
20th September 2023
Watford will welcome West Bromwich Albion at Vicarage Road in Gameweek 7 of the English Championship. The Hornets will be looking for a back-to-back win in the league. Who will come out on top after 90 minutes?
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Watford put an end to their streak of five games without a win in all competitions on Saturday, defeating John Eustace's Birmingham, who hadn't lost a game in the 2023-24 Championship season. Valerien Ismael's team dominated the game in Hertfordshire, but it wasn't until added time that they secured the victory, with Mileta Rajovic and Ryan Andrews scoring for Watford. This win was their first since the opening day when they played Queens Park Rangers. There were concerns about the team's goal-scoring ability after the departure of Ismaila Sarr to Marseille, but the arrival of Rajovic from Kalmar has alleviated those concerns.
Despite having a talented squad, Watford is currently in 12th place in the league after six matches, earning eight points. This puts them eight points behind league leaders Preston North End. Only Ryan Lowe's Lilywhites and Norwich City have earned more points at home than Ismael's team this season, but Watford has played the most home matches in the Championship so far.
Watford Predicted Lineup
Bachmann; Ngakia, Porteous, Hoedt, Lewis; Sierralta, Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Asprilla, Martins, Rajovic
West Bromwich Albion form
West Brom were unable to secure their first victory on the road this season against Bristol City on Saturday. It was their first goalless draw in a competitive match since their stalemate with Millwall in April, under the guidance of Gary Rowett. The team struggled to create any real chances during the game, with fans questioning the limited playing time given to attacking players Jeremy Sarmiento and Grady Diangana, who were only given seven minutes off the bench. Now, they face a match against their former head coach Ismael, whose tenure at West Brom started well but ultimately ended in February 2022 due to opponents figuring out his tactics. West Brom's failure to finish in the top six last season was partially due to a poor start under Steve Bruce's leadership, but their struggles away from home also played a significant role. They won only seven of their 23 away matches in the Championship last season. Their previous trip to Vicarage Road resulted in a thrilling five-goal contest, with West Brom ultimately losing to Slaven Bilic's Hornets due to goals from Conor Townsend and Jed Wallace being overshadowed by Ken Sema's brace and Ismaila Sarr's strike.
West Bromwich Albion Predicted Lineup
Palmer; Ajayi, Kipre, Pieters; Furlong, Yokuslu, Molumby, Townsend; Sarmiento, Wallace, Thomas-Asante
Watford vs West Bromwich Albion Expert Tips
Watford deserved their win against Birmingham over the weekend, and the fans at Vicarage Road anticipate a similar outcome against West Brom, whose performance tends to suffer when playing away from home. It is believed that West Brom has the potential to improve with Maja and Sarmiento joining the lineup, but we do not anticipate them earning any points in their visit to Hertfordshire on Wednesday night under Corberan's leadership.