The Hornets are chasing a place in Europe next season and play host to opponents simply seeking to preserve their Premier League status
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Southampton
The Hornets have enjoyed a quietly successful campaign, climbing to eighth in the standings and in with a shout of European football next season.
Southampton’s objective, however, is simply to amass the points required to stay in the division, as they lie just three points above the drop zone.
| Game | Southampton vs Southampton |
| Date | Tuesday, April 23 |
| Time | 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm EST |
In the United States (US), the game can be streamed via NBC Sports Gold.
| US TV channel | Online stream |
|---|---|
| N/A | NBC Sports Gold |
In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will not be available to watch live on television or via a stream.
| UK TV channel | Online |
|---|---|
| N/A |
| Position | Watford squad |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | Foster, Gomes, Dahlberg |
| Defenders | Mariappa, Kabasele, Cathcart, Britos, Wilmot, Prodl, Masina, Janmaat, Navarro |
| Midfielders | Capoue, Sema, Pereyra, Chalobah, Doucoure |
| Forwards | Deulofeu, Success, Gray, Penaranda |
Watford starting XI: Foster; Janmaat, Cathcart, Kabasele, Masina; Hughes, Doucoure, Capoue, Pereyra; Gray, Deulofeu
| Position | Southampton players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | McCarthy, Forster, Gunn, Rose |
| Defenders | Vestergaard, Hoedt, Stephens, Yoshida, Bednarek, Targett, Cedric, Bertrand |
| Midfielders | Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong, Davis, Redmond, Elyounoussi, Hojbjerg, Lemina |
| Forwards | Ings, Austin, Long, Gallagher |
Southampton starting XI: Gunn; Bednarek, Stephens, Yoshida; Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Bertrand; Redmond, Long, Armstrong
Watford are priced at 6/5 to enhance their European challenge with bet365. Southampton can be backed at 5/2, while a draw is available at that same price.
Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.
Watford might have the FA Cup final to look forward to against Manchester City next month, but head coach Javi Gracia has urged his side to
Eighth in the standings with four matches to play, the Hornets are set to enjoy a top-half finish. If they can overcome Everton and move into seventh, they would stand a strong chance of playing European football next season, regardless of the outcome of the match at Wembley in May.
“I think before playing the game, my players know perfectly that we need the points more than them,” the Spaniard argued.
“It is the best mentality to get the points available. If we don’t play with that feeling it is difficult to get results.
“We have to be concentrated until the end, if we don’t do it in the next games, I’m sure we won’t be able to achieve the results we want.”
Southampton, meanwhile, had been heading for safety before the weekend’s hiccup against Newcastle, which was caused by a lacklustre first-half display at St. James’ Park.
Saints remain well placed to get out of trouble as they have a five-point edge on Cardiff, who lie 18th having played a game more, but manager Ralph Hasenhuttl does not want to take any risks and expects a stronger display from his team.
“The message must be that a little bit of playing football is not enough for us, so we have to be aggressive again,” he said.
“We have to work harder than we did on Saturday in the first half because otherwise against Watford, a very strong team, it is again a big problem to take something.
“I think we have the quality to win there or to take a point, but we need a really, really clinical and perfect performance.”
Hasenhuttl believes Watford represent a challenge as tough as any in the Premier League.
“Outrageous,” he said when asked to analyse Watford’s season. “If they have the chance of the Europa League, it’s amazing because they are the best of the rest at the moment.
“To go there is nearly as difficult as to play against one of the top six, so we need a very, very good performance.”
His players have been well warned.