Watford v Man Utd betting preview: Free tips, prediction & latest odds for Premier League game at Vicarage Road
Watford have an awful record against Manchester United but have a great chance to get something off Jose Mourinho's men says Paul Higham.
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1pts Watford v Man Utd draw at 5/2
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Watford v Manchester United (1730, BT Sport)
New football statistician Jose Mourinho’s bizarre Marcus Rashford rant illustrates that despite winning at Burnley before the international break he’s still feeling the pressure – pressure that could be ramped up even higher at high-flying Watford.
An eye-opening win against Spurs is the highlight of Watford’s 100 percent start and their home record under Javi Gracia is second to none in the Premier League – but their overall record against United is a stinker.
12 defeats in the last 13 makes for woeful reading for Watford, but they’ll never have a better chance of getting something from a Manchester United team given the form they’ve shown so far.
They’ve scored at least twice in every game so far, showed pace and energy all around the pitch that was too much for Tottenham – who had done pretty much the same thing to United the game before.
These two have combined for four set piece goals so corners and free kicks could prove crucial in what should be a tight affair – Mourinho will not want a repeat of what happened at Brighton.
Betting guide
Score prediction: Watford 1-1 Manchester United (Sky Bet odds: 6/1)
It’s a struggle to see beyond a draw – Mourinho will demand, and get, more from his side but Watford have pace and power and will be tough nuts to crack. The pessimists among us will feel this is a prime park the bus opportunity for Jose but the hope is to see at least a couple of goals.
Best bet: Draw at 5/2
It's not quite 'got draw written all over it' territory but the combination of United operating on a must-not-lose policy and Watford most likely being delighted to remain unbeaten from the game means that there's certainly some etchings of a draw surrounding this fixture.
Player bet: Troy Deeney to be carded at 7/2
These games at Vicarage Road can get a bit tasty, with 13 yellow cards in the last three fixtures here, so we're delving into the bookings market with goals perhaps at a premium. Mr Deeney has kept his nose clean so far this season but there's no doubt he's at his best when hustling and hassling the opposition and his stats show seven bookings during three decent goal scoring seasons. With him leaking lean and mean we cna expect him to put one on a United defender early on which could result in him seeing yellow.
RequestABet: Both teams to score & Deeney to be carded at 13/2
OK, so it's not the most exciting RequestABet in the world but then again there could very well be nothing really exciting about this match depending on United's attitude to the game. The working out for Deeney's booking is explained above and these two should at least find the net once each for a decent return.
Watford v Man Utd Opta Stats
- Watford have lost 12 of their last 13 matches against Manchester United in league competition, with their solitary win coming at Vicarage Road in September 2016 (3-1).
- Of teams they’ve faced 10 or more times, only against Wigan (94%) have Manchester United recorded a higher win rate in the Premier League than they have versus Watford (90% - 9 wins from 10).
- Since Javi Gracia’s first home game in charge in February, Watford (23) have won more Premier League points in home fixtures than any other team (P10 W7 D2 L1).
- Jose Mourinho has won five of his six Premier League encounters with Watford (L1), including each of the last three.
- Watford have won four consecutive home games in the top-flight for the first time since December 1986. They last enjoyed a longer such streak back in October 1985 (7), a run that included a 5-1 victory against Ron Atkinson’s Man Utd at Vicarage Road.
- Man Utd have either scored two or more goals or none at all in each of their last nine Premier League away games, scoring at least twice on five occasions (W4 D1 L4).
- Romelu Lukaku has scored 19 goals in 38 Premier League matches for Manchester United. Should he net in this match, only three players will have reached 20 goals for the Red Devils in fewer games than the Belgian - Ruud van Nistelrooy (26 games), Robin van Persie (32) and Dwight Yorke (34).
- Manchester United’s Alexis Sanchez has had a hand in six goals in five Premier League appearances against Watford (three goals, three assists), scoring in both of his games at Vicarage Road.
- Watford defender José Holebas has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than any other player so far this season (one goal, four assists).
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Odds correct as of 1305 BST on 14/09/18