Watford vs West Brom prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-09-19 18:45.
Watford boss Valérien Ismaël was overjoyed on Saturday as he watched his side end a five-game competitive winless run (D2, L3) to overcome the relatively solid Birmingham City 2-0. The Watford boss insisted “patience was the key” and that has perhaps alleviated some of the pressure on himself, especially seeing as the club have had no fewer than ten men at the helm since the turn of the decade.
Another home game can only be seen as a positive for the Hornets, who have lost just once across their last five games here whilst keeping four clean sheets in the process (W3, D1, L1). This game has an added layer of spice on a personal level for Ismaël as it is his first personal encounter with West Bromwich Albion since he was sacked as their manager in 2022 in the midst of a faltering promotion push.
Things don’t look very different for the Baggies over a year later, with an identical league start to Watford (W2, D2, L2) holding them back from the upper echelons of the Championship at this early stage. Visiting manager Carlos Corberán was “pleased” that his side ended their run of ten games without a clean sheet at the weekend, but a goalless draw against Bristol City means it’s two games without a win for the Baggies (D1, L1).
Curiously, Corberán’s only prior visit to Watford as West Brom boss came on the back of a pair of winless games and ended in a thrilling 3-2 defeat. That H2H forms part of a five-game streak of WBA failures to win at Vicarage Road across a 13 year period (D2, L3), and considering they haven’t won on the road since April, it’s difficult to make a compelling case for any upheaval this time around.
Players to watch: Mileta Rajović has hit the ground running with two match opening goals in three Championship appearances for Watford, yet he was on the winning side in just two of his last six scoring appearances anywhere. Trying to outdo him will be West Brom’s John Swift, but he has never won when scoring away for the club (D1, L2).
Hot streak: Each of Watford’s last six competitive games have been level at half-time.