Swansea vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-10-23 18:45.
Swansea City’s four-game winning run in the Championship ended on Saturday after a 3-1 defeat to leaders Leicester City, but head coach Michael Duff was encouraged by a display he thought “would probably 90% of the time have beaten most teams in this league”. Perhaps concerningly, it was the fourth time they have thrown away a lead this season – the joint-highest figure in the division along with Coventry City.
The visit of Watford should offer hope the Swans can return to winning ways, as they have won four of their last five league encounters against Tuesday’s opponents (D1), including a thumping 4-0 triumph in last term’s corresponding fixture. Duff should also be encouraged by the fact that his men have scored in all eight competitive home games since he took charge, with the last time that the Welsh outfit failed to net at the Swansea.com Stadium being way back in April.
In contrast to Swansea, Watford travel west off the back of a much-needed victory over rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday that ended a five-match winless streak and underlined why the board decided to hand summer appointment Valérien Ismaël a new contract at the start of the month. Ismaël believes the team is improving because of strong squad depth that is pressuring his players into lifting their performance levels, and that despite recording their worst start to a second-tier campaign for 12 years, they can rally back into contention.
The Hertfordshire club’s results in this part of Wales have been patchy in the last couple of years, but despite losing their last two visits to Swansea, Watford can take heart from their record of just one defeat from their six previous away H2Hs (W2, D3). They’ll need to focus on that small positive as they search for a first away victory in any competition since January, with their 16 winless road trips since (D6, L10) an eye-catching run for all the wrong reasons.
Players to watch: Captain Matt Grimes has four goal involvements in as many Swansea appearances (G2, A2) and has played every minute in the Championship so far this season, with the latter feat shared by Watford centre-back Wesley Hoedt, who is one booking away from suspension.
Hot stat: The last time Watford came from behind to win was in November last year – a 2-1 victory in Wales at Cardiff City.