Watford vs. Norwich City Prediction, 7/7/20
Rock-bottom Norwich City will try to end a five-game losing streak in the Premier League with a trip to Hertfordshire, with hosting Watford trying to improve their chances of survival in England’s highest division. Kick-off - at 13:00 PM ET on Tuesday, July 7.
Watford Fail At Chelsea
Watford lost four consecutive Premier League road games for the first time since dropping the last six travels of the 2017-18 season after being blanked with a count of 3-0 by Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Hornets gave up 70% of ball possession and were outshot 21-7, allowing two goals, including a penalty, in the first 45 minutes of the contest before the hosts netted their third in injury time. Watford remain winless since the restart of English soccer (D1 L3), currently sitting 17th in the league (W6 D10 L17), just one point above the relegation zone.
Captain Troy Deeney leads his team with six league markers for the year but has failed to tally any snipes for the last five outings. Goalie Ben Foster, meanwhile, sits 5th in the EPL with 103 saves. He has recorded nine clean sheets in 33 games this season and gives up a strike every 57 minutes on average. Watford has netted the 3rd lowest quantity of goals during the current campaign (29) while taking the 13th highest amount of shots per game (11). The team is 3rd from the bottom in both ball possession (44.1%) and passing accuracy (73.4%).
Norwich Get Edged By Brighton
The fate of being relegated from the Premier League drew nearer for Norwich City after the team was beaten for the fifth consecutive time following a 1-0 home loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at Carrow Road on Saturday. With the team’s top-scorers Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell starting the game from the bench, the Canaries controlled the ball 58% of the time and outshot the visitors 12-8, but managed just one sure-fire scoring chance, with 19-year-old substitute Adam Idah hitting the post in injury time. Norwich are bottom of the league with a W5 D6 L22 record, sitting seven points below safety with five games remaining.
Pukki and Cantwell lead the Canaries with 11 and six Premier League goals this season respectively, with no other Norwich player having scored more than once during the 2019-20 term. Goalie Tim Krul, meanwhile, sits 4th in the league with 111 saves. He has collected five clean sheets in 31 contests during the ongoing campaign and gives up a goal every 52 minutes of play. The Norfolk club has scored the absolute lowest number of goals this year (25) while delivering the 12th highest amount of shots per game (11.3). The team is 9th in both ball possession (50.6%) and passing accuracy (80.5%).
Prediction
Watford have been in declining form since the Premier League restart, managing to earn just a single point from a possible 12 (D1 L3). In fact, the Hornets have won just one of their last 11 contests in the league (W1 D3 L7) and are currently finding themselves in a desperate fight for survival in England’s top-flight, sitting just one point above the bottom three. A home game against the league’s worst side, which - following Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion in a must-win fixture - will be emotionally drained, is definitely something Watford will be looking forward to. For a reason as well, mind! The team has not done too badly on own turf lately, losing just two of its past nine EPL home games (W4 D3 L2), and has already beaten the Canaries on two of the previous three occasions, keeping a clean sheet in both victories. Norwich have failed to score a single snipe in eight of their past nine matches in the league and will be traveling to Watford without injured Todd Cantwell - one of just two Norwich players, who can be trusted with banking a goal.
Best bet:
Watford to win to nil (+160)