Matchday 16 of the 2021-22 Premier League season kicks off on Friday night as Brentford welcome Watford to the Brentford Community Stadium.
Four points separate the two sides in the table, with thirteenth-place Brentford leading seventeenth-place Watford.
💬 Team News"Everyone that was available for Leeds should be available for this game. Mads Bech is ready after Covid"#BrentfordFC #BREWAT pic.twitter.com/m0sHkwZXAD— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 8, 2021
💬 Team News"Everyone that was available for Leeds should be available for this game. Mads Bech is ready after Covid"#BrentfordFC #BREWAT pic.twitter.com/m0sHkwZXAD
It’s fair to say that Brentford have made a satisfactory start to life in the Premier League following promotion from the Championship last season.
The Bees have registered four wins, five draws and six losses in their opening 15 matches, scoring 19 goals while conceding 21.
That said, Thomas Frank’s side have only managed to one of their previous eight games – recording two draws and five losses in the process.
They were on the verge of beating Leeds United last time out, only to conceded a 95th-minute goal and draw 2-2 with Marcelo Bielsa’s boys.
It is worth noting, however, that Brentford have scored over 1.5 goals on six occasions this term. Their goals should keep them away from the relegation zone.
On the flip side, no team has suffered more Premier League defeats than Watford this season. The Hornets have already lost ten games.
With four wins and just a single draw to their name, Claudio Ranieri must start getting a tune out of his players sooner rather than later.
Watford have suffered a whopping seven losses in their past nine matches, picking up a measly two victories along the way.
They have conceded a combined total of seven goals across their previous three games and have failed to keep a clean sheet all season.
Head-to-head: Watford have lost just one of their last 18 meetings with Brentford across all competitions.
That said, they have only faced each other on four occasions since 1998. Watford claimed two wins in the 2014/15 season, but Brentford avoided defeat in this fixture last term.
Team news: Brentford could be without key striker Ivan Toney this weekend after he missed the previous game due to COVID-19. Sergi Canos is suspended having picked up five yellow cards.
Watford could be without as many as eight first-team players for Friday’s clash. Ben Foster, Adam Masina and Ismaila Sarr are among the confirmed absentees.
Although there is very little between these two sides at the moment, Brentford are expected to make full use of the home advantage on Friday.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Brentford will edge out Watford. Both teams are likely to score, but the Bees should come out on top.