Champions League hopefuls Leicester City travel to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon, hoping to get the better of relegation-threatened Watford in the Premier League.
Watford return to action hovering just above the relegation zone and are one of three teams – along with West Ham and Bournemouth – locked on 27 points.
Following an impressive six-game unbeaten run between December and January, Watford only managed to win one of their six league games leading up to the break.
📸 The new 'normal'... pic.twitter.com/5HNdsSNdbA— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) June 15, 2020
📸 The new 'normal'... pic.twitter.com/5HNdsSNdbA
Granted, their sole victory during that period was an outstanding 3-0 win over Liverpool, which ended the runaway leaders’ mammoth unbeaten streak.
But defeats to Aston Villa, Everton, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace – and a draw with relegation rivals Brighton – have left Watford fighting for their lives.
At the other end of the table, Leicester will be aiming to cement a place in the top four following an excellent season under Brendan Rodgers.
With 16 wins from 29 league games this term, the Foxes will resume the campaign in 3rd – five points clear of fifth-place Chelsea.
Leicester claimed eight straight victories between October and December, putting them in contention for the Premier League title.
Unfortunately, the team’s performances went downhill around the turn of the year, and now a top-four finish is the best the Foxes can hope for.
However, a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in their final game before the break has put Leicester in a strong position to secure Champions League football for next season.
In the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, Leicester claimed a comfortable 2-0 win over Watford. Interestingly, the Foxes have beaten Watford by that exact scoreline in three of their previous four meetings.
Looking at the team news, Watford will be without the injured Daryl Janmaat, Jose Holebas, Isaac Success, and Gerard Deulofeu on Saturday.
As for Leicester, Ricardo Pereira and Daniel Amartey will miss the remainder of the season through injury, while Ayoze Perez is a doubt.
Both these sides need three points for very different reasons. Watford must steer clear of the relegation zone, while Leicester will be looking to move further ahead of the chasing pack behind them.
The Hornets will no doubt come out fighting, but Leicester’s superiority is likely to shine through as they bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Forebet predicts that Leicester will keep a clean sheet on their way to victory over Watford.