Sunderland will face Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday, looking to further strengthen their position in the Championship playoff places with kickoff at 5 pm.
Although the Hornets have won only two of their last five games and are only two points above the relegation zone, head coach Edwards may be content with his team’s progress.
He took over at Watford in mid-June after leaving Forest Green Rovers and knew what he was getting into a club with a history of sacking managers frequently.
However, changing coaches now would be unfair given that Watford has only suffered two defeats in nine league games.
While facing an in-form Sunderland side has arguably come at the wrong time, it is also an opportunity for the Hornets to show that they can compete against the best teams in the league.
Some argue that it’s an exaggeration to describe Sunderland as in form, given the Black Cats have not won back-to-back games since their return to the second tier.
However, Tony Mowbray has two wins from three games to his name, each coming by a 3-0 scoreline against Rotherham United and Reading, respectively.
The latter of those successes was particularly impressive, moving them within one point of their opponents, who are still in fourth despite a heavy defeat.
Watford vs. Sunderland Head to Head
Both sides have four games against each other, with the hosts taking two wins while the visitors with one win. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Blackburn 2-0 Watford
- Rotherham 1-1 Watford
- Watford 2-1 Middlesbrough
- Watford 2-3 QPR
Away
- Reading 0-3 Sunderland
- Middlesbrough 1-0 Sunderland
- Sunderland 3-0 Rotherham
- Sunderland 0-1 Norwich City
Watford Team News
Sarr twisted his ankle during the defeat at Blackburn and is expected to miss out for Watford at the weekend. Keinan Davis is in line with expectations of playing at the weekend in attack, while Mario Gaspar may be given the nod over Jeremy Ngakia at right wing-back.
Sunderland Team News
Ellis Simms picked up an injury against Reading, which may give Leon Dajaku a chance to start in the middle of the pitch. Elliot Embleton also should receive more playing time after assisting on two goals as a substitute.
Prediction and Odds
Sunderland will take confidence in Watford’s recent run of poor results and off-field issues, but we still expect the Hornets to fight.
- Home Win
- Correct Score: 1-0
- Goals Under 2.5
