WATFORD couldn't have picked a worse time to slump back into the bottom three as it has left them needing to take something from Arsenal to have a realistic chance of staying up.
The baffling decision to sack Nigel Pearson with just two games to go backfired on Tuesday when the Hornets were hammered 4-0 by Manchester City at Vicarage Road.
I fancied City to grab a few goals that night and only an offside flag in stoppage time against Gabriel Jesus stopped all three of my bets coming up.
With Aston Villa claiming a vital 1-0 victory at home to Arsenal just hours later, it meant Watford dropped into the relegation zone, making them 2/7 favourites with the bookies to go down.
If Villa win their final game against West Ham, who are safe after an excellent point at Old Trafford, then the Hornets will not only have to beat the Gunners but outscore their relegation rivals.
A point would be enough if Villa lose but I suspect that's the most Watford can expect to take home from the Emirates, even though Arsenal lost in midweek.
Mikel Arteta made six changes for the Villa game and I suspect he will field close to his strongest team here as they bid to find some rhythm a week before the FA Cup Final.
Starting places in the Wembley showpiece will be up for grabs so it's hard to see the Gunners slacking off and that's bad news for the Vicarage Road men.
How the bookies view it
Arsenal were 21/20 at Betfred earlier in the week but are now a best 19/20 with BetVictor, which still represents decent value. The Hornets are 27/10 with the same firm while the stalemate pays 3/1 at Betfred.
Recent head to head
Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four games against the Hornets, although it ended 2-2 at Vicarage Road when these teams last faced off as Watford came from 2-0 down to snatch a point (below).
The Gunners have won to nil in the last two meetings at the Emirates, where Watford last triumphed in 2017 with a 2-1 victory.
Players to watch
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (below) netted a double when these teams faced off earlier in the season and also scored twice in the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City.
He's a best 22/25 with 888Sport for anytime scorer here but the odds increase to 13/4 with the same firm for the Gabon striker to break the deadlock.
Watford offered little threat against City but might get a bit of joy against Arteta's back three. Ismaila Sar's pace always makes him a danger and he's 27/10 with 888Sport to score.
Anything else catch the eye?
Arsenal have scored in the first half of every home game since coming out of lockdown so try backing them to be winning at half-time and full-time at 9/4 with BetVictor.
William Hill are offering 19/10 on the Gunners scoring in both halves which looks a good option, as does the 11/5 they price on Arteta's men being ahead after 30 minutes.
This English Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford will be played on Jul 26, 2020 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Watford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
