Turn your attention to the Swansea.com Stadium this Tuesday for a Championship clash that pits Welsh pride against a high-flying Watford squad. Fresh from beating Oxford United, Swansea's momentum meets a Watford side still buzzing after a six-goal demolition of Sheffield Wednesday.
But Tuesday is a new day, which is why we’ve reviewed this game in full right here!
How the bookies view it: Swansea surprising favourites
In a bit of a turn-up for the books (no pun intended), the hosts are actually favourites here at 23/20 odds. As for Watford, despite their recent offensive masterclass, they find themselves priced at 23/10. Undoubtedly, these odds take into account Swansea’s relatively solid defensive record at home over the course of the season, although we do find these prices unusual! Then again, for a Watford side with two straight wins under their belts, some would say a Watford wager shows real value.
Head-to-head: Shared success
Recent meetings between these teams seem to favour Swansea City – at least concerning games on home soil. They have secured three victories against Watford's two in their previous six encounters, with one drawn match. And when they last played at Watford in the second half of last season, we witnessed a 1-1 draw.
There are some notable scoring patterns from these fixtures, too, with 15 goals registered across six matches, producing a consistent average of 2.5 goals per encounter!
Players to watch: Vakoun Issouf Bayo and Žan Vipotnik
Bayo approaches this fixture following something truly miraculous at Sheffield Wednesday. His remarkable four-goal performance, executed within a thirty-minute period, exemplifies his current form and confidence. Therefore, this striker's recent finishing merit puts him firmly in the spotlight.
As for Swansea, Vipotnik has shown time and time again how important he is for Swansea's attacking framework. His early strike against Oxford United showed that he isn’t afraid to take a chance, and he can certainly find a goal or two when needed!
Predicted lineups
Swansea faces several selection challenges with Josh Ginnelly (Achilles), Andy Fisher (groin), and Ji-sung Eom (collateral ligament) all sidelined. Luke Williams is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Lawrence Vigouroux protecting the goal behind a defensive unit led by Ben Cabango.
Watford is likely to maintain their 3-5-2 system, which proved so effective against Sheffield Wednesday, with the dangerous partnership of Bayo and Baah leading the attack.
Swansea possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Darling, Tymon; Grimes, Franco; Ronald, Cooper, Peart-Harris; Vipotnik
Watford possible starting lineup:
Bachmann; Pollock, Sierralta, Porteous; Andrews, Ince, Kayembe, Sissoko, Larouci; Baah, Vakoun Bayo
Anything else catch the eye?
Further statistical analysis indicates a few contrasting patterns here. Watford's fixtures consistently produce three or more goals, while Swansea's recent encounters tend to be on the lower end of the scoring spectrum.
But with this fixture's historical scoring average of 2.5 goals recently, you’d certainly expect to see goals coming at both ends. As for who scores them, it just depends on who manages to break through with a moment of magic, with Bayo and Vipotnik strong candidates!
This England Championship match between Swansea and Watford will be played on Nov 5, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Swansea vs Watford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
