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Eighteen months after their previous encounter in the Premier League, Leeds and Watford are set to face off in the Championship this Saturday, both eager for victories that could propel them into the promotion race.
As of now, Leeds finds themselves in the ninth position with 10 points after the midweek fixtures, narrowly edging out Watford by just a single point. Remarkably, these two teams have drawn a total of seven matches between them, suggesting that their impending reunion as recent top-flight underachievers is likely to be a tightly contested affair.
Willy Gnonto sustained an ankle injury during the recent 0-0 draw against Hull, and it's anticipated that Crysencio Summerville will step in as his replacement in the starting lineup for Leeds. Furthermore, Joe Rodon's suspension following his red card at the MKM Stadium will likely see Liam Cooper selected over Charlie Cresswell to partner Pascal Struijk in central defense.
While Junior Firpo and Patrick Bamford have both regained fitness and resumed training, manager Daniel Farke appears to be exercising caution in rushing either player back into action. On the downside, Leeds is still without the services of right-back Djed Spence due to a knee injury.
Watford, on the other hand, continues to miss the contributions of left-sided player Ken Sema, although Jamal Lewis is available for selection if Valerien Ismael opts to rest James Morris. Mattie Pollock is on standby to fill in at center-back should Ryan Porteous fail to recover from a knock, with Francisco Sierralta being another viable option in that position.
Leeds' recent form has been characterized by a string of draws, with their 0-0 stalemate against Hull on Wednesday marking their fifth such result in nine matches across all competitions. This is the fourth time they've shared points in the Championship, which ties for the highest in the league. Impressively, all three of their home games this season have ended in draws. However, their league performance has been lackluster, with only two wins in their last 16 matches.
Watford stands out as one of the only two teams, alongside Coventry, that haven't been trailing at halftime in any of their matches, a streak that has stretched for 11 games. In terms of shots taken per game, only Southampton surpasses Watford's average of 16.7, while Leeds isn't far behind with an average of 15.4.
Despite the volume of opportunities created by both teams, converting these chances into goals has proven to be a challenge. Leeds, for instance, has been involved in two goalless draws in their last three matches, highlighting their scoring woes.
When it comes to analyzing the game itself, it becomes evident that there isn't a strong case for betting on either side. Leeds has managed to remain undefeated in their last six matches across all competitions and has secured three consecutive clean sheets. In contrast, Watford has only managed one win since the opening weekend and needed their opponents to go down to ten men in order to secure a 2-0 victory over Birmingham. In their most recent outing, they took an early lead against West Brom, only for the score to level at 2-2 after just 20 minutes, underscoring their vulnerability to conceding goals despite their attacking prowess.
The upcoming clash between Leeds and Watford promises to be a closely contested battle, with both teams hungry for a win to boost their promotion prospects. However, their recent track records suggest that goals may be at a premium, making it a challenging match to predict.
They are set to face Watford, who, under the new leadership of Valerien Ismael, also have aspirations of entering the promotion battle this season. After a somewhat disappointing previous campaign where they finished in 11th place in England's second-tier league, the Hornets kicked off the current season impressively with a commanding 4-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers.
However, their early success was followed by a draw against Plymouth Argyle and, more significantly, two defeats in league matches, both ending in 1-0 losses to Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers. As a result, they accumulated just four points from their first four fixtures.
Their journey into the international break was marked by a thrilling 3-3 draw against fellow promotion contenders Coventry City. In this intense encounter, Watford managed to take the lead on three separate occasions, courtesy of Mileta Rajovic's two goals and Matheus Martins's contribution. Nevertheless, they were repeatedly pulled back, with the final equalizing goal coming in the 87th minute.
Although the draw was a disappointment due to the late equalizer, Watford regrouped during the break and returned to action at home against Birmingham City. The match appeared to be heading towards a goalless stalemate, but in the dying moments, Watford secured all three points with injury-time goals from Rajovic and Ryan Andrews. Their most recent fixture saw them host West Bromwich Albion, and they shared the points in a 2-2 draw after initially taking the lead through Tom Ince, only for Martins to level the scores at 2-2 in the 23rd minute.
With momentum gradually building at Vicarage Road, Watford is now looking to establish a winning streak in the upcoming weeks, aiming to position themselves at the top of the division. This journey begins with what could be a significant victory at Elland Road.
