Watford vs Crystal Palace. Premier League.
Vicarage RoadAttendance20,014.
Watch live on Sky Sports Premier League from 12.30pm
Sunday 26 August 2018 22:01, UK
Summer signing Max Meyer could make his first start for Crystal Palace as they travel to Watford live on Renault Super Sunday.
The German has made substitute appearances since he arrived at Selhurst Park, but is in line for a spot in Roy Hodgson's starting XI this weekend.
Watford have won just two of their last 16 matches against Crystal Palace in all competitions (D4 L10) but Hodgson refused to call his side the Hornets' bogey team.
"The danger that believing you are someone's bogey team is that you will be very disappointed if they come back and beat you," he said. "I expect a tough and competitive game. Their start to the season has been excellent."
Opposite number Javi Gracia put his side's bright start down to a rare vein of consistency from the Hornets, who have started a season with the same head coach who finished the last for the first time since 2014.
"It will be better to start with the coach you know from the last season," he said. "You don't need time to adapt to new things, new training, new situations.
"The spirit is important; we create a style of play where the players feel comfortable, where they feel part of something. We've created an atmosphere and we are showing all our features.
"It is always important to start well. We have played only two games and they are two important wins, but it's only two games. It's only the beginning.
"It's a good moment for us, but I know we need to keep calm and know bad results will arrive in the future and it will be better to arrive there with not only good results, but having created something we can believe in."
Crystal Palace have few injury worries but will be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka after his straight red card against Liverpool on Monday. Joel Ward or Martin Kelly will replace him at right-back.
Along with Meyer, Cheikhou Kouyate, Jordan Ayew and Vicente Guaita are also fit to start but it remains to be seen if they can force themselves into Hodgson's XI.
For Watford, Stefano Okaka trained with the team this week while Gerard Deulofeu expected to train with the team next week, as is Miguel Britos.
Watford again have Stefano Okaka available for selection for the meeting with Crystal Palace following his recovery from a leg injury.
The striker's return to full training comes with Nathaniel Chalobah and Gerard Deulofeu still absent as they pursue match fitness, and Miguel Britos being ruled out with a knock.
Beyond Britos, Watford's only long-term absentee is Tom Cleverley, who is out until the autumn following surgery on his Achilles.
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in seven league matches against Watford at Vicarage Road (W3 D4) since a 2-0 defeat in the Championship in February 2009.
Watford will be looking to win their opening three games of a league season for only the fourth time in their history. The only previous occasions that they have done this have come in 1988-89 (2nd tier), 1997-98 (3rd tier) and 1998-99 (2nd tier) and on each of these three seasons, they have finished in the top five.
Crystal Palace have lost just two of their last 10 Premier League games (W6 D2 L2), with both defeats coming at home against Liverpool.
Away from home, Crystal Palace have gone five games without defeat in the Premier League (W3 D2) - they last went unbeaten in six consecutive away top-flight matches in February 1992.
Watford have lost just once in their last nine Premier League matches at Vicarage Road, winning five and drawing three. Crystal Palace's Wilfried Zaha needs one more goal to become the Eagles' all-time highest Premier League goalscorer (currently 23, level with Chris Armstrong).
Wilfried Zaha has failed to score or assist in any of his six previous Premier League appearances against Watford for Crystal Palace.
Watford have scored just five goals in their last eight competitive meetings with Crystal Palace and four of these goals have been scored by Troy Deeney. Deeney also managed to net an own goal in one of these games; a 0-1 defeat at Selhurst Park in March 2017.
Troy Deeney has now scored in 99 different competitive matches for Watford - the only other Watford players to have scored in 100+ matches for the club are Luther Blissett, Tommy Barnett and Ross Jenkins.
Watford have had a couple very good results, as they did last season before fizzling out.
This is a tough one to predict, because Palace do have a bit about them. They sat 10 behind the ball against Liverpool and hoped Zaha would do something special. But I think they will win this game. They will have a raucous following at Vicarage Road and it should be a good atmosphere.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2 (9/1 with Sky Bet)
