Watford vs Crystal Palace preview

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Watford vs Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

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Team news

Watford interim head coach Hayden Mullins could have Christian Kabasele and Roberto Pereyra back in contention for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace.

Kabasele (hamstring) and Pereyra (thigh) are both in full training again, having been absent since the win at Norwich before the international break.

Craig Dawson is stepping up his recovery from a head wound, while Daryl Janmaat (knee), Tom Cleverley (heel), Danny Welbeck (hamstring), Sebastian Prodl (knee) and Jose Holebas (ankle) all continue their own rehabilitation.

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Roy Hodgson will make a late call on the fitness of centre-backs Scott Dann and Gary Cahill ahead of the trip to Vicarage Road. Cahill (knee) and Dann (ankle) missed the 1-0 midweek win against Bournemouth with Mamadou Sakho deputising, but was sent off for a high challenge on Adam Smith on just his second league start of the season.

Sakho therefore is suspended and Cheikhou Kouyate will step in if needed, but defenders Joel Ward (knee), Patrick Van Aanholt (hamstring) and midfielder Max Meyer (illness) are ruled out.

How to follow

Follow the action with our dedicated live blog. Highlights of the game will be published at 5.15pm on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.

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Opta stats

• Watford won all three of their meetings with Crystal Palace in all competitions last season, all by a 2-1 scoreline. The Hornets had only won two of their previous 16 against the Eagles (D4 L10).
• Crystal Palace have only lost one of their last eight away league games against Watford (W3 D4), though it was in this exact fixture last season. They've not lost back-to-back away league games against Watford since October 1961.
• Watford are looking to win four consecutive matches in all competitions against Crystal Palace for the first time.
• Watford are the only Premier League side still without a home win this season (P7 - D3 L4). Only once have the Hornets gone eight home games from the start of a league season without a win (9 in 1990-91 in the second tier).
• Watford are winless in their seven Premier League home games this season (D3 L4) - only eight sides have ever failed to win any of their opening eight in a season in the competition (most recently Aston Villa in 2015-16), with only one of those eight sides surviving relegation at the end of the campaign (Middlesbrough in 2000-01).
• Crystal Palace have won nine of their 16 away league games in 2019 (56%) - only in 2015 (61% - 11/18) have they ever had a higher win rate away from home in a calendar year in their league history.
• Crystal Palace have won their last two Premier League games without conceding - they last won three in a row in August 2018 (4), while they last won three in a row without conceding in March 2017.
• Watford are one of only two sides in the top four tiers of English league football yet to reach double figures for goals (nine) this season, along with League One's Bolton Wanderers (also nine).

Charlie Nicholas' prediction

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Crystal Palace are going ever so well, while Watford are in a mess trying to chase their tail. They are already seven points adrift and don't look far away from needing three straight wins to move out of the relegation zone. That's a daunting task for any side, but they have to start on Saturday against Palace. If they can get amongst the Palace players, rattle Wilfried Zaha and stymie Palace's threat on the ball, Watford may just get something.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 0-0 (17/2 with Sky Bet)

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