Watford vs Manchester City preview: Pep Guardiola's men can extend league lead

Manchester City can go five points clear at the top of the Premier League - for 24 hours at least - at Watford on Tuesday (kick-off 8pm).

The Premier League champions lead the division by two points but second-placed Liverpool are not back in action until Wednesday night, when they travel to Burnley.

City come up against a Watford side who are without a win in four games, and have picked up only one point in that time - away to relegation-threatened Southampton.

Regardless, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "Watford have some continuity around the same project, same ideas and same manager. It gives some stability to the club. Hopefully he [Javi Gracia] goes well and he can stay a long time there."

The Hornets were again guilty of profligacy in their 2-0 defeat to Leicester on Saturday, where they missed a host of chances before rounding off a miserable afternoon by seeing Etienne Capoue sent off late on.

Even so, Javi Gracia's side could move back to sixth with victory, in the Spanish boss' first home game since signing a new four-and-a-half-year contract last week.

Team news

Watford's Tom Cleverley could make his first appearance in almost a year.

The midfielder, sidelined since January following a combination of hamstring and Achilles trouble, is set to be included in Gracia's squad.

Etienne Capoue is likely to be absent following his red card in the 2-0 defeat against Leicester, although Watford have appealed the decision.

City will assess Sergio Aguero, who was not risked in Saturday's victory over Bournemouth due to a muscular complaint and will be given a fitness test.

Replacement left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who suffered a bloodied nose at the weekend, will also be checked.

The game is too soon for Kevin De Bruyne (knee) while left-back Benjamin Mendy (knee) and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo (Achilles) are out.

Opta stats

Watford are winless in their eight Premier League meetings with Man City, losing each of the last six in a row (D2).
Manchester City have scored at least twice in their last eight meetings with Watford in all competitions, winning all eight by an aggregate score of 27-4.
Manchester City's last two away league games against Watford have seen them win 5-0 and 6-0 - the only team to score 5+ goals in three consecutive top-flight away games against an opponent is West Brom vs Birmingham, between December 1957 and April 1960.
Watford have beaten the reigning champions at home in each of their last two Premier League campaigns, beating Leicester 2-1 in 2016-17 and Chelsea 4-1 last term.
Watford have won just two of their last 10 Premier League games (W2 D2 L6), having won each of their first four this season.
Manchester City are unbeaten in 13 away Premier League games, winning 10 and drawing three. In that run they've scored 30 goals, while conceding just five and never more than once in a match.
Watford have lost three of their last four home Premier League games (W1), as many as they had in their previous 15 at Vicarage Road (W8 D4 L3).
Man City's Raheem Sterling has had a hand in 14 goals in his 12 Premier League games this season (8 goals, 6 assists), more than any other player in the competition.

Merson's prediction

I watched Watford at Leicester and they probably went home wondering how they lost. They had chance after chance after chance and the worst thing is they didn't really make Kasper Schmeichel make a save. It was just bad, bad finishing.

I don't see any of the teams outside the top six beating City. They weren't at their best against Bournemouth but in the end it doesn't matter because they will get you in the end.

If it's not going their way, Pep Guardiola is able to bring another superstar on from the bench and turn the game. I would not be surprised if they went through the season unbeaten!

PAUL PREDICTS: 1-3 (10/1 with Sky Bet)

Watford 1

Manchester City 2