Chris Smalling says Manchester United hope to score first against Watford as the Reds look to bounce back from consecutive defeats for the first time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
United lost their last Premier League outing against Arsenal before Wolves dumped them out of the FA Cup at the quarter-final stage ahead of the international break.
Solskjaer admitted that United's showing at Molineux was the 'poorest' on his watch as United boss to date, and United have work to do to secure a top-four berth and the qualification to next season's Champions League that comes with it.
United sit fifth in the table, two points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal, with eight games to go this season.
And Smalling, who scored in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign, says United want to calm any nerves by taking the lead against Javi Gracia's side.
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"It’s about taking those key moments," the 29-year-old told manutd.com. "The first goal is crucial and then it’s about just asserting ourselves and putting pressure on. Then you know you’re going to create more chances with the team that we’ve got.”
United were 11 points adrift of the top four when Solskjaer was put in temporary charge of the club following Jose Mourinho's sacking on December 18 and the Norwegian's position was made permanent on Thursday after suitably impressing United's suits with 14 wins in 19 games.
Mourinho had guided United to their worst start to a league season in 28 years but Solskjaer has impressively reversed that feat and Smalling says United's home games will be key to finishing the season strongly.
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“I think our results at Old Trafford are going to determine how our season goes,” Smalling said. “Getting back in front of our fans is exactly what we need.”
Watford sit eighth in the table, with three wins from their last five league fixtures, and Smalling is wary of the threat posed by the Hornets.
“They’re a proven Premier League team that is always difficult,” he acknowledged. “Obviously, earlier in the season we were in a different moment, but that was a close game that eventually we won comfortably [United beat Watford 2-1 at Vicarage Road in September].
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“But they’ve got a lot of threats and like to play direct with [Troy] Deeney, and they’ve got some good wingers as well, so we know it’s going to be a tough game. But when we’re at home, we need to get on the front foot and take control.
“Quite often they play two up top, so we know it’s not going to be a team that’s just gonna sit back. I think they’ll come on to us, which will hopefully give us more opportunities to come onto them, so it should make for a very good game.”
