Watford have certainly shown some progression since the arrival of Claudio Ranieri back in October.
The Italian kicked things off with a dismal 5-0 defeat to Liverpool but since then he seems to have learned a great deal about his squad. Big wins over Everton and Manchester United have caught the headlines, but superb performances in defeat to Arsenal and particularly Chelsea were equally as impressive.
FOLLOW LIVE: Team news and match updates as Watford host Man City
They face another top side in this game as defending Premier League champions Manchester City rock up to Vicarage Road.
Ranieri will want to take some momentum into a more winnable run of games against Brentford, Burnley and Crystal Palace. But he will also know this is something of a free hit - a mentality which could prove dangerous for Pep Guardiola’s outfit.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match today.
When is Watford vs Manchester City?
The match will kick off at 5.30pm GMT on Saturday, 4 December.
How can I watch it?
Watford vs Manchester City will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Subscribers can stream the game live online via the Sky Sports website and Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
What is the team news?
Watford are set to be without Adam Masina after he came off for Danny Rose in the 12th minute of their defeat to Chelsea. Ranieri’s long-term absentees include Ismaila Sarr, Peter Etebo, Kwadwo Baah, Ben Foster and Nicolas N’Koulou.
Man City are still without Ferran Torres due to injury, while Kevin de Bruyne is unlikely to have recovered in time from coronavirus. Aymeric Laporte returns from suspension, with Phil Foden and Jack Grealish hoping to start after being deemed fit for the bench in the win over Aston Villa.
Predicted line-ups
Watford: Bachmann; Ngakia, Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Rose; Kucka; Dennis, Sissoko, Cleverley, Pedro; King
Man City: Ederson; Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; Silva, Rodri, Gundogan; Foden, Sterling, Grealish
Odds
Watford - 15/1
Draw - 34/5
Man City - 23/100
Prediction
The Man City train is beginning to gain momentum as they look to secure their seventh successive victory in a row. Watford were impressive in their win over Manchester United but were then undone by Leicester. They put in an excellent display against Chelsea despite losing 2-1, but very few teams on the planet can live with how City are playing at the moment. 3-1 Man City.
