Watford vs Brighton & Hove Albion
The 2018-19 season will go down as one of the best in Watford’s history. The Hornets not only ended up in 11th — their highest ever finish in the Premier League — but they also made it to their first FA Cup final since 1984, which caught many SBOBET Premier League fans by surprise.
However, the Hornets had a quiet summer transfer window, leaving manager Javi Gracia with a tough task ahead of him to rely on more or less the same squad to match or exceed those achievements this season.
Their new campaign will begin at home as they host Brighton & Hove Albion, who just escaped the drop last season. The Seagulls finished 17th behind Burnley and Southampton, who will face off in another opening weekend matchup.
But unlike Watford, Brighton have made some much-needed investments to new manager Graham Potter’s squad as they look to avoid another relegation scrap.
Talking Points
Not much buzz from Watford during window
After having one of the most successful seasons in their history, Watford have curiously decided not to build off that strong campaign by strengthening in their squad.
The Hornets have bought just two players in this transfer window — veteran centre-back Craig Dawson and 18-year-old Brazilian forward Joao Pedro — for a total of €8.6m, the fourth-lowest expenditure among Premier League sides this summer.
But on the bright side, they also did not lose any key players in the summer. The likes of Abdoulaye Doucoure, Gerard Deulofeu, Roberto Pereyra, and Troy Deeney are all back to lead the Hornets.
Much of Watford’s success last season was built upon their strong defence. Gracia turned the Hornets into a well-organised, high-pressing unit. And while they are not an overly talented offensive team, their pressing helped create enough opportunities for the likes of Deulofeu, Deeney, and Andre Gray.
Deulofeu, in particular, had a terrific campaign in his first full season with the club. He recorded 10 goals — his most ever in a single season — and five assists in 30 total Premier League appearances.
Watford will likely have a good share of possession at home, so it will be up to the likes of Deulofeu and Deeney to break the Seagulls’ defence down.
Brighton splash some cash
While Watford were quiet in the transfer market, Brighton splashed some serious cash. They made three key acquisitions — centre-back Adam Webster (for a club-record £20m), as well as centre-forward Neal Maupay, and winger Leandro Trossard (for £18m apiece) — which has seen their net spend this summer crack the top five in the entire Premier League.
Maupay, 22, had a breakout season at Brentford last year as he scored 28 goals in all competitions. Brighton will need him to produce in front of goal after they scored just 35 goals last season, fourth-fewest in the league.
Apart from 35-year-old Glenn Murray, who had a team-high 13 goals, no other Brighton player had over five.
Meanwhile, Trossard — the club’s record signing at will also chip in with goals as well as replace the creative production of the departed Anthony Knockaert, who had a team-high six assists last year.
Trossard is coming off a strong season with Genk — 22 goals with 11 assists in 47 appearances — and will be eager to start making Premier League 2019 highlights right away.
Those new signings will be under the care of manager Graham Potter, who took over following Chris Hughton’s dismissal in May. Potter spent two seasons with Swansea City, amassing a record of 21 wins, 11 draws, and 19 losses in 51 matches.
Potter played a possession-based style in Swansea and will likely have a similar system installed at Brighton. However, there is some doubt as to whether the Seagulls will be fully integrated with the new system by the time they face Watford.
History
Watford hold a 44-36 edge over Brighton & Hove Albion in terms of all-time wins. The two sides have also drawn 34 times. They’ve met just four times in the Premier League, though. Watford drew at home and lost at Brighton back in the 2017-18 season.
But they got their revenge last season when they got a 2-0 home win over Brighton, which also happened to be during the opening weekend of the season. Roberto Pereyra scored both goals for the Hornets, who then drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture in February.
Betting Tip
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Watford vs Brighton & Hove Albion | Watford 1X2 @ 1.93 |
| August 10, 22:00 (GMT+8) |
The Watford vs Brighton & Hove Albion odds have the home side as favourites on the 1X2 market at 1.93, but the Seagulls are not too far behind at 4.00.
Watford weren’t a particularly remarkable home team last year, winning eight and losing eight at Vicarage Road. But on the other hand, Brighton were among the worst sides away from home, with their three wins the third-fewest behind the bottom two, Fulham and Huddersfield.
Despite the lack of investments in the squad, the Hornets do have the benefit of continuity, which should serve them well against a lesser side like Brighton.
The Seagulls’ new signings should help in the long run, but it might be a bit too early for Graham Potter’s men to pull off the upset over a quality team like Watford away from home.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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