Watford play host to Swansea City in a meeting of two mid-table clubs at Vicarage Road in the Championship on Wednesday night.
This was a Premier League fixture as recently as 2017, but neither club looks equipped to take a shot at the playoff places in the final weeks of the season.
Match preview
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Just as it appeared Watford were putting together a strong late-season push up the table, they were brought crashing back down again by a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Millwall at the weekend.
Tom Cleverley's side had beaten Middlesbrough and Luton Town while holding Stoke City to a draw all without conceding in their three previous matches before the weekend, but despite taking the lead at Vicarage Road on Saturday, they were beaten late on.
That result leaves the Hornets six points adrift of the playoffs, with Cleverley's job set to under huge pressure if they fall short, especially after rumours suggesting he was close to the sack a few weeks ago.
On Sunday, Cleverley became the first Watford manager since Javi Gracia in 2019 to last a whole 365 days in the role, and hope will certainly not yet be lost that something can be salvaged from this season.
Despite losing here at the weekend, almost two-thirds of Watford's points have come on home turf this season, but facing Swansea has not been very fruitful for them in recent times.
Watford won four of the six Premier League meetings when they shared places in the top flight between 2015 and 2017, but the hosts have now won just two of the previous eight head-to-heads, scoring more than once on just one occasion.
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Visitors Swansea should be in high spirits after their recent run of results, even though a playoff push now looks beyond them.
Similarly to Watford before their weekend defeat, Swansea have now taken seven points from their last three games, keeping a clean sheet on each occasion, with Eom Ji-sung's goal against Boro at the weekend sealing a 1-0 win.
A 0-0 draw at Preston North End in their last away outing means Alan Sheehan's side have kept their opponents at bay in two of their last three matches on the road, as many times as they had managed in the previous 22 away games prior.
The Swans are 11 points adrift of the top six though, surely ruling them out of playoff contention with just 10 games remaining, but the gap to the relegation zone is even larger, so, along with Preston and QPR, Swansea are one of three clubs now with little left to play for.
Team News
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Cleverley could reinstate Watford top scorer Vakoun Bayo to the starting lineup after three straight substitute appearances since his return from suspension at the end of last month.
Young Mamadou Doumbia has started the last six as the central striker, but he has failed to score in any of them, and after a defeat at the weekend, the Watford boss could mix it up here.
Daniel Bachmann will be out with the knee injury that has ended his season, while Kevin Keben (muscle), Kwadwo Baah and Pierre Dwomoh (both hamstring) will miss out again.
Swansea are set to be without Myles Peart-Harris due to a back injury here, and he will be a big miss, especially after the impressive performance he put in during their recent 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers where he scored and assisted in that success.
Kristian Pedersen is the other absentee at present with a hamstring injury, but Joe Allen has returned recently and he could be given some minutes after being an unused sub in the last two.
Watford possible starting lineup:
Selvik; Ngakia, Pollock, Abankwah, Wiley; Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Ince, Kayembe, Chakvetadze; Bayo
Swansea City possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Darling, Tymon; Goncalo Franco, O'Brien; Ronald, Cullen, Eom; Vipotnik
We say: Watford 2-1 Swansea City
Becoming accustomed to playing most Tuesdays and Wednesdays is important for any EFL club, but these two sides have struggled in that regard of late, both falling to defeat in their previous four midweek league games.
Something has to give here, and even though they were beaten on this pitch just four days ago, Watford will be the slight favourites, and should be able to close the gap on the top six slightly.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Andrew Delaney
