Oppose goals between in-form pair

Watford v Nottingham Forest
Saturday March 6, 12:30
Sky Sports

Andre Gray‘s first brace in nearly 4 years helped Watford beat Wycombe on Wednesday within the Championship and push the Hornets degree on factors with second-placed Brentford. Gray, in for the suspended Joao Pedro, scored for simply the second time in 34 matches because the hosts made an important begin, with Tom Cleverley and Ismaila Sarr additionally having possibilities.

Watford had greater than 70% possession within the first half and continued to batter away on the Chairboys earlier than Gray put the sport past Wycombe’s attain and accomplished the scoring shortly earlier than the hour mark. But such was the Hornets’ dominance at Vicarage Road, a 3rd may simply have been within the offing with Sarr and Philip Zinckernagel going shut.

Post-match, a happy Watford head coach Xisco Munoz mentioned: “We are thinking that today was a good performance. Every day we try to give better things for tactics, I think we are fitter and every day we are improving. We have a very good squad and the most important thing is whoever stays in the first team gives the maximum for the team.”

Nottingham Forest have been made to pay for some wasteful ending as Luton snatched a 1-0 win on the City Ground on Tuesday night time. The in-form Reds made a quick begin to proceedings and loved a lot the higher of the primary half; Glenn Murray missed two wonderful possibilities, teed up by the spectacular Anthony Knockaert, whereas Joe Lolley additionally went shut.

Forest saved probing for an opener however entered the break on degree phrases and light after the break. Chris Hughton‘s aspect have been second-best after half-time and allowed the Hatters’ the chance to pinch the factors when Ryan Tunnicliffe snuck in unmarked to satisfy a cross from Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu. From that time on Forest toiled in an try to equalise.

Post-match Hughton admitted, “It’s frustrating. First half we played really well and had some very good chances. If you go through a period where you don’t take your chances, you know the opposition will have some. To come in at 0-0 [at half-time] Luton would’ve been lifted by that, but I’m disappointed we didn’t create anything after their goal.”

The two groups have met simply as soon as in league motion over the previous six years with the reverse showdown ending goalless on the City Ground. And attracts 3.3512/5 have tended to be commonplace when the duo lock horns at Vicarage Road – head again to the start of 2002/03 and the pair have shared the spoils in six of 10 league encounters at Vicarage Road.

Watford 2.001/1 have been one of many division’s type sides since Xisco Munoz was introduced in. The Hornets have registered W9-D2-L3 to affix the automated promotion hunt, while underlying efficiency information suggests the guests have been the Championship’s most dominant and greatest performing aspect over these 16 video games, highlighting the turnaround.

Nottingham Forest 4.607/2 have endured solely three losses in 15 Championship contests since mid-December (W7-D6-L3) as Chris Hughton guides the Tricky Trees to safer waters. However, the vast majority of the Reds’ most constructive performances have come when taking over sides exterior the higher echelon of the division, posting W1-D6-L12 towards the top-13.

Watford have largely refound their defensive resilience of late. The Hornets boast eight shutouts of their previous 14 Championship contests, and 12 clear sheets in 22 going additional again. That’s meant goal-heavy video games have been fairly arduous to return by – the hosts have seen Over 2.5 Goals 2.3611/8 land in solely seven of 23 league encounters since mid-November.

Only seven of Nottingham Forest’s 30 Championship contests underneath Chris Hughton have eclipsed the Over 2.5 Goals barrier, with 5 of the Reds’ most up-to-date six producing not more than a solitary strike. A large 14/17 (82%) of the Tricky Trees’ highway journeys have featured fewer than three goals with six of these matches additionally rewarding Under 1.5 Goals backers.

With Under 2.5 Goals too brief to help at 1.618/13, it could as a substitute pay to take ‘No’ in the Both Teams To Score column at 1.814/5. It’s landed in 10 (67%) of 15 Watford outings underneath Xisco Munoz, in addition to 18/30 (60%) of Forest’s fixtures throughout Chris Hughton’s reign.