Everton travel to Watford in the early start on Saturday in search of three points against the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team of the Premier League.
Watford is either exceptionally good or quite poor. When it comes to the Hornets, there is rarely any in between.
Here’s a more thorough look at the Hornets and how they go from good to bad to ugly in the span of week.
Watford’s current form
Watford have lost two in a row for the first time since August when they were beaten in consecutive home games against Chelsea and Arsenal. The Hornets have yet to lose three on the trot. But their form in the last two games has been shoddy and now is the opportune to for the Toffees to strike the Hornets while they’re down.
A 3-1 away loss to the Baggies came on the back of a dismal 1-0 home defeat to Stoke a fortnight ago. The contrasts in both losses couldn’t be more stark.
They showed little of anything going forward in the defeat to Stoke, only registering two shots on target in the anaemic offensive display. But, in that game at least, they were well organised defensively. The Hornets allowed only one shot on target, which happened to be the decisive Heurelho Gomes own goal.
Watford, in the Baggies away loss, exploded for 17 attempted shots, five of which forced Ben Foster into saves. However, their defense was in tatters. They were down 2-0 within 34 minutes, but out shot and had the lion’s share of possession against an opportunistic West Brom side.
Watford have lost three of four games, one of which was a 6-1 dismantling at Anfield by a rampant Liverpool side. The Hornets, with 18 points from 14 games, currently sit two points adrift of Everton, who are three places higher in the standings.
Watford’s strengths
With no real standout strengths, Watford is one of the most inconsistent teams in the Premier League.
But they’re seven points clear of the relegation zone and deserve some credit for their resilience and ability to bounce back from subpar results. The Hornets haven’t lost or won three consecutive matches this season.
They’ve lost two in a row twice and won consecutive games once, against Manchester United and West Ham in mid-September.
Manager Walter Mazzarri, regardless of the result, expects a committed and spirited effort from his team every week. While the results are regularly inconsistent, you can always expect this Watford side to put in a collectively workmanlike performance.
The Hornets at home
Watford are about as good at home as they are on their travels. The Hornets have taken 10 points from a possible 21 at home, winning three, losing three and drawing one. They lost 1-0 to Stoke last time out but beat Leicester 2-1 in the previous match at Vicarage Road.
Two of three home losses have come against Chelsea and Arsenal, both of whom reside in the top four of the table. Scoring and conceding 10 goals at Vicarage Road, the Hornets once again showcase how unpredictable they can be from game to game. You can, however, guarantee that Hornets home games will be close.
They haven’t lost or won by more than two goals at Vicarage Road.
Watford’s weaknesses
Watford are relatively weak at the back, conceding 24 goals so far this campaign. That defensive record is level with Leicester and Sunderland for fifth worst in the top flight. That record is a bit misleading, though, as the Hornets conceded six goals when the team capitulated at Anfield in early November.
Next: Is Leicester a good FA Cup draw?
The Hornets don’t have an extremely fearsome forward either. While the team is scoring readily, with 18 goals, they don’t have an out-and-out forward like Romelu Lukaku, or most other teams.
Defensive midfielder Etienne Capoue, who is built like a brick-top house and has two lead feet, leads the team with five goals. That is a worrying and somewhat disconcerting stat for Mazzarri to mull over.
Watford’s confidence should be relatively low and Everton is coming off a draw against Manchester United that feels more like a win. The Toffees will win for the first time since beating West Ham 2-0 on Oct. 30 and, in doing so, hand Watford their first three-match losing skid of the 2016-17 campaign.