A commendable display away to newly-crowned champions Chelsea on Monday night could only produce a 4-3 defeat, their fifth loss in succession. As it turned out, that game proved to be Walter Mazzarri’s penultimate in charge, as the Italian will not extend his stay at Vicarage Road beyond this season, the club announced Wednesday.
With such a grim sense of uncertainty hanging over the club, they welcome Champions League-chasing Manchester City in less-than ideal circumstances. However, the recent free-scoring form of Pep Guardiola’s side does little to suggest that the Hornets will find some much-needed catharsis in front of their home supporters.
City have not lost since the defeat to Chelsea at the start of April, which triggered a seven-match unbeaten sequence that has seen the Citizens produce some of their finest, free-flowing football to date in the Guardiola era. City’s sparkling brand of quick-passing, attacking football has coincided with the return of Gabriel Jesus from injury. The Brazilian striker has scored in the last two games, against Leicester City and West Brom, while he also grabbed a late equaliser at the end of April away to Middlesbrough, a point which has helped City keep their noses in front of Arsenal in the race for the top-four.
With a clear, driving incentive to secure Champions League football for next season, and with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus both in devastating form, City are looking a decidedly safe bet to take all three points away from a Watford side that has been left reeling by the sixth managerial departure in under three years. Sebastian Prodl also got sent off late on in the defeat to Chelsea, which only creates another problem as the defence try to figure out how they will stop a fearsome-looking attacking axis of Aguero and Jesus running riot on Sunday afternoon.
City are currently 8/1 for a 3-0 win, but if you’re looking for something more assured, we’d recommend backing Jesus as first goal-scorer at 7/2 with Paddy Power. Seeing that Watford have failed to beat City in their last seven league encounters (D2 L5) – and losing the last three – a home win would be one of the shocks of the final day for sure. Their record against top-four teams this season is abysmal, having lost all seven, conceding four or more on four of those occasions.
Although Mazzarri will ultimately hold painful memories of his eleven-month tenure at Watford, he will want to go out with a bang. The highlight of the Hornets’ season has undoubtedly been their 2-1 win over Manchester United and there would be a satisfying sense of finality if Mazzarri signed off by subjecting the other Manchester club to another miserable afternoon inside Vicarage Road.
