Two very ambitious teams play one another on Monday evening, in the last game of the round 16 of the Premier League. Everton are currently at the 7th place on the table, with just 3 points more than their opponent Watford. Obviously, points are of a great importance for both sides, which is why we’re expected to see an entertaining battle at the Goodison Park. And if you want to make some money betting on this match, makes sure to read this Everton vs Watford prediction first!
Everton
The Toffees have huge ambitions this season, hoping they could get to a place that leads to the Europa League. Right now, they’re not far from achieving that goal, but the season is long and they need to keep on playing well for a few more months.
The good news for them is that it seems that the bad days are behind them. Earlier on, they had some really big problems with injuries. But, now, most of their key men are free of any injuries. And with maybe one or two quality signings during the winter transfer window, they could make their dreams come true.
It seems that they’re strong in every part of the pitch, with at least two quality players suitable for each positon. They could do with some improvements in the attacking area, particularly with a number 9 player. The thing is that their best scorer is Richarlison, who’s more of a winger or second striker than classical striker. The guy who was supposed to play that role, Cenk Tosun, has scored only 2 goals so far.
And that’s something that can cause them problems when playing against defensive-minded teams. For example, last week, they played 1:1 with Newcastle at home. And in that match, the Magpies played with 5 defenders and had most of their players pulled back to their half. If Watford play the same style of football on Monday, Everton will struggle to find the net.
Watford
A thing about Watford is that they’re really difficult to score against. They play very organized football when defending and before getting into a poor run in November, they had a really good defensive score. Actually, up until that point, they were one of the best teams in terms of goals conceded.
But then November came and they started losing. This team lost 4 out of 5 previous matches in the Premier League allowing 9 goals along the way. It’s needless to say that they’ll do all they can to put an end to their disastrous run. And that means that we can expect them to give their utmost on Monday.
Still, even though they need points, I doubt they will rush into attacking against Everton. Instead, I think they’ll focus on getting a draw here. Therefore, it’s fair to expect this team to defend with all they got and look for their chances from counter-attacks and set-pieces.
Team News
Everton absentees:
- Morgan Schneiderlin (doubtful)
- James McCarthy (doubtful)
Watford absentees:
- Etienne Capoue (suspension)
- Daryl Janmaat (doubtful)
- Tom Cleverley (doubtful)
Possible Lineups
Everton
Pickford – Zouma, Mina, Coleman, Digne – Gueye, Gomes, Sigurdsson – Walcott, Bernard, Richarlison
Watford
Foster – Cathcart, Kabasele, Kiko, Holebas – Chalobah, Hughes, Doucoure, Success, Pereyra – Deeney
Everton vs Watford Prediction
I’m sure this is going to be a very close game, but I think Everton are the better of the two and they should win it at the end. And they really need to win this because some really tough matches are coming their way in the next few weeks.
Everton vs Watford Betting Tips
- Everton @1.80 (bet365)