Watford

Image source, Rex Features

Watford boss Tom Cleverley has said the red card given to Kevin Keben at their game against Portsmouth on Monday "was a complete guess."

The Hornet's lost by one first half goal to the Blues and have now lost their last three matches.

In the game, Keben was shown the red by referee Sam Allison for bringing down Josh Murphy just outside the area, but Cleverley felt his man made a decent enough challenge.

"The sending off was a complete guess from the referee." He told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"This level of football when you make a big decision you have to get it right, Kevin (Keben) gets the ball and it's a really disappointing decision.

"We seem to be suffering a lot of red cards and in a hostile environment here I think he has sided with the home side.

"We must play well in our last two games to finish the season well, it's been a really tough period.

"I don't think there is enough consequences at this club for not doing your job at times, some people deserved to come off today, I'll be much more demanding in the next two weeks for sure."

Image source, Rex Features

Tom Cleverley said his Watford side "shot themselves in the foot" after they ended with nine men in their defeat to automatic promotion-chasing Burnley.

After falling 2-1 behind, Watford had captain Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe sent off within nine minutes of each other, and after both received two yellow cards in quick succession.

"Moussa is experienced enough to hold his hands up. He has done in the group there," Cleverley said.

"He knows better not to react to these things. He was disappointed with how the referee spoke to him [for his first booking for dissent].

"But [Zian] Flemming's provoked him and Moussa took the bait.

"Edo will will give you his everything and sometimes step over the mark. I've not got any complaints about the red cards, it's something we need to learn from. We shot ourselves in the foot today."

Watford will be without the suspended pair for Monday's trip to Portsmouth.

"It is an important game for us. We want to finish the season as well as possible," Cleverley added.

"We had a 12-month plan to get in the play-offs. That's now turned into a 24-month plan, and that feels much more achievable if we finish the last three games well."

Image source, Rex Features

Watford centre-back Kevin Keben is set to make his comeback in "at least" one of their games over the Easter weekend.

The 21-year-old Cameroonian has not played since suffering a "long-term muscle injury" in the 2-0 derby win over Luton Town on 23 February.

The club say his injury has been "vulnerable to setbacks" so he has been "carefully managed" over the last few weeks.

Watford, who are seven points outside the play-off places with four games to play, are at home to second-placed Burnley on Friday, with a trip to Portsmouth to follow on Monday.

Keben's imminent return is a rare piece of good news for boss Tom Cleverley in recent weeks.

Four players, including star playmaker Giorgi Chakvetadze (fractured toe), have been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and forward Zavier Massiah-Edwards will not be available for the Burnley game because he is subject to concussion protocols.

Burnley head to Vicarage Road to take on Watford on Friday (15:00 BST) knowing a maximum of three wins from their remaining four Championship matches will be enough to secure automatic promotion.

Watford, seven points adrift off the top six, need to win all their four games to stand any chance of sneaking into the play-offs.

• Watford have only won one of their past eight league games against Burnley (D3 L4), a 1-0 victory in August 2022.

• Burnley lost on their last league visit to Watford in August 2022, but not since February 1995 have they lost on successive league trips (run of three).

• Watford have won just three of past 21 league games on Good Friday (D11 L7), with just one win in their last six at home (D3 L2).

• Burnley have won 12 of their past 15 league games on Good Friday (D2 L1), including each of their past two on the road against Blackpool in April 2014 (1-0) and Middlesbrough in April 2023 (2-1).

• Burnley are unbeaten in their past 29 league games (W18 D11) and could reach 30 games undefeated in the English Football League for the second time in their history after last doing so in March 1921.

Image source, Getty Images

Watford boss Tom Cleverley felt his side controlled much of the game in their 2-1 defeat at West Brom.

"It was a good game of football and I knew it would be. It was high quality and we probably had more control but they had more clinical and effective moments," he told BBC Radio 3CR:

"We've got some exciting young players who can maybe develop into how much quality they showed in front of goal today.

"They were outstanding in transitions today and they're not a transitions team because Tony likes to dominate the ball and rotate. Today we had control of the game and they were devastating on transitions and that's where tactical fouls can be effective.

"The performance levels in the last 10 games have not reflected the results."

West Bromwich Albion have slipped five points behind the Championship play-off places with a five-match winless streak.

A win for Watford at The Hawthorns would see them overtake the Baggies in the table.

• West Brom have won just one of their past 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their past eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom boss Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

West Bromwich Albion and Watford will both be looking to keep their Championship play-off hopes alive when they meet at The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Baggies are eighth and three points off the top six, while the Hornets are one point further back in 10th.

Albion are without a win in five games (D2 L3) and Watford have won two of their previous seven matches (D2 L3).

• West Brom have won just one of their previous 12 league games against Watford (D6 L5), and are winless in their last eight (D4 L4) since a 3-1 victory in December 2016 in the Premier League.

• Watford have only won one of their past 12 league visits to West Brom (D6 L5), a 1-0 Premier League victory in April 2016.

• West Brom have lost each of their past three league games, but haven't lost four in a row outside of the Premier League since April 1999 (5).

• Watford have lost 11 Championship away games this season, their most away defeats in a league season outside of the Premier League since 2009-10 (13).

• West Brom's Tony Mowbray has won just one of his past seven Championship games against Watford (D2 L4), a 2-0 victory with Sunderland in October 2023.

Image source, Rex Features

West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has left it as late as possible before making a decision on injured defender Torbjorn Heggem ahead of Saturday's visit of 10th-placed Watford.

After three straight defeats, Albion have fallen to eighth, five points adrift of the play-offs, and now play host to a Hornets side just a point behind them.

But, although Isaac Price is fit, despite playing with an ankle injury in Tuesday's late 2-1 defeat at Bristol City, the other team news is not so encouraging.

Albion have appealed against Jayson Molumby's red card at Ashton Gate, but striker Tammer Bany (hamstring) and defender Ousmane Diakite (ankle) are almost certainly out and Mowbray is waiting on Heggem, who also has an ankle problem.

And there was no fresh update on top scorer Josh Maja's leg injury, which has sidelined him since early January.

"Bany has been for a scan on a hamstring and I don't think Diakite is going to make it," said Mowbray. "It's an ankle ligament injury, in a challenge. There was a bit more force.

"Heggem, we'll have to wait and see, but it'll be close. He didn't train on Thursday. But Friday is the day we make decisions, because if they don't train Friday then they won't play."

Mowbray knows his side need to score more goals. Of all the teams in the Championship's top half, only Blackburn (44) and Millwall (40) have scored fewer than the 49 managed by Albion and Saturday's opponents Watford.

But, more worryingly, the Baggies have now shipped eight goals after the 86th minute this season – including stoppage-time winners in two of their past three games.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford left-back Yasser Larouci could miss the rest of the season according to boss Tom Cleverley.

The Algerian international, who has made 38 league appearances on loan from Sheffield United, missed Tuesday's 1-0 win over Hull City in the Championship because of a groin injury.

"He'll be two to three weeks so it's touch and go whether we see Yasser again this season," Cleverley told the club website., external

The Watford head coach has revealed Tom Dele-Bashiru and James Abankwah will be fit to face West Bromwich Albion on Saturday despite having to go off in the midweek victory.

"Tom was the one we were a little bit more unsure about, but he's had a fitness test today and seems good," added Cleverley.

"James has a little bit of heel pain he's been managing over two or three weeks, but he'll be fine."

Watford are currently 10th in the Championship table, six points short of the play-off places.

Image source, Getty Images

Watford boss Tom Cleverley has praised his young team which featured three teenagers, a 20-year-old and 21-year-old in their victory against Hull City which keeps their faint hopes of a play-off place alive.

James Mbankwa (21) and Caleb Wiley (20) both started for the Hornets in their 1-0 win, along with teenage strikers Rocco Vata, Zavier Massiah-Edwards and Mamadou Doumbia.

"I am super, super proud this evening of a group of really inexperienced players, really maturely seeing out a game, determined to win the game, and lead by their captain [Moussa Sissoko], who was outstanding all night," Cleverley said.

The result means they are just four points off the play-off places, though Cleverley told BBC 3CR he was realistic about their chances.

"Until [the play-offs] is mathematically out of the question, we will keep pushing for it.

"For us, the next game is the only one we focus on. I want to show progress, I want this group to get back on an upward trajectory. We've equalled last year's points tally.

"If sixth is that upward curve, that's almost a miracle, but if that's eighth, or ninth, we want to finish the season strongly."

Hull City travel to Watford on Tuesday (19:45 BST) in the hopes of putting more distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

The Tigers are undefeated across five of their past six league matches (W3 D2) to boost into 19th place on the table, but still remain just three points ahead of 22nd placed Cardiff City.

Meanwhile, Watford's form is the opposite. They've only won one of their past six (D2 L3) and now find themselves seven points outside the play-off spots.

• Both of the last two league matches between Watford and Hull City have been drawn, but these sides have never shared the points three times in a row before.

• Hull are unbeaten in their last five away games at Watford in the Championship (W2 D3) since a 1-0 defeat in the 2007-08 season.

• Watford have kept eight home clean sheets in the Championship this season; in the 21st century, only in 2013-14 (9), 2020-21 (14), and 2022-23 (10) have they recorded more home clean sheets in a league campaign.

• Hull have lost each of their last four midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) away league outings, this after winning six such games in a row beforehand.

• Watford have lost seven of their last nine Championship games played on a Tuesday (W1 D1), including both of their last two in a row.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford boss Tom Cleverley said the injury to Kwadwo Baah and a poor refereeing decision were key factors in the 2-1 defeat away against play-off rivals Bristol City.

The influential winger suffered another hamstring injury in the first half and had to come off, but Cleverley hoped it would not see him sidelined for long.

Cleverly told BBC Three Counties Radio: "The start of the game was excellent. We had a gameplan to get our wide players in dangerous positions and we looked a real threat in the first 15 minutes. We really started on the front foot.

It was disappointing when KB [Kwadwo Baah] had to come off. We lost some attacking output. They smelt a change in the game then.

"James Abankwah hasn't put a foot wrong since he's been at the club but he made a mistake and that will happen with young players. We'll have to rally around him. We can teach him that it can go to row Z at times.

"The second goal was hugely disappointing; you don't like poor refereeing decisions to decide big games. It's definitely out of play - there's not much more I can say about that.

"They are a good side. Liam [Manning] has done a terrific job with them. It was a stalemate of a game, but I was pleased about how we continued to try to test them and knock down the door. But it was too much of a mountain to climb at 2-0 down."

Bristol City host Watford in a game which could have a significant impact on the play-off race on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Liam Manning's men sit eighth but outside the top six on goal difference alone, with fifth-placed Coventry only two points ahead.

A win would take the Robins seven points clear of the ninth-placed Hornets with six games remaining, but defeat would close the gap to just a point in a congested battle for the two final play-off spots.

• Bristol City have won just two of their past 11 league games against Watford (D5 L4), a 2-0 home win in January 2013 and a 4-1 away victory in December 2023.

• Watford are looking to complete a league double over Bristol City for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign.

• Bristol City have won seven of their past nine home league matches (D1 L1) and have only conceded five goals across these games.

• Watford scored fewer goals than any other side in the Championship in March (2), despite having the sixth-most shots of any side (64).

• Only Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz (77) has created more chances in the Championship this season than Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze (73).

Image source, Rex Features

Young striker Mamadou Doumbia has provided more good news for Watford boss Tom Cleverley by coming through a week of full training ahead of their trip to Bristol City on Saturday.

The 19-year-old from Mali, who is still waiting for his first senior goal for The Hornets, has not played since limping off with a hamstring injury against Millwall on 8 March.

But he will be in contention for a place at Ashton Gate and Cleverley also expects defender Kevin Keben back for the home game against Hull City on Tuesday.

Watford are ninth in the Championship, four points outside the play-off places, following last weekend's disappointing goalless draw with Plymouth Argyle.

Kwadwo Baah returned from injury with a 30-minute run-out against Argyle, and Cleverley expects him to play an even bigger part against Bristol City.

"Has he got 90 in his legs? I'm not sure. But he's certainly got 60 or 70," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"We've recovered a lot in the last couple of weeks, and at the right time of the season."

Cleverley said facing Bristol City, the team immediately above them, was the type of game that "makes you really hungry to be in football".

He added: "Beautiful stadium, two good teams, I'm really excited for the challenge that lies ahead and the weather is an added bonus.

"It's not over until it's mathematically over but this game is very significant for us, especially after not winning the last home game. It puts even more on this that we must go and win.

"The teams in and around us, we have a good record against. They look like a team who are very well coached, they problem-solve on the pitch and have been playing this 3-4-3 style very well."

Geoff Doyle
BBC 3CR sports editor

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

It's that time of the year when divisional teams of the season are named and from Watford, Giorgi Chakvetadze is likely to be the only player in contention for a place in that XI.

There have been other solid performers in the Hornets squad, and a few more may have had a chance if they had been playing all season.

But Chakvetadze has consistently delivered across the season. He's been a constant threat and the amount of poor games he's had you could probably count on one hand.

He leads the Championship in of distance carried by a huge stretch (10,276m with Leeds' Joe Rodon second on 8,427m) and the same goes for distance progression (5,839m against 5,148m by Rodon), both of which he's led from start to finish.

Many of these runs have ended with chances (he's second in this particular metric with 73; Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz leads on 77).

The stats are very impressive and tell us that with the ball at his feet Chakvetadze is the best in the division at breaking lines and getting into the final third.

Tom Cleverley has compared him to Manchester City's Jack Grealish. I actually think he's a better ball-carrier than Grealish who offers superior technique in many other skill-sets. Grealish's team-mate Savinho is maybe a better comparison.

To take himself to the next level, though, Chakvetadze has to add the final piece of the jigsaw - goals and assists.

He does create a lot of chances and you wonder if he was in a better side with superior forwards would his assists total be higher? That could be argued, but what can't and what he needs to work on, which he and his coaches will know, is the goals column.

Two in 38 isn't enough for someone of his undoubted talent. Technique in striking a ball under pressure can be questioned but Cleverley feels it's more about mindset - and that is something they are working on.

Chakvetadze, I'm sure, will become a Premier League player but those clubs that are likely to be watching him now will have reservations about these goal stats and they could decide which level of team he plays for at the next level.

That said, in an odd season where there haven't been many outstanding attacking players (defenders Maxime Esteve and CJ Egan-Riley plus midfielders Vinicius Souza, Ao Tanaka and Josh Brownhill will be bang in contention for player of the season), Chakvetadze could still make that Championship best XI.