Watford FC will face off against West Han United on Friday in a relegation battle contest. Both teams are eyeing Premier League retention and will put their best foot forward to earn a victory hopefully.
The issue? Watford has lackluster offensive capabilities, despite Troy Deeney securing a brace in last week’s victory over Newcastle. Michail Antonio of West Mam slotted four goals against Norwich. He is coming off one of his best individual performances and will face off against a team with skeptical defense.
Here are three players Watford FC needs to step up against West Ham:
1.) Troy Deeney
As stated above, Deeney posted a brace against Newcastle over the weekend. On the season, he has eight goals, but at 32 years old, he doesn’t have the same speed and athleticism he once contained. Nonetheless, Watford is relying on him to lead their attack.
The skipper is notorious for showing up in big games, and this one might be the biggest of the 2019-20 season. A loss would be devastating to their Premier League hopes, but a victory would put them in great shape heading into a tough game against Manchester City.
Watford normally utilizes Troy as their lead striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation. If he can dismantle a questionable West Ham backline, it will come down to the wingers and their service.
2.) Craig Dawson
Dawson has been Watford’s best defender to-date, and he will have a tough task ahead of him with Antonio coming off a monster performance last weekend. Over 26 appearances this year, Dawson has four clean sheets and two goals. The 30-year-old defender is in his first year with Watford after spending eight seasons with West Bromwich Albion.
The Hornets desperately need him to be at the top of his game to stop a surging West Ham attack.
Last week after their victory over Norwich, Dawson had some inspiring words for his team:
“We’ve got a great squad and we haven’t performed as well as we wanted to this season and we’re working hard.
“Hopefully we can turn things around and keep working hard on the training pitch and get the points on the board.
“We’re just fully focused on ourselves and we know that the games that are coming up are great opportunities for us so it’s all about recovery now and getting ourselves ready for the next game.â€
3.) Ismaila Sarr
Starr is a bright light for the Hornets in their development as a team. His hat trick against Liverpool several months ago is his greatest accomplishment so far, but with just five goals this season, Watford desperately needs him to activate his potential against the Hammers.
His blazing speed and technical ability make him extremely dangerous on the wing, but I feel Nigel Pearson utilizes him too much in the midfield role. This suggests that he doesn’t trust Kiko Femenia at right-back, but giving Sarr the space up top is essential in their counter-attack.
Giving him room on the right side should allow Deeney to hover in the middle and sit back for crosses.