After their brilliant away victory at Tyneside where Watford scored three goals without a response against Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle, the Hornets will now entertain Manchester United on Tuesday night. After a string of two victories on the spin, the Hornets will be full of confidence going into their match against Jose Mourinho’s men.
Barring any injuries, it is expected that Marco Silva will opt for the same starting eleven that faced Newcastle United on Saturday. It would be interesting to see how Mourinho tackles the Hornets’ 3-4-2-1 formation which has been used by quite a number of Premier League teams this season.
If recent history is anything to go by, it makes for a grim reading for any Hornets fan. Watford has suffered 12 defeats in their last 13 encounters with the Red Devils. However, their only victory came at Vicarage Road in 2016, when they beat Mourinho’s Manchester United 3-1 last season. The Hornets have the possibility to leapfrog Burnley and Liverpool into fifth place if they can bag all three points on Tuesday.
Predicted 3-4-2-1 Watford Line-Up Vs Manchester United
Defence
Heurelho Gomes will once again take his place in the Hornets goal. The Brazilian has made some important saves so far this season and will be looking to make a difference against the Red Devils. He will be protected by the trio of Adrian Mariappa, Christian Kabasele and Miguel Britos.
Marco Silva’s men have shipped in 21 goals in 13 league matches so there’s definitely room for improvement in defence. The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will threaten to score and it would be important to keep them quiet on the night.
Midfield
The central midfield partnership between Tom Cleverley and Abdoulaye Doucouré has been brilliant so far this season. They will be hoping to continue their good form by stifling the Manchester United midfielders and working hard to provide support to their front three.
Kiko Femenía is expected to retain his place in the right flank while Marvin Zeegelaar should start on the left side of the midfield. Both wingers put in an excellent performance against Newcastle United but the Red Devils may provide a sterner test for them.
Femenia will need to stop the threat of Ashley Young while Zeegelar will have to track the runs of Antonio Valencia.
Attack
Will Hughes and Richarlison are going to play a pivotal role behind Andre Gray as part of the Hornets’ front three. Both Hughes and Richarlison have shown flashes of their brilliance so far this season. The 22-year-old Englishman has made the difference in Watford’s last two Premier League victories so we can expect him to be a real threat against the Red Devils.
Here is how they might line up:
