West Ham United will make a short trip to Vicarage Road to clash heads with Watford on Sunday at the back of a dominant 3-0 win over Southampton last weekend. The Hammers are playing some of the best football of their campaign and thus this season might be ending at the wrong time for them.
However, the Hornets could prove to be a difficult test for them if Javi Gracia decides to name a strong first XI. On the other hand, Manuel Pellegrini might make a few changes to his side as he looks to deploy a 4-1-4-1 formation this weekend.
4-1-4-1 West Ham United Predicted Lineup To Face Watford
Defence
Łukasz Fabiański would lineup in goal for the East London outfit on Sunday after the Polish keeper kept two successive clean sheets in the Premier League. The centre-back pair of Fabian Balbuena and Issa Diop have worked well together in recent weeks and so they will be responsible for keeping things stable at the back versus the Hornets. Angelo Ogbonna will have to settle for a spot on Pellegrini’s bench and might come on during the contest if required.
Ryan Fredericks is expected to feature in the right-back position as he attempts to put in a tireless shift down the right flank. Arthur Masuaku will look to do the same on the other side as he tries to use his pace and power to be a constant outlet for the Hammers going forward.
Even though a trip to Vicarage Road could be a daunting task for any team these days, West Ham should be quietly confident about their chances of securing a positive result this weekend. There is a real possibility that Javi Gracia might be inclined to rotate his squad as he looks to rest most of his first-team starters ahead of an FA Cup final showdown against Manchester City later this month.
Midfield
Declan Rice will once again operate as a defensive midfielder while the tireless midfield duo of Mark Noble and Robert Snodgrass plays ahead of him at the centre of the park. Both players would try to establish West Ham’s dominance in midfield and distribute the ball accurately in the opposition half. Felipe Anderson could get the nod to start on the left wing if he can recover in time for this clash. He will hope to create some chances for his teammates in the final third.
Michail Antonio will look to utilise his pace and power to cause a few headaches for the Watford defenders this weekend. Pedro Obiang might be demoted to the bench, but he could still play a part in this match if needed.
Attack
Marko Arnautovic will spearhead Pellegrini’s attack up front on Sunday. The Austrian centre-forward scored a brace against Southampton last weekend which gave West Ham a solid platform to secure a victory. Hence, he will be expected to put in another goal-scoring display against the Hornets at Vicarage Road.
Javier Hernandez might come off the bench to make an impact in the second half.
