Burnley vs Watford
In the Premier League, it’s so often about the haves and the have-nots.
Both these clubs fall into the latter category compared to many of their billionaire-owned opponents.
However, both begin their latest adventure in English football’s top flight after surviving against the odds (Burnley have begun their third successive EPL campaign, Watford their fourth) using very different business models.
That they are featuring in Premier League 2018 news is very much down to the success of most of the men in charge.
Talking Points
In Watford’s case, that is a lot.
Quique Sanchez Flores was an instant success, guiding the Hornets to mid-table and an FA Cup semi-final before being ruthlessly dismissed, while Marco Silva also had good moments before being removed – again a little harshly – when the club’s form took a downturn.
In between, Italian coach Walter Mazzarri signed a three-year deal but resigned after one. Javi Garcia is now holding the reins but is under pressure.
One of the EPL favourites to be sacked, Watford only managed four league victories after he was appointed in the New Year – a debut win over the then-reigning champions proving particularly memorable for their followers.
But he has started this season well with a 2-0 success over Brighton, continuing their record of solid starts before they tend to stutter through the final part of the season.
Roberto Pereyra scored both in that game and the Argentine, who also netted against Burnley last term, may be the main threat this weekend.
Consistency throughout the campaign would help them climb the table, and making Gerard Deulofeu’s loan from Barcelona permanent seems a wise move, particularly now Richarlison has moved onto Everton (he has also started well).
In contrast to Watford, who have had 10 managers in six years, Burnley have had one for the same period.
Sean Dyche has worked wonders. His team was the surprise package of last season, finishing seventh and qualifying for Europe for the first time since 1967.
Dyche’s teams are usually well-drilled and difficult to beat, and last year his side conceded only 39 goals, a record only bettered by the top five.
That went a long way to make up for the fact they scored just 36 times – less than a goal per game.
They have started the campaign early due to their Europa League commitments and, while they may go against them later in the season, at the moment they could be sharper.
They have generally recruited well over the last two years as well, and after a quiet summer, Dyche has made some typically savvy signings in the past fortnight.
In came goalkeeper Joe Hart – a particularly good acquisition with injuries to Tom Heaton and Nick Pope – while central defender Ben Gibson will also improve after his move from Middlesbrough.
It will likely be impossible to match last season’s seventh spot, but a mid-table finish would be a success for a manager who is so popular in Burnley he had a pub renamed in his honour over the summer and has now signed a contract which will keep him at the club until 2022.
Also good news is the fact they have pinned down the underrated central defender Ben Mee to a new deal which potentially extends his stay at Turf Moor until 2021.
History
Last season, Burnley completed a league double over Watford.
Shortly before Christmas, Scott Arfield netted the only goal of a close contest at Turf Moor shortly after Marvin Zeegelaar was dismissed when Watford were going great guns in the table.
By the time they met at Vicarage Road in April, Watford were in freefall and the Clarets scored twice in three minutes to win the match and increased their ultimately successful chances of qualifying for Europe.
It was also a fourth consecutive top-flight win for Sean Dyche’s side – the first time in 50 years Burnley had achieved that feat.
Watford have only won on 12 occasions against Burnley out of their 40 meetings.
Betting Tip
Burnley have a disadvantage in that they will have been in Europa League action less than 72 hours before this one.
However, it could also be an advantage as their European programme means they have had to be up and running far quicker than most Premier League sides.
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Burnley vs Watford | Over 2.00 Goals @ 2.03 |
| August 19, 20:30 (GMT+8) |
Other bets to catch SBOBET punters’ attention are Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 2.07 and Watford 0.00 @ 2.38.
Encounters at Turf Moor are often low-scoring affairs, and Total Goal 0-1 will pay out at 2.32, while the staple 1-1 draw will get you Premier League 2018 betting odds of 5.20.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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