Watford vs Middlesbrough Prediction

Recent form: Boro's steadier run

Across Middlesbrough's last 20 matches in all competitions they've won eight, drawn seven and lost five, scoring 34 and conceding 29. That's a fairly solid return, even with cup games and friendlies mixed into the sample.

Watford: 20 completed matches; Middlesbrough: 20 completed matches.

Watford

20 matches

Win

20% 4 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

60% 12 / 20

Scored

17

Conceded

37

Difference

-20

Middlesbrough

20 matches

Win

40% 8 / 20

Draw

35% 7 / 20

Loss

25% 5 / 20

Scored

34

Conceded

29

Difference

+5

Watford's equivalent run reads four wins, four draws and twelve losses, with only 17 goals scored against 37 conceded. It's a much tougher picture, though again that sample includes League Cup and pre-season friendly matches rather than pure league form.

Comparative Team Statistics: Watford vs Middlesbrough

A long history, recently lopsided

These two have met well over a dozen times stretching back more than a decade, and across that whole stretch the head-to-head is fairly even. Results have gone both ways depending on the season.

Their most recent meeting back in April was one-sided, with Middlesbrough winning 5-1 at home. Before that though, Watford had actually won 3-0 in the reverse fixture, so recent meetings alone don't paint a clean trend.

Old head-to-head results don't tell us much about either side's current form.

League table tells its own story

Middlesbrough currently sit third with 15 points from eight games, while Watford are down in 20th with just eight points from the same number of matches. That's a gap of seven points and seventeen places this early in the season.

Goal difference tells a similar story. Boro have scored 16 and conceded 12, while Watford have scored just seven and let in ten. It's still early days, but the picture clearly favours the visitors right now.

A gap this size early on usually points to a genuine difference in quality, even if it's still early days.

Where the goals come from

Will Lankshear has been Middlesbrough's main source of goals recently, with six in eight matches, and Lewis Ayling has chipped in a couple of assists alongside him.

Watford:

Best scorers:

Amin Nabizada - 3

Penalty cards:

Amin Nabizada x 3

Middlesbrough:

Best scorers:

W. Lankshear - 6

Best assist providers:

L. Ayling - 2

Watford's main threat, Amin Nabizada, has managed three goals in the same number of games and has also picked up three yellow cards in that span. It's a thinner return up top for the home side.

How it might play out

Based on where both sides currently sit, Boro look like the side more likely to control large parts of the game. Watford's recent form, even allowing for the cup fixtures mixed in, suggests they're short of confidence in front of goal.

That doesn't guarantee anything on the day though. Watford have shown they can get something at home before, including that 3-0 win over Boro last November, so an open game with chances for both sides wouldn't be a shock.