Manchester United vs Watford Predictions

• Watford’s 4-1 win over Manchester United proved to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s last game in charge, this is a chance for the players to take some revenge.
• Three of United’s last four wins have been by two-goal margins.
• Four of Watford’s last five defeats have been by more than one goal.
• Watford conceded 38% of their away goals from set pieces and Harry Maguire scored against Leeds last weekend.

Revenge mission for United

Watford beat Manchester United 4-1 at Vicarage Road when these two sides met in November in what proved to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s final game in charge at Old Trafford.

Saturday’s reverse fixture offers United a chance to take some revenge, and I’m predicting a comfortable win for the hosts as Watford have suffered a few damaging results of late.

The Hornets suffered a chastening 4-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace in midweek as they failed to build on last weekend’s 1-0 win at Aston Villa. Watford have 11 defeats and just one win in their last 14 games across all competitions and four of their last five losses have been by two or more goals.

United aren’t necessarily putting in great displays but they are technically unbeaten in their last 10 games – aside from a defeat on penalties to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Ralf Rangnick’s men did manage a draw in the first leg of their Champions League tie at Atletico Madrid and should draw some encouragement from their second half performance in the Spanish capital.

United can win with room to spare

The hosts haven’t been blowing teams away but three of their last four wins have been by two-goal margins and I’m backing the Manchester outfit to win with a -1 handicap as the main bet.

Four of Watford’s last five defeats have been by more than one goal and they were lacking any real effort in defence in the loss to Palace. Indeed, they allowed Aston Villa 20 attempts in total in their previous game despite coming away with a 1-0 win and a similar performance against United could see them punished.

Clean sheet on the cards for the hosts

United have managed two clean sheets in their last seven games and have three in their last five at home, conceding just twice during that run. Watford have failed to score in four of their last six games and in two of their last three trips, so the home side may be able to win to nil on Saturday.

A bold play on a 4-0 win for United is my correct score prediction as Watford have conceded four goals on three occasions over their last 10 games, while Rangnick’s men scored four against Leeds in their last league game.

Watford have conceded 16 goals in 12 games away from home in the league and 38% of those have come from set pieces. As such, it could be worth going for a defender at a big price to grab a goal against the Hornets and Harry Maguire looks a reasonable option after he opened his account for the season against Leeds last weekend. The England international has had at least one shot in each of his last four games, hitting six in total in that time, and averages exactly one shot per-game in United’s home games so a small stake on Maguire grabbing an anytime goal has some appeal here.

Manchester United predicted starting lineup: De Gea, Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Telles, Fred, Pogba, Elanga, Fernandes, Rashford, Ronaldo

Watford possible starting lineup: Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Samir, Kamara, Louza, Cleverley, Sissoko, Sarr, King, Dennis

• There have been three goals or more in five of the last seven Premier League head-to-heads
• Manchester United have won six of their last seven home games against Watford without conceding a goal

Spotlight Insights combine the best data and editorial expertise to give you an extra angle.