Spotlight on... Watford

We return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as Watford become the latest visitors to our new home in N17 (3pm kick-off).

Last season, we faced the Hornets three times and were victorious in two of those meetings, progressing on penalties in our League Cup third round clash at Stadium MK in September, 2018, before we picked up three points in a 2-1 home win at Wembley in January.

So, ahead of their visit this weekend, we put the Hertfordshire side under the spotlight.

Team news

Watford will be without Sebastian Prödl, Isaac Success, former Spur Etienne Capoue and Troy Deeney, who continues his recovery from knee surgery.

Watford’s form

It has been a tough start to the season for the Hornets as they currently sit bottom of the Premier League. Eight games in and Watford are without a win and have just three points to their name. Last season, Watford had finished 11th and reached the FA Cup Final under Javi Gracia but, having just picked up one point from his first four games of the new campaign, the Spaniard was replaced by Quique Sánchez Flores in mid-September. Since the switch, they have drawn two and lost two - one of those defeats was the 8-0 thrashing by Manchester City.

New faces

Defensively, Watford have added Premier League experience in Craig Dawson, who spent seven seasons with West Bromwich Albion in England’s top flight before their relegation in 2018. While up front, Senegalese winger Ismaïla Sarr has been drafted in from Rennes while former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck moved to Vicarage Road on a free transfer.

Leader of the opposition

Quique Sánchez Flores returned to Vicarage Road this season to replace Javi Gracia, three years after having left the same role. A former Real Madrid defender, Flores began his managerial career at the Bernabeu in Los Blancos’ youth system before earning his first senior managerial roles at Getafe and Benfica. His first major success as a coach came back in Madrid as he joined Atletico in 2009 and led them to UEFA Europa League glory and the UEFA Super Cup the following year. His first spell at Watford arrived in 2015 as he took charge at Vicarage Road with the Hornets about to embark on their first season back in the Premier League after an eight-year absence but, after having achieved a 13th-placed finish and reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup, Flores left his position and headed to Espanyol. A brief stint at Shanghai Shenhua followed before he returned to Watford in September.

Last five meetings

30 January, 2019 – Spurs 2-1 Watford – Premier League
26 September, 2018 – Spurs 2-2 Watford (4-2 on penalties) – League Cup third round (played at Stadium MK)
2 September, 2018 – Watford 2-1 Spurs – Premier League
30 April, 2018 – Spurs 2-0 Watford – Premier League
2 December, 2017 – Watford 1-1 Spurs – Premier League

Pictures from the past

The numbers game

9 – We have won each of our last nine top-flight home games against Watford, including all six of our home meetings in the Premier league.

1 – Watford have won just one of the 12 meetings between us in the Premier League, with that victory coming at Vicarage Road in September, 2018.

16 – Since beating Arsenal 2-1 in January, 2017, Watford have lost 16 consecutive Premier League away games against ‘big six’ opponents, scoring just nine and conceding 53 in return.

5 – Against no side has Heung-Min Son scored more goals than he has against Watford (five, level with Bournemouth and Crystal Palace).

78 - We have picked up 29 of our 37 Premier League points in 2019 in home games (78 per cent), the highest ratio of all ever-present sides in the division this calendar year.

Played for both

Centre-back Sebastien Bassong spent two-and-a-half years with us at White Hart Lane before later going on to represent Watford on loan. Beginning his career at Metz in his native France in 2005, Seb moved to England in 2008 to join Newcastle United before signing for us in the summer of 2009. He made an instant impact for us, scoring the winner on his debut to seal a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool and enjoyed an encouraging first season with us. The defender also scored in our first-ever Champions League game the following season in the first leg of our play-off tie against Young Boys but, as the campaign progressed, opportunities in the team became limited for the Cameroonian and subsequently, in January, 2011, he moved to Wolves on loan. The defender departed permanently for Norwich City in 2012 before having spells at Watford and Peterborough, and is now appearing for Greek Super League side Volos.

Watford quiz

1. Who scored the winner in our 2-1 triumph over Watford in our Premier League meeting at Wembley in January?

• Heung-Min Son
• Harry Kane
• Fernando Llorente

2. Which of our former managers became assistant manager at Watford in April, 2005?

• Keith Burkinshaw
• Glenn Hoddle
• Ossie Ardiles

3. Which of these former full-backs scored their first goal for us against Watford?

• Kyle Walker
• Kieran Trippier
• Alan Hutton

4. Which midfielder moved from N17 to Watford in the summer of 2000?

• Allan Nielsen
• Matthew Etherington
• Steffen Freund

5. Heung-Min Son has five goals to his name against Watford but who else in our current squad has also found the target on five occasions against the Hornets?

• Harry Kane
• Dele Alli
• Erik Lamela

(Answers to the quiz revealed at the bottom)

Match data

Venue – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Opposition colours – Yellow and black shirts, black shorts, yellow socks.

Referee – Chris Kavanagh.

Weather forecast – Partly cloudy, 15 degrees.

Quiz answers: 1 – Fernando Llorente; 2 – Keith Burkinshaw; 3 – Kieran Trippier; 4 – Allan Nielsen; 5 – Dele Alli.