Spotlight on… Watford

We are back on the road in the Premier League this weekend as we travel to Watford on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).

We last faced the Hornets back in October, earning a 1-1 draw against them in N17, but much has changed for both sides then – especially in the dugouts.

Team news

There could be a debut on Saturday for new Hornets signing Ignacio Pussetto after he completed his move to Vicarage Road from Udinese on Tuesday.

However, Will Hughes, Kiko Femenia, Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, Daryl Janmaat and Sebastian Prodl all remain unavailable through injury for Watford.

Watford’s form

Nigel Pearson, Watford’s third manager of the campaign so far, arrived at Vicarage Road on 6 December tasked with rescuing the Hertfordshire club from relegation. Prior to his appointment, they had just won one game all season and were rooted to the bottom of the table, seven points from safety. But now, just over a month later and with just one defeat in their seven games since, Pearson’s guidance has seen the Hornets claw their way out of the relegation zone. In that run they earned statement victories over European hopefuls Manchester United and Wolves, as well as crucial triumphs over the teams around them including Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

New faces

So far in this January transfer window, Watford have brought two new attacking options to Hertfordshire with Brazilian teenager Joao Pedro arriving from Fluminense, while 24-year-old Argentine Ignacio Pussetto has joined from Udinese.

Leader of the opposition

Appointed at Vicarage Road last month, Nigel Pearson has enjoyed an encouraging start to life back in Premier League management. It is his first job in the league since leading Leicester City to the top flight in 2014 before having just one season with the Foxes at the top of the English footballing pyramid.

Having spent his playing days as a defender at Shrewsbury Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough, Pearson began his managerial career with Carlisle United and has also had stints with Southampton, Hull City, Derby County and OH Leuven.

Last five meetings

19 October, 2019 – Spurs 1-1 Watford – Premier League
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

The numbers game

1 - Watford have won just one of their 13 Premier League matches against us (D4 L8), a 2-1 win at Vicarage Road last season.

4 - Watford are looking to win four consecutive home top-flight games within the same season for the first time since December, 1986.

2 - José Mourinho was the last manager to win away from home against Watford’s Nigel Pearson in the Premier League, doing so in April, 2015, with Chelsea at Leicester.

5 - Dele Alli has scored five Premier League goals against Watford in eight appearances for us – against no side has he scored more in the competition (also five against Chelsea and Southampton).

4 - Watford’s Troy Deeney has scored four goals in his last five Premier League games – as many as he’d netted in his previous 20 appearances in the competition.

Played for both

Younes Kaboul made 140 appearances for us over two separate spells before going on to spend two seasons at Vicarage Road. Joining us in the summer of 2007 from Auxerre, the club where he learned his trade, Younes spent just a sole campaign with us initially but he had some memorable moments in that year. Notably, he scored a dramatic late equaliser on our 125^th anniversary as we came back from 4-1 down against Aston Villa to take a point and, later, he played his part in the 2008 League Cup win.

The French international moved to Portsmouth in the following August but spent just 18 months at Fratton Park before returning to White Hart Lane in January, 2010. More unforgettable moments followed for the defender back in N17, like his cross against Manchester City that Peter Crouch nodded home to send us into the Champions League for the first time and his winner at Arsenal in 2010 which completed a fine 3-2 comeback against the Gunners. In 2014, he was handed the captain’s armband. He left us for Sunderland in 2015 before moving to Watford the following year. The defender left Vicarage Road in 2018.

Quick quiz on Watford

1. Who scored our equaliser in October’s 1-1 draw with Watford at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?

• Dele Alli
• Heung-Min Son
• Harry Kane

2. Who scored the winner in our 2-1 triumph over Watford at Wembley in the 2018/19 season?

• Harry Kane
• Fernando Llorente
• Heung-Min Son

3. Which member of our current squad had a loan spell with Watford during his career?

• Ryan Sessegnon
• Danny Rose
• Harry Kane

4. How many successful penalties did we score against Watford in our Carabao Cup third round tie in September, 2018?

• 3
• 4
• 5

5. Which of our cup final goalscorers departed White Hart Lane for Watford in the summer of 2000?

• Allan Nielsen
• Paul Stewart
• Christian Ziege

(Answers at the bottom)

Pictures from the past

Match data

Venue – Vicarage Road.

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

Referee – Michael Oliver.

Weather forecast – Partly cloudy, seven degrees.

Quiz answers: 1 – Dele Alli; 2 – Fernando Llorente; 3 – Danny Rose; 4 – 4; 5 – Allan Nielsen.