- 1 Watford vs Preston North End: two sides heading in opposite directions meet under the lights
- 2 Watford: a bright start that faded fast
- 3 Preston North End: a first win, but the defensive mess is still there
- 4 Championship prediction Watford vs Preston North End
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Watford vs Preston North End: two sides heading in opposite directions meet under the lights 
Watford are winless in their last five matches in all competitions. Preston North End, by contrast, have finally picked up their first win of the season after four straight defeats.
Kick-off for this sixth-round Championship fixture is set for Tuesday, September 8 at 7:45pm UK time, or 8:45pm in France, at Vicarage Road.
The Hornets sit 17th with five points from five games. They are three points off eighth and just two clear of the relegation zone.
Preston are tucked in just behind them, a point above the bottom after climbing off last place on Saturday. Their 2-1 Lancashire derby win over Blackburn has changed the mood around their start to the campaign.
The away side’s defensive record is still the biggest blot on the page: 10 goals conceded in five games, with only Burnley shipping more in the division.
Watford have taken four points from six at Vicarage Road and are still unbeaten there. That home-versus-away split is the whole story here.
Recent meetings lean toward the visitors. Watford have not beaten Preston since a 5-1 win at Deepdale in December 2023, and their last home win in this fixture was a 4-1 success in November 2020.
Both clubs come into this with similar points needs but very different form. The midweek timing also adds a freshness factor, with both sides having played on Saturday.
Watford: a bright start that faded fast 
Alessio Dionisi began his spell with two wins, against Crawley Town in the EFL Cup and Southampton in the league. That early credit has quickly disappeared over the last five games.
The run now reads four league matches without a win and a cup exit, a 5-1 home drubbing by League One side Peterborough United.
In the league, draws against Wrexham and West Ham were followed by back-to-back away defeats. The latest came on Saturday, a 1-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion.
Their home form tells a different story: two matches, four points, no defeats. The 2-1 win over Southampton and the 1-1 draw with West Ham make up most of Watford’s points tally.
Four of Watford’s five league goals this season have come at home. Their away return, with two games without scoring, goes a long way to explaining the slump.
The injury list is not doing Dionisi any favours. Edoardo Bove came off injured at West Brom and is expected to miss out, along with Jeremy Ngakia, Marc Bola, Kwadwo Baah and Jack Grieves.
Omar Haktab Traore and Branimir Mlacic, both sidelined on Saturday with calf and hip issues, will be assessed before kick-off. That leaves Watford short-handed for a match in which they badly need a response.
The schedule has hardly been kind either, with the team back in action just three days after the trip to West Bromwich Albion. Squad depth is now a major issue with so many out.
Dionisi also has a decision to make in attack, with several wide options unavailable. Kjerrumgaard’s output up front remains the most reliable part of the setup.
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Preston North End: a first win, but the defensive mess is still there 
Preston lost their first four Championship games, including a 3-1 home defeat by Bristol City last Tuesday. They went into the weekend propping up the table.
Then came the Lancashire derby, and with it a release. A first-half brace from Callum Lang was enough to beat Blackburn 2-1, Preston’s first win against their local rivals since November 2023.
Those three points lifted Paul Heckingbottom’s side off the bottom. They are still only a point above the safety line ahead of this trip to Vicarage Road.
The real issue remains obvious: 10 goals conceded in five games. No side in the division has shipped more, Burnley apart.
Their away record does not help the picture either. Preston lost 2-1 at Bolton and 1-0 at Charlton in their first two away matches of the season.
Brad Potts and Ali McCann are unavailable, with McCann facing a long spell out after a hamstring injury last month. Andrew Hughes is edging closer to a return, but Tuesday still looks a stretch.
Liam Gibbs and Johnny Kenny, both introduced on Saturday for their first minutes in Preston colours, could be given more time. The Lilywhites are unbeaten in their last five meetings with Watford, winning two and drawing three.
Callum Lang has quickly become the key attacking figure after his brace on Saturday. Preston’s chances of repeating that result depend heavily on him.
The 0-0 draw at Vicarage Road in October 2024 remains Preston’s last clean sheet in this fixture. That result also started the current unbeaten run against the Hornets.
Probable Watford XI: Ravaglia ; Keben, Coulibaly, Pollock, Zemura ; Kyprianou, Kayembe ; Bavo, Payero, Mamma ; Kjerrumgaard
Probable Preston North End XI: Iversen ; Clarke, Storey, Gibson, Wiley ; Mills, Leroy, Thompson, Devine ; Lang, Burgzorg
Championship prediction Watford vs Preston North End
Our prediction: Watford to win
This one comes down to a simple number: Preston have shipped 10 goals in five games, while Watford have taken four points from two home matches without losing. The visitors have the second-worst defence in the league.
Saturday’s win over Blackburn was built on Callum Lang’s first-half brace, not on any sudden defensive steel. Preston have also lost both away games so far this season, at Bolton and Charlton.
Watford have scored four of their five league goals at home and return to a ground where they have not been beaten. The Hornets are backed to edge it.
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