Preview | Watford (H)
The Game
Argyle v Watford. Home Park. Friday, 22 November. 8pm. Sky Bet Championship.
The Opposition
Watford sit sixth in the Championship table, with 25 points from 15 games. Their season so far has been one of extremes.
In nine home games in all competitions, their form reads: WWWWDWWWW. Away from home, it is: WLLLLLLWL.
Watford’s tally of 23 goals scored is bettered only by leaders Sunderland (25) and third-placed Leeds United (24). However, Watford have conceded 22 goals; only five teams have conceded more, and all are in the bottom 10 in the division.
Watford won their first five games of the season, including two Carabao Cup ties, but it has taken them 13 games for the next five wins.
In the last six games, between international windows, they lost to rivals Luton Town, before a defeat at Leeds, then went on to beat Blackburn Rovers at home. Watford’s next game was their second win on the road this season, their first since the opening day, and it came in great style, as the Hornets beat Sheffield Wednesday 6-2. Subsequently, Watford lost 1-0 at Swansea City, before returning to winning ways at Vicarage Road, beating Oxford United 1-0.
The Gaffer
Tom Cleverley was working as Watford’s Under-18s coach in March 2024, when manager Valerian Ismael was dismissed. Cleverley was put in interim charge, and lost just one in seven, before being given the job on a full-time basis. It is his first management job.
Cleverley came through the ranks at Manchester United and played 79 times for the Red Devils. During his time with United, he had various loans, one of which was at Watford in the Championship in 2009/10, where he scored 11 goals in 33 games. He also had loans with Leicester City, Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa.
Leaving United in 2015, he signed for Everton, where he played for two years, before heading back to Vicarage Road on loan once more. He made the move to Watford permanent in the summer of 2017. After 146 games in his second spell as a Hornet, Cleverley retired because of injury in 2023.
A former team-mate of Wayne Rooney’s with Manchester United and England, midfielder Cleverley played 13 times for his country.
The Squad
Vakoun Bayo is Watford’s leading goalscorer this season, although two-thirds of his six goals came in one game. He scored four times as Watford beat Sheffield Wednesday on 2 November and followed that with the only goal in the win over Oxford last time out. Prior to this, the Ivorian forward had scored just once, against Derby in his third game of the campaign.
Edo Kayembe (below), who has started 13 of Watford’s 15 league games, is next on the goalscoring charts, with five goals. He scored three in his first two and subsequently notched in home wins over Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers. 26-year-old Kaymebe, from DR Congo, spent his career playing with Anderlecht and Eupen in Belgium before joining Watford in January 2022.
Defender Mattie Pollock has started every league game for Watford this season and has played more minutes than anyone else. The central defender started life at Grimsby and moved to Watford in the summer of 2021. The son of former Middlesbrough and Manchester City midfielder Jamie Pollock, Mattie spent time on loan with Cheltenham Town and Aberdeen, before beginning to break through at Vicarage Road last season.
Most Recent Meetings
Argyle lost 2-0 at Watford earlier this season, in the Carabao Cup. Prior to that, the sides last met last season, with both games being drawn. At Vicarage Road, in Argyle’s first away game back in Championship, the sides drew 0-0, before a home game on New Year’s Day which finished 3-3.
Tickets
The game is sold out for home supporters. If you have a season ticket and cannot attend the match, you can make your ticket available via the Ticket Exchange and receive face value credit if your ticket is resold. Find out more about the Ticket Exchange.
Argyle TV
Argyle TV’s coverage will begin at 7.30pm, with the pre-match show, live on YouTube from pitchside, hosted by Erin Black and Aaron Cusack. Commentary for the game will be provided by Charlie Price and Ian Stonebridge.
Match passes to watch this game are available to international audiences and can be purchased here.
Sky Sports
The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football.
