There’s just a solitary Premier League game taking place this weekend as the FA Cup fourth round takes centre stage, but Burnley’s home clash with Watford is nevertheless a huge relegation showdown.
Even though the cup will be the focus for many, the rearranged Turf Moor affair on Saturday is a stand-out fixture as the bottom two in the top flight go head-to-head in what also marks Roy Hodgson’s return to Premier League management.
Threat of Relegation Looms for Both
It has all the hallmarks of a relegation six-pointer if they’re possible in early February, and it’s obviously one both sides will be desperate to win as they look to mount a bid for survival in the coming months.
It’s fair to say both the Clarets and the Hornets have struggled this season, but there will be belief in both camps that they are good enough to survive. Watford will be pinning their hopes on experienced Hodgson to use all his Premier League bottom-half know-how to lead them to safety, while Burnley will be keen to point out they have escaped the drop in the past five seasons under Sean Dyche, despite regularly finding themselves in trouble at various points.
However, there’s a feeling that Burnley’s ability to turn things around in the second half of seasons has a shelf-life, and this may be the campaign where their fortune runs out. There’s only so much flirting with relegation a team can do and, with Norwich seemingly on the up, Newcastle significantly strengthening their squad last month and Everton, now under Frank Lampard’s guidance, considered too good to go down, it’s looking ominous for Dyche.
Burnley Could be Adrift
Furthermore, if they lose this game, Burnley will find themselves five points adrift of Saturday’s opponents and, even though they do have games in hand, they are increasingly staring at the drop. The Clarets’ form has just not been good enough so far in 2021-22, and they have also been hindered by several postponements, which have left them frustratingly off the pace at the bottom.
The Lancashire outfit then lost key frontman Chris Wood – which came as a shock – in the transfer window to rivals Newcastle and were forced to bring in Wout Weghorst from German side Wolfsburg as his replacement. The Dutchman has an excellent goalscoring record in the Bundesliga (59 in 118 games), but that’s by no means a guarantee of success in the Premier League. Just ask Timo Werner, or Jadon Sancho for that matter, who have both struggled in England despite outstanding performances in Germany.
New Manager Bounce
Watford can take advantage of the new manager bounce when Hodgson steps back into management, somewhat surprisingly after his summer exit from Crystal Palace. It was widely thought at the time that the 74-year-old would be calling time on his distinguished 45-year management career, but he’s after one last dance with the Hornets with his brief simple: Keep us up.
That is something he has a good record of, having guided the Eagles to 11th, 12th and two 14th-place finishes in the past four seasons, and he’s never endured relegation before from the Premier League. He can kick off what will probably be a short reign at Vicarage Road with a vital win at Turf Moor, available at a tempting 47/20.
Watford Can Finally Add Goals
For punters looking for even more value in the game, selecting Watford to score over 1.5 goals in the match appeals at 37/20.
The Hornets have not hit two in a game since the end of November, but with Hodgson coming in and the urgent need for a victory over their relegation rivals apparent, they should hit finally that mark again this weekend.
*Odds correct at time of writing.
