Watford return to Vicarage Road on Saturday looking to build on their midweek victory when they welcome an improving Stoke City side to Hertfordshire.

The Hornets have collected eight points from their opening six Championship fixtures and have been notably stronger at home, while Stoke arrive having taken seven points from their last three matches. With the early-season table still tightly packed, victory for either side could provide significant upward momentum.

Analysis

Watford

Alessio Dionisi’s first few weeks in English football have produced a mixture of encouragement and frustration, but Tuesday’s 2-1 victory over Preston North End was an important result for the Italian.

Watford had gone four Championship matches without winning after opening the campaign with a 2-1 success against Southampton. Draws with Wrexham and West Ham were followed by away defeats against Swansea City and West Brom, leaving the Hornets in need of a response.

They eventually produced one against Preston, although they had to work for it. After falling behind early, Watford remained patient before turning the contest around during the final quarter. Mamadou Doumbia struck the decisive goal to secure three points and lift Dionisi’s side onto eight from their opening six league fixtures.

The underlying concern remains Watford’s attacking output. Six goals from six Championship matches is a modest return for a team with ambitions of challenging towards the upper end of the division, and Dionisi is still searching for his most effective combination in the final third.

Othmane Maamma and Stephy Mavididi are candidates to return in the wide positions on Saturday, potentially replacing Rocco Vata and Amin Nabizada, while Doumbia’s winner against Preston strengthens his case to retain the central striking role. Iker Bravo provides another option should Dionisi want a different profile through the middle.

What should encourage Watford is their record at Vicarage Road. Seven of their eight Championship points have been collected at home, making their struggles on the road less relevant to Saturday’s assignment.

Defensively, the Hornets have also been reasonably dependable. Seven goals conceded across six matches is hardly alarming, and if Dionisi can extract more from his attacking players, there is enough evidence to suggest Watford can push much higher than their current position.

Marc Bola, Edoardo Bove and Kwadwo Baah remain unavailable, limiting the manager’s options in certain areas, but the squad should still be strong enough to approach this fixture positively.

Stoke City

Stoke’s trajectory has moved in the opposite direction over the past few weeks. An alarming 4-1 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers increased the pressure surrounding Mark Robins, but the Potters have responded impressively by taking seven points from their subsequent three Championship matches.

Results against Norwich City, Charlton Athletic and Cardiff City have stabilised their campaign, and perhaps even more encouraging for Robins has been the defensive improvement.

Stoke have conceded only once during that three-match unbeaten sequence, a dramatic change from the vulnerability displayed in the heavy defeat at Molineux.

That growing resilience could be crucial at Vicarage Road. Watford have not been prolific despite their strong home results, so Stoke may see value in keeping the game tight and forcing the hosts to find solutions against an organised defensive structure.

The next challenge is translating their improvement into results away from the bet365 Stadium. Stoke are still searching for their first Championship away victory of the season, which provides an obvious contrast with Watford’s productive home record.

Robins may therefore resist the temptation to make substantial changes following the recent improvement. Continuity has helped Stoke find greater stability, although Eric-Junior Bocat and Ben Pearson provide alternatives if the manager decides fresh legs are required.

There is also uncertainty surrounding Bosun Lawal and Sam Gallagher. Robins has indicated that both are nearing returns from minor injury problems, although Saturday could arrive too soon for either to play a significant role.

Stoke nevertheless travel south with considerably more confidence than they possessed a few weeks ago. Seven points from three matches has altered the mood, and another positive result against Watford would strengthen the argument that their poor opening period is already behind them.

Verdict

This looks unlikely to develop into an open, high-scoring contest. Watford have scored only six times in six league matches, while Stoke’s recent revival has been founded primarily on becoming much harder to break down. The Potters have conceded just once across their last three Championship fixtures.

Home advantage could therefore prove decisive. Watford have collected seven points at Vicarage Road and Tuesday’s comeback against Preston should provide an additional confidence boost after their four-match winless sequence.

Stoke are capable of making this uncomfortable, particularly if their defensive improvement continues, but their failure to win away from home gives Watford a narrow edge.

Our prediction: Watford 1-0 Stoke City.

Tip

Our tip: Watford to win.