Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts

Can Watford and Bournemouth secure safety this weekend?

18:18 Add Comment
After their 2-2 draw at Vicarage Road last week, Watford and Bournemouth are both placed on 37 points each, 9 points clear of the bottom 3, heading into Gameweek 33. They both have relatively winnable home games, and victories should see them hit the 40-point mark, which is usually considered enough for survival in the Premier League.

The two’s seasons have been mirror images of each other’s.

Watford started brilliantly, being 4th in the table for as long as Gameweek 8. Since late November though, they have only won 3 games out of 15. Fortunately, their early season successes haven’t seen them slip into any kind of danger, but they will have to be careful not to let this form slip into next season. They are currently in 11th, and take on Burnley at home this Saturday. This game is hardly a pushover, as The Clarets have won their last 3 games on the trot, including the last two away from home. Sean Dyche’s men are 7th in the table, and still have a shot at making the Europa League next season. Watford though, are unbeaten at home under Javi Garcia, who took over as manager from Marco Silva in January. A win on Saturday should see them secure their Premier League status for another season.


Bournemouth, on the other hand, looked to be sure shot relegation-candidates not too long ago. After the Boxing Day round of fixtures, Eddie Howe’s men were in 18th place. Since then though, they have lost just twice, beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Arsenal at home during this run. They are currently in 10th, and are very much on course to matching their 9th place finish from last season, which was their greatest ever Premier League showing ever. They had 46 points last year, and 3 more wins would see them equal that tally. Howe’s incredible work at the club has seen them survive for three successive seasons in the top-flight despite a modest budget. They are now on the verge of making it four.

Bournemouth face 17th placed Crystal Palace on Saturday. Their opponents certainly need the win more than them, and will come all guns blazing. Howe’s side, however, have only lost one home game in the New Year, against Tottenham Hotspur. Ironically, in terms of this article, Watford are the only team outside the top 7 to have taken all three points away from Dean Court all season. That was way back in Gameweek 2.

While 40 points is not a sure-shot guarantee at survival, historically it has proven enough. Watford and Bournemouth will be keen to hit that mark this week, and be as far away from the scrap at the foot of the table as possible. They have both had seasons of two halves, but have got the right results at the right times to be in a comfortable position as the campaign draws to a close.

Author bio:


The author of this content David has written this article on behalf of Boxofficeevents.com which is a leading and authorized dealer in UK for cheap footballs tickets.