Manchester City are in shaky form at best right now, and that poor status is threatening to become an outright slump. They haven’t won in their last three matches, they have won just one in five, and they’re missing two of their top players for the next several matches, thanks to suspensions for Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho.
Manchester City vs. Watford 2016: Time, TV schedule, live stream, and 3 things to know
Manchester City are reeling, and Watford are circling like hungry sharks.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
So with a rapidly improving and deceptively challenging team like Watford coming to Etihad Stadium, City fans should be on full alert. This match has all the hallmarks of an upset in the making, and City will have to come into this match with far more focus and determination than we’ve seen from them in a long time. Unless they do, they’ll be exposed to the high-effort, opportunistic style of Watford and could easily wind up bemoaning yet another disappointing result once the final whistle blows.
TV: Premier League Extra Time (U.S.)
Online: NBC Sports Live (U.S.)
Match date/time: Wednesday, 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. local
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
Three big things to know
- The suspensions of Aguero and Fernandinho leave Manchester City short on quality and depth in two key positions, something that could come back to haunt them. They’re gone because of some almost shocking moments of poor discipline, and both will be missing some crucial matches for their team. Pep Guardiola has some serious work ahead of him to make the team work well in their absence.
- Of course, with the poor form City have been in of late, including losses in their last two league matches, there are a lot of problems for City to fix beyond just those two absences. That could prove especially tricky against an opponent like Watford, who have proven to be very opportunistic this season.
- Speaking of Watford, manager Walter Mazzarri has to be licking his lips at the prospect of this match. He has always sought to prove himself against the best opponents possible, and if he feels as though there’s any chance he can get one over on a manager like Guardiola, you can bet Mazzarri will throw everything he can at this match to get the job done. If Mazzarri has any tricks up his sleeve to propel Watford to a shocking upset in this match, they will be on full display before the final whistle.
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