- Form: Preston North End are on a five-match losing streak in all competitions.
- Recent results: Watford have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five.
- Away defence: Preston have conceded three goals in two Championship 2026/2027 away games.
Solid hosts can be tough to beat
The odds for this game give Watford a slight edge over the draw at 1.99 with Preston North End coming in at 3.52, but in a fixture like this it often pays to back the draw when it's available at around 2/1 or better. Nonetheless, we're going to favour the hosts for the win in this one as we still feel the Hornets have the edge in what looks set to be a closely contested match.
Alessio Dionisi has made a pretty good start to his managerial career at Watford, having been appointed on 15 June 2026. His reputation for structured play that doesn't lack fluidity appears to be paying off for the Hornets, who have kept things tight at Vicarage Road Stadium and made a solid start to the new season.
A 1-1 draw with West Ham in their opener was followed by a decent 2-0 defeat away to Swansea City in the Championship 2026/2027, which may not look like an ideal sequence of results but it's not a disaster either. Dionisi has been getting the players to transition quickly and counter-press in numbers when they regain possession, while the goalscoring efforts of Amin Nabizada could be crucial in unlocking a compact Preston block.
Lilywhites must improve
Season form
Preston North End have made a terrible start to the 2026/2027 campaign and remain in the midst of a crisis that may be difficult to turn around. Paul Heckingbottom, who took charge on 20 August 2024, has built his team on the same principles of control, discipline and pragmatism. The Lilywhites are winless in four matches and have lost all of their Championship 2026/2027 games so far.
Their last three have been a 4-0 home loss to Everton in the EFL Cup 2026/2027, a 0-1 away defeat to Charlton Athletic and a 1-3 home loss against Bristol City.
Head-to-head and outlook
There will be hope for Preston in the fact that they have won two and drawn three of their last five meetings with Watford, but the hosts are without a win in three at home to the Lilywhites. However, as a result of Dionisi's recent work and the fact that Preston have lost both of their away fixtures in the Championship 2026/2027 without picking up a point, it seems likely that the home side will grab the result.
Preston in possession at Vicarage
Watford or tie looks a safe bet for this one as Preston may be able to make it tough for the home team, but Dionisi's pressing game and the visitors' dodgy away record leads us to lean towards the host win here. The last meeting between these two sides, a 2-2 draw at Deepdale in the Championship 2025/2026, was a game that saw plenty of back-and-forth action and this fixture has a habit of staying live for the full 90 minutes.
Watford have only conceded two goals in their two home games in the Championship 2026/2027, while Preston have shipped three in two on the road, so that's another reason to favour the host team to edge this.
- Nabizada is the top scorer for Watford in the Championship 2026/2027 with two in four and has scored two of the five goals the club has scored in their last five matches.
- He can punish the opposition with his clinical finishing and should get plenty of service from a forward thinking midfield.
- Caleb Wiley is the leading marksman for Preston in the Championship 2026/2027 with one in two and is one of the few bright spots for the club so far this term.
- Andrija Vukcevic has one assist in three games for the visitors and can provide some spark from deep positions.
