Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live coverage of today's Premier League clash between Watford and Manchester City.

Although it's too early to pass judgement on the league's teams just yet, the two sides playing today at Vicarage Road have made a great start to the campaign, the fourth-placed Hornets welcoming the second-placed Citizens.

Man City won the last meeting between the two 5-0 at Vicarage Road on the final day of the 2016-17 campaign, but Marco Silva has overseen Watford's best unbeaten start to a top division season since 1951, so this could be an entirely different proposition for Pep Guardiola's boys.

As an added incentive, Man City and Watford know that a win today will take them top of the Premier League for 24 hours at least.

Without further ado, let me bring you the team news from Vicarage Road.

WATFORD STARTING XI: Gomes, Janmaat, Mariappa, Holebas, Kabasele, Carrillo, Doucoure, Chalobah, Cleverley, Gray, Richarlison

MAN CITY STARTING XI: Ederson, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Mendy, De Bruyne, Fernandinho, D Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Jesus

WATFORD SUBS: Karnezis, Deeney, Success, Wague, Zeegelaar, Capoue, Pereyra

MAN CITY SUBS: Bravo, Danilo, Gundogan, Mangala, Delph, Sane, B Silva

Marco Silva has made two changes to his starting line-up from Watford's 2-0 win at Southampton, with Adrian Mariappa and Daryl Janmaat being recalled in defence.

The reshuffle has come about due to Silva having only three fit centre-backs to choose from, and Mariappa and Janmaat replace Younes Kaboul - out with a hamstring injury - and Kiko Femenia - rested after sustaining a head injury - while Sebastian Prodl and Craig Cathcart are also absent.

Pep Guardiola, meanwhile has made just one change from Man City's 4-0 win at Feyenoord in the Champions League, with Raheem Sterling back in the starting XI after serving his one-game domestic suspension - Bernardo Silva drops to the bench as a result.

Man City captain Vincent Kompany is back in training but this match comes too soon for the defender, who is not in the matchday squad.

Given last season's 5-0 hammering for the Hornets on their own patch, some might think this would be one of those routine games for a side like Man City, but given that Watford are currently in fourth place with three clean sheets out of four, they should be difficult to break down.

Man City have have averaged over 65% possession in all five games in all competitions this season, and over 70% in all three away games so far, so this will be a serious test for Watford, who will need to absorb the pressure and play on the counter.

Following last season's empty-handed finish, Guardiola appears to have moulded his team exactly how he wants it, and his possession-based game complete with marquee full-back acquisitions has seen them win three of their first four matches.

Hammering Liverpool 5-0 is no mean feat, while their thrashing of Feyenoord in midweek was effortless. Will they blow Watford away too, or will they finally meet a defence that will keep them at bay? Just under half an hour until kickoff.

What have Silva and Guardiola said about today's fixture in their pre-match pressers? Let's start with the Watford head coach.

Silva told reporters: "It's important at the moment that everyone, starting with myself, keeps their feet on the ground. What we have achieved now is only eight points and nothing special. We are happy, everyone is happy at the club and the fans are happy. It is a big fight and we know what our way is. The big expectation is always good and not a problem."

Guardiola, meanwhile, said: "[Saturday's game] is a big test for us. The big clubs win the games and that is the big difference to the big teams. In this situation, the teams I left at Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and the other big teams, like Madrid, and Juventus of Turin, in this kind of situation, a game every three days, they are there, they make a professional performance, score a goal in the right moment and win the game. That is the process we have to discover. When we are able to do that, then I will feel we have made a step forward to become a better team."

HEAD TO HEAD: Watford have never beaten Manchester City in the Premier League, the record standing at four defeats and two draws for the Hornets.

A six-game unbeaten run against a single club is a Premier League record for Man City, whilst they are also unbeaten in six meetings with Sheffield United.

Man City are also undefeated in 11 matches against the Hornets in all competitions since a 1-0 Division Two defeat at Vicarage Road in March 1989.

Victory against City would make Watford top-flight leaders for the first time since September 1982.

The Hornets are unbeaten after four games of a top-flight season for the first time, and could keep four consecutive top-flight clean sheets for the first time with a shutout today.

City, however, are unbeaten in 12 league games, their best run under Pep Guardiola.

Sergio Aguero has scored six goals in four previous appearances against the Hornets in all competitions, while Gabriel Jesus has yet to taste defeat in a Premier League record 14 matches - both start today.

SCORE PREDICTION: This will go one of two ways, in my opinion - either Watford will put up a great defensive performance and frustrate City on the way to another clean sheet, or the visitors will grab an early goal, the Hornets lose their shape, and it becomes a rout. And with Man City having clicked together perfectly, I reckon it'll be the latter. So I'm going to say 4-0 to City.

Both sets of players have emerged from the tunnel, just the usual formalities to get out the way and then we'll be underway at Vicarage Road.

KICKOFF! Anthony Taylor is today's referee, he blows his whistle and Aguero gets the game underway for the visitors!

City quick out of the starting blocks as Walker marauds forwards and finds Sterling, who cuts back towards Silva, but Watford force a corner, which is then cleared.

Doucoure brings down Silva to gift City a free kick midway inside the Watford half which is played out to Walker on the right, he heads down the wing and whips a cross into the box but Doucoure clears.

City win a corner which De Bruyne takes towards Fernandinho, who stoops low to try and connect with the ball - he gets his head onto it but the effort sails well over the crossbar.

Now it's Mendy's turn to try his luck as he controls the ball on the edge of the Watford box following De Bruyne's cross and goes for the shot, but fires over. It's all City in these early stages.

CHANCE! City are getting closer and closer as De Bruyne finds Sterling with a pinpoint cross but the England winger miskicks his effort from around 12 yards out before Fernandinho gathers and strikes a first-time effort, but Gomes is able to claim the ball.

Very much as I predicted earlier, with City completely dominating possession - currently stands at 72% to 28% - and powering forward, but Watford are shutting up shop and, so far, not letting anything pass.

CHANCE! But here come Watford as a long throw is not properly cleared by Walker and the ball falls to Doucoure on the edge of the box, but his drilled effort ricochets off Kabasele on its way wide of the City goal.

CHANCE! Now here come the Citizens again as De Bruyne unlocks the Watford defence with a precise ball to Aguero, who tries to whip a cross towards Jesus but its trajectory is wayward and the ball almost drops into the far corner beyond Gomes, but ends up landing onto the roof of the net.

De Bruyne reclaims possession from Chalobah and finds Aguero, who slides a pass through to Sterling, but Kabasele manages to weigh in and take just enough of the ball - great last-ditch tackle!

CHANCE! City win another corner which is flicked into the path of Aguero, who reacts quickly to connect for a first-time volley but blasts wide of the near post.

Janmaat takes a knock to the head from Otamendi after clearing under heavy pressure from the City defender and goes down, he goes off the pitch to receive treatment briefly while the visitors take their corner, which comes to nothing.

CHANCE! City nearly caught out at the back as Holebas whips in a free kick from deep and falls perfectly for Richarlison, who is able to get his head onto it, but the striker nods a yard wide!

Watford have done well to resist up until this point but City have managed to find a breakthrough and it comes through Aguero, who has been prolific against the Hornets in recent years - De Bruyne delivers another pinpoint cross and the Argentine nods home!

BOOKING: Holebas goes into the book for kicking out at De Bruyne.

Looks like the floodgates have indeed opened as the Hornets ship a second goal in quick succession as Aguero grabs his eighth goal in his last five appearances against Watford - the build-up sees Jesus play the ball to Silva, who then cuts across to the centre where the striker is on hand to tap home. Simple but effective.

CHANCE! De Bruyne, who has pulled the strings for City this afternoon, tests Gomes after drifting past Chalobah and driving low on goal, but the Watford stopper is equal to it.

Surely that's now game over as City rattle in a third, Aguero sliding a pass through to Jesus, who rifles home into the bottom corner, but this is a controversial one as it looked very much offside - still stands though.

BOOKING: Watford have lost their composure as Doucoure hauls down Sterling to earn a booking for his troubles as well as gifting a free kick to the opposition, which De Bruyne fires just over.

Aguero's opening goal, very much a floodgate-opener at Vicarage Road...

© Offside

We have two minutes of added time.

That's the half-time whistle and Watford have been frankly outclassed by City, who lead by three goals to nil here at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets have not really got going yet, but with a side as rampant as City pinning them back from the off, it's hardly a massive criticism. However, with Sergio Aguero's opener arguably offside by a small margin and Gabriel Jesus's strike looking considerably more so, expect Marco Silva to mention this in the post-match presser.

The stats are very much testament to City's dominance. Possession is split 29% to 71%, with the visitors weighing in with 14 shots, five of which were on target, and winning five corners.

Aside from having just over a quarter of possession, Watford have mustered just two efforts, neither of which were on target, and didn't win any corners. Again, it's more a case of City being a class apart rather than the hosts' failings. Will City be deemed surefire title contenders now, following their displays in the last few games?

15 - Gabriel Jesus has been directly involved in 15 goals in his 15 Premier League appearances (11 goals, 4 assists). Brazilliant. pic.twitter.com/1BeC4nkXls — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 16, 2017

KICKOFF: Watford get the second half underway.

As it stands, Man City will be top of the Premier League table, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United rounding out the top four.

CHANCE! Better from Watford as Holebas beats Walker out wide before whipping a cross to the far post, where Carrillo tries to fire the ball across goal but ends up drilling wide.

Fernandinho is brought down by Cleverley on the edge of the City box, but the Watford man escapes a booking as the visitors win a corner which comes to nothing.

PENALTY SHOUT! Watford win their first corner of the match which Holebas swings in, Chalobah tries to get something on it but goes to ground under pressure from a City defender, only for the ref to wave away the appeals!

Richarlison goes to ground after taking a knock to the head from Walker amid a City counter-attack and referee Taylor stops play, but the Watford man is eventually fine to continue.

The clock passes the hour mark and although three goals down, Watford are giving a better account of themselves as they force another corner via Otamendi, with Holebas swinging the ball into the box and Richarlison rifling over.

However, City aren't just impressing in conventional attacks - they're dangerous on the counter too, with Sterling and Silva combining to find Mendy, who drills a low ball into the box and causes havoc, with Watford only just getting the ball the right side of the post to only force a corner.

CHANCE! Aguero holds up play and finds Silva with a back-heel, the ball is then fired towards goal but Gomes gets his fingers on it to tip the effort over.

And that's four! Watford's fightback snuffed out by City's clinical, incisive attacking. The corner is taken short by Silva, claimed back, and a cross is whipped into the box, where Otamendi is on hand to nod home with a bullet header!

SUBSTITUTIONS: City make two as Jesus and De Bruyne are replaced by Silva and Gundogan, while Watford bring on Pereyra for Cleverley.

SUBSTITUTION: Two apiece in total now as Chalobah is replaced by Capoue for the hosts.

Watford win a free kick which Holebas delivers but Ederson is out to punch clear. The sting very much out of this game now.

CHANCE! Or maybe not... Watford so close to getting a goal back as a corner is swung in, flicked on, and Capoue is unmarked at the back post, but he completely fluffs his lines and nods over the bar!

CHANCE! Okay, still plenty of sting left in this game by the looks of it! City launch another dangerous counterattack as Aguero bursts forward and plays the ball to Sterling, but the England man's low effort sails wide of the far post.

SUBSTITUTION: That's City's final change as David Silva's shift is over, with Sane taking his place.

Aguero's second goal... will he get a hat-trick today?

© Offside

The answer is very much yes! His 10th hat-trick for Man City, his NINTH goal in his last five appearances against Watford - and what a finish that was, weaving through the hosts' defence and flicking the ball past Gomes from a tight angle!

CHANCE! Nearly a sixth for the visitors as Sterling gets into space, shifts the ball to his left foot and lets rip towards the far corner, but a slight deflection nudges the ball off course.

PENALTY! And now City have a great chance to make it six after Kabasele brings Sterling down in the area...

Sterling is given the nod by Guardiola to take the penalty over Aguero and a good call it was, the England winger rifling the ball with ferocity straight into the top corner as three minutes of added time are announced.

Well, what a performance that was. Watford have been completely blown away today at Vicarage Road as Manchester City put SIX past them, Sergio Aguero continuing his great form against the Hornets with a hat-trick.

That's all we have time for here at Vicarage Road but Sports Mole is on hand to bring you match reports, reaction and all the latest news from the weekend's football! Thank you for following and, until next time, goodbye!