Preview: Watford vs Hull City - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to bounce back from consecutive defeats and move away from the bottom three in the Championship table, Watford will welcome Hull City to Vicarage Road on Saturday.

The hosts fell short away at Millwall on Monday, while the visitors managed their second league victory of the season last time out.

Match preview

Watford head into action at Vicarage Road on Saturday aiming to bounce back to winning ways in the Championship, having suffered consecutive losses in what has been a slow start to the season.

They turned to new manager Paulo Pezzolano over the summer after a 14th-placed finish last time around and have thus far managed just five points from the first six games of their fourth straight term back in England's second tier.

The Hornets' solitary league win thus far came at home to Queens Park Rangers in mid-August, and they would head into the first international break of the season on the back of a pair of draws.

Pezzolano's men have failed to put another point on the board in two attempts since their return from the break, firstly falling at home to Blackburn Rovers before visiting Millwall on Monday and leaving empty-handed as Camiel Neghli's early free kick made the only difference.

Now sitting 21st and only leading Derby County on goal difference and Sheffield Wednesday by one point, Watford will hope to get up and running for the season with a home win on Saturday.

Their visitors, meanwhile, travel south in search of a second straight victory after an impressive result on Saturday.

Hull City also began the 2025-26 season under new management following the summer appointment of Sergej Jakirovic, and they headed into the first international break with four points on the board from four games on the back of consecutive losses.

The Tigers marked their return with a creditable 2-2 draw away at Swansea City, thanks to John Egan's equaliser deep into injury time, before hosting newly-relegated Southampton last weekend and putting a second notch in their wins column.

Kyle Joseph had Jakirovic's side ahead at the interval, and John Lundstram and Oli McBurnie made it 3-0 in the second half before Adam Armstrong netted a 95th-minute consolation for the visitors.

With confidence to take from their last two results, albeit with only basement side Sheffield United having conceded more than the 12 goals they have allowed, Hull City will aim to take another scalp on Saturday and add three more points to their tally in a climb towards the top half.

Watford Championship form:

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Hull City Championship form:

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Team News

Watford will likely remain without Jeremy Ngakia, Pierre Dwomoh and key midfielder Giorgi Chakvetadze on Saturday due to ongoing injuries.

Pezzolano may make some changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Millwall on Monday, with goalkeeper Egil Selvik set to miss out after his half-time concussion-related withdrawal, while the Hornets may call back on the experience of Moussa Sissoko in midfield.

Nathan Baxter will deputise between the sticks if Selvik is not ready to feature, while Luca Kjerrumgaard, Kwadwo Baah and Rocco Vata will battle for attacking spots after featuring off the bench at The Den.

Sergej Jakirovic may have wished to field an unchanged Hull City starting XI from last week's win over Southampton, but Bachir Belloumi is a fresh injury concern after another setback in that game.

Attacker Kyle Joseph is another fresh doubt, while Harry Vaughan, Liam Millar, Eliot Matazo, Matt Crooks and Semi Ajayi remain confined to the treatment room.

John Egan and Charlie Hughes will continue their partnership at the back, while Oli McBurnie has impressed up front since his summer arrival, notching three goals and four assists in six Championship appearances.

Watford possible starting lineup:

Baxter; Alleyne, Keben, Pollock; F Mendy, Sissoko, Louza, Kyprianou, Bola; Irankunda, Kjerrumgaard

Hull City possible starting lineup:

Pandur; Coyle, Egan, Hughes, Giles; Hadziahmetovic, Lundstram; Akintola, Gelhardt, Joseph; McBurnie

We say: Watford 1-1 Hull City

Watford currently possess one of the Championship's weakest attacks, while the visitors have struggled at the back thus far, and we anticipate an intriguing affair at Vicarage Road.

With Hull City arriving in more encouraging form and the hosts still having the quality to hurt them, we see a share of the points as the most likely.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.