Preston North End FC vs Watford FC, Championship 2023-24 REGULAR SEASON

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Championship · 2023-24

Preston North End FC

1 – 5

Full Time

Watford FC

Sat 16 Dec 2023 · 15:00 UTC Deepdale HT 45' · FT 45'

Will Keane 27' 1–0

1–1 42' Vakoun Issouf Bayo

1–2 46' Matheus Martins

1–3 53' Edo Kayembe

1–4 71' Vakoun Issouf Bayo

1–5 77' Ismael Kone

Liam Millar 41' Y

Ben Whiteman 45' Y

Y 85' Jamal Lewis

Milutin Osmajic 90' Y

Overview

Match Preview

Preston North End FC vs Watford FC — Championship at Deepdale.

Preston North End FC 15 games · 8 pts (2026/27)
Watford FC 15 games · 15 pts (2026/27)

Match Details

Referee
Assistant 1
Assistant 2 Jonathan Hunt

Standings

#	Team	P	Pts
1	Birmingham City FC	15	29
2	Middlesbrough FC	15	29
3	Stoke City FC	15	29
4	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	15	28
5	West Bromwich Albion FC	15	28
6	Swansea City AFC	15	26
7	Southampton FC	15	24
8	Queens Park Rangers FC	15	24
9	West Ham United FC	15	23
10	Sheffield United FC	15	22
11	Portsmouth FC	15	22
12	Norwich City FC	15	21
13	Blackburn Rovers FC	15	21
14	Cardiff City FC	15	18
15	Wrexham AFC	15	18
16	Millwall FC	15	18
17	Bristol City FC	15	18
18	Bolton Wanderers FC	15	17
19	Charlton Athletic FC	15	17
20	Watford FC	15	15
21	Lincoln City FC	15	15
22	Burnley FC	15	10
23	Derby County FC	15	10
24	Preston North End FC	15	8

Head-to-Head

Preston North End FC 11 games · Avg 2.5 goals Watford FC

Last 5 meetings

2023-12-16 Preston North End FC 1–5 Watford FC 2023-03-04 Watford FC 0–0 Preston North End FC 2022-08-20 Preston North End FC 0–0 Watford FC 2021-02-16 Preston North End FC 0–1 Watford FC 2020-11-28 Watford FC 4–1 Preston North End FC

Recent Form

Preston North End FC

Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Result
16 Dec	Watford FC	H	1–5	L
12 Dec	Huddersfield Town AFC	A	3–1	W
09 Dec	Norwich City FC	A	0–0	D
01 Dec	Queens Park Rangers FC	H	0–2	L
28 Nov	Middlesbrough FC	A	0–4	L
25 Nov	Cardiff City FC	H	1–2	L

Watford FC

Date	Opponent	H/A	Score	Result
16 Dec	Preston North End FC	A	5–1	W
12 Dec	Ipswich Town FC	H	1–2	L
09 Dec	Southampton FC	H	1–1	D
02 Dec	Hull City AFC	A	2–1	W
28 Nov	Norwich City FC	H	3–2	W
25 Nov	Leicester City FC	A	0–2	L

Season Stats

Preston North End FC		Watford FC
#24	Position	#20
8	Points	15
15	Played	15
2 / 2 / 11	W / D / L	4 / 3 / 8
13	Scored	13
30	Conceded	23
-17	GD	-10
0.53	PPG	1.00
13%	Win %	27%

Key Stats

55% Both Teams to Score
H2H (11 games)

55% Over 2.5 Goals
H2H history

7% Clean Sheets
Preston North End FC this season

20% Clean Sheets
Watford FC this season

Preston North End FC are 24th (8 pts). Watford FC are 20th (15 pts).

Goal Timing (This Season)

Preston North End FC

0-15

4/3

16-30

2/3

31-45

2/6

46-60

1/3

61-75

–/4

76+

4/9

■ Scored ■ Conceded

Watford FC

0-15

3/4

16-30

3/4

31-45

–/6

46-60

2/3

61-75

1/2

76+

4/2

■ Scored ■ Conceded

Top Scorers (This Season)

Preston North End FC

Callum Lang	4 G
Jordan Thompson	1 G
Jusef Erabi	1 G

Watford FC

Amin Nabizada	3 G
Iker Bravo	1 G
Luca Kjerrumgaard	1 G

Events

Match Events

0' Both captains have shaken hands and the referee is ready. We are underway at Deepdale!
5' Spectators are craving for more action. Both teams play very cautiously. They need to put some more energy.
10' Alistair McCann is a natural and has been asked to do a very specific job for Preston North End FC tonight.
15' Watford FC come into this ranked in Array. They desperately need points to push themselves up the standings.
20' Watford FC are happy to let the opposition have the ball in their own half. The trap is set.
25' Denmark international Mileta Rajovic has been a key figure this campaign — 0 goals and 0 assists in the Array this season.
27' Assisted by Liam Millar with the perfectly-timed delivery and Will Keane makes no mistake. 1-0!
32' The 27-year-old Giorgi Chakvetadze has been sensational this season — 0 goals and 0 assists is a remarkable return.
37' A tactical chess match is unfolding here. The question is which manager blinks first.
41' Liam Millar is having his name booked by the referee on 41.
42' Vakoun Issouf Bayo has been a constant threat and now delivers with a goal on 42 minutes.
45' It’s gonna be a Yellow card for Ben Whiteman.
46' The Brazil Matheus Martins breaks the deadlock on 46 minutes. 1-2!
51' Preston North End FC are keeping things exceptionally tight at the back. It will take something special to break them down.
53' Clinical. Composed. Brilliant. Edo Kayembe makes it 1-3.
58' Fresh legs for Preston North End FC! Andrew Hughes comes on to replace Brad Potts.
59' Another substitution for Preston North End FC to replace Will Keane by Ched Evans on 59 minute.
64' Preston North End FC are enjoying more possession but struggling to find a way through a disciplined Watford FC backline.
67' Watford FC ring the changes. Matheus Martins has done his job and it is now time for Matthew Pollock to step up.
68' Ken Sema makes way for Mileta Rajovic at the 68 minute mark. A tactical switch from Watford FC.
71' Against the run of play, Vakoun Issouf Bayo has scored! This game has turned on its head.
76' Not even hints on scoring a goal over the last 76 minutes.
77' Ismael Kone doubles the advantage! 1-5 and this game is slipping away from the opposition.
80' The supporters are chanting for Rhys Healey. He replaces Vakoun Issouf Bayo on 80 minute.
82' Ismael Kone makes way for Giorgi Chakvetadze at the 82 minute mark. A tactical switch from Watford FC.
85' Jamal Lewis was booked on 85.
90' The referee does not hesitate — a Yellow card for Milutin Osmajic on 90 minutes.
The points are shared — Preston North End FC 1-5 Watford FC. Honours even.

Lineups

Preston North End FC Lineups

3-4-1-2

Starting XI

Bench

Coach Ryan Lowe

Watford FC Lineups

4-1-4-1

Starting XI

12
Ken Sema ↓ Mileta Rajovic 68'
26
Ben Hamer
8
Jake Livermore
4
Wesley Hoedt
6
Jamal Lewis
3
Francisco Sierralta
39
Edo Kayembe
19
Vakoun Issouf Bayo ↓ Rhys Healey 80'
24
Tom Dele-Bashiru ↓ Ryan Porteous 67'
37
Matheus Martins ↓ Matthew Pollock 67'
11
Ismael Kone ↓ Giorgi Chakvetadze 82'

Bench

Coach Valerien Ismael

H2H

H2H Top Scorers

Player	Goals
Milutin Osmajic	4
Joao Pedro	2
Edo Kayembe	2
Vakoun Issouf Bayo	2
Tom Barkhuizen	1
Nathaniel Chalobah	1
Rocco Vata	1
Troy Deeney	1

Head to Head

Preston North End FC Form

2023-12-16 Preston North End FC 1–5 Watford FC L 2023-12-12 Huddersfield Town AFC 1–3 Preston North End FC W 2023-12-09 Norwich City FC 0–0 Preston North End FC D 2023-12-01 Preston North End FC 0–2 Queens Park Rangers FC L 2023-11-28 Middlesbrough FC 4–0 Preston North End FC L 2023-11-25 Preston North End FC 1–2 Cardiff City FC L

Watford FC Form

2023-12-16 Preston North End FC 1–5 Watford FC W 2023-12-12 Watford FC 1–2 Ipswich Town FC L 2023-12-09 Watford FC 1–1 Southampton FC D 2023-12-02 Hull City AFC 1–2 Watford FC W 2023-11-28 Watford FC 3–2 Norwich City FC W 2023-11-25 Leicester City FC 2–0 Watford FC L

Predictions

Prediction accuracy

3 / 4

0.91 Preston North End FC xG

Expected Goals

Dixon-Coles · Bivariate Poisson · Neg. Binomial · Elo

1.99 Watford FC xG

I would bet for: Watford FC to win 55%

Match Result

✓ Correct

Preston North End FC20% Draw25% Watford FC55%

Actual: Watford FC win

Both Teams to Score

✓ Correct

Yes52% 0% No48%

Avg goals/match: 2.9

Actual: Yes — both scored

Over / Under Goals

✓ O/U 2.5

Line	Over	Under
± 0.5	93%	7%
± 1.5	78%	22%
± 2.5	54%	46%
± 3.5	33%	67%
± 4.5	17%	83%

Double Chance

Preston North End FC or Draw

45%

Draw or Watford FC

80%

Preston North End FC or Watford FC

75%

Half-Time Result

✗ Wrong

Preston North End FC14% Draw43% Watford FC43%

Actual: Draw at HT

Correct Score

✗ 1–5 not predicted

1 – 5

Actual

1 – 1

10.8%

0 – 2

10.8%

0 – 1

10.4%

1 – 2

9.5%

0 – 0

7.3%

0 – 3

1 – 3

6.3%

2 – 1

4.3%

2 – 2

4.3%

1 – 0

4.2%

0 – 4

3.5%

1 – 4

3.2%

Asian Handicap — Preston North End FC

Handicap	Preston North End FC covers	Push	Watford FC covers
-2.5	1%	—	99%
-2	1%	4%	95%
-1.5	5%	—	95%
-1	5%	10%	85%
-0.5	15%	—	85%
+0.5	39%	—	61%
+1	39%	23%	38%
+1.5	62%	—	38%
+2	62%	19%	19%
+2.5	81%	—	19%

Clean Sheet

Preston North End FC keeps clean sheet

15% ✓

Watford FC keeps clean sheet

41% ✓

Predictions are statistical estimates based on season form, H2H history, and a Poisson model. Not financial advice.