Thompson, Jordan 
Matheus Martins 
Both Stoke City and Watford are looking to return to winning ways here as they meet at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday in round three of the Championship.
Key Takeaways
- Stoke lost 2-0 away to Ipswich Town last time out
- Watford also failed to win as they shared the points in a 0-0 draw against Plymouth
- The Hornets did the double over Stoke last term
Stoke and Watford had disappointing campaigns in 2022/23 as they both failed to mount a promotion push. Valérien Ismaël will feel like he has a greater chance at promotion this term with Watford, whilst Alex Neil is entering his second season in charge of the Potters.
Stoke City Form
An emphatic start to the season saw Stoke pick up a 4-1 win over Rotherham in their opener. A brace from Andre Vidigal and goals from Ki-Jana Hoever and Jacob Brown led them to the victory. They followed that up with a solid 2-1 win at home to West Brom in the EFL Cup.
However, their first away match of the campaign saw the Potters suffer a 2-0 defeat against newly-promoted Ipswich. Despite having more possession, Stoke failed to really test the Ipswich goal and registered just two shots on target. They will welcome a return back to the Bet365 stadium here.
Watford Form
It was a similar story for Watford in their first game of the season as they crushed Queens Park Rangers 4-0 at Vicarage Road. However, they have failed to win in any of their two matches since in all competitions.
A strong side failed to defeat League One Stevenage in the EFL Cup. Watford lost on penalties after the scores were level at 1-1 through regulation time. The Hornets failed to bounce back with a win last time out as well as they drew 0–0 at home to Championship new boys Plymouth.
Head-to-Head
Watford did the double over Stoke last term, winning both games to nil. They recorded a 2-0 win on their own turf before securing a vehement 4-0 triumph at the Bet365 Stadium. Stoke’s last win over Watford came in the EFL Cup in 2021 but they haven’t beaten them in league play since 2017.
Team News
Tyrese Campbell and Emre Tezgel have both been making good strides in their recoveries from injury but have yet to appear so far this term. This match will come too soon for both players as they attempt to return to general training next week. Lewis Baker remains out due to a long-term injury.
Midfielder Dan Gosling remains a long-term absentee for Watford. New signing Tom Ince is yet to make his debut since he has been nursing an injury of late. Jeremy Ngakia missed out against Plymouth last time out so he is a doubt.
Key Players
Ever-present centre-half Ben Wilmot will be expected to continue in the heart of the Stoke defence. He has two assists to his name after just two league games so far so he will be influential for the hosts.
Vakoun Bayo has scored two goals in three appearances so far this season for Watford so the Ivory Coast forward enters this one in good form. He also managed to get on the scoresheet in this fixture last season.
How to watch on TV or Online
The match between Stoke and Watford will not be available on TV or online in the UK.
Final Thoughts
Watford were pretty terrible away from home last season, whilst Stoke failed to fare well on their own turf. However, the Potters have had a solid start at the Bet365 Stadium this season. It will likely be a close match with not much separating the two sides.
EFL Cup