Match Pack: Watford v Birmingham City

• Watford v Birmingham City
• Sky Bet Championship
• Vicarage Road
• Tuesday March 14, 7.45pm KO
• Yellow and black home kit

• Referee: Darren England
• Assistant Referees: Derek Eaton and Steven Meredith
• Fourth Official: John Busby

Coming into the match off the back of a vital 2-0 victory over Rotherham United, John Eustace’s Birmingham City are now unbeaten in their last two matches and will be hoping to extend that record over Watford.

Eustace will be hoping his side can replicate their performance from August, when they last played the Hornets, during a 1-1 draw.

• Watford have won their last four home league games against Birmingham City, keeping a clean sheet in each victory.

• Birmingham have picked up just four points in their last nine league games against Watford (W1 D1 L7), with one of those coming in this season’s fixture, a 1-1 draw.

• Watford have lost one of their last eight home games in the Championship (W3 D4), and are unbeaten in their last five (W2 D3).

Chris Wilder’s side won’t include Hamza Choudhury, with the midfielder suspended for the encounter. Ismaïla Sarr should be involved, despite having been substituted against QPR at the weekend as an injury precaution.

For the Blues, former Hornets striker Troy Deeney remains sidelined alongside Dion Sanderson, though Krystian Bielik is expected to be back.

Chris Wilder, Watford Head Coach:

“I trust my eyes and what I saw on Saturday, so nothing really changes. We had a chat yesterday with the players and we have to move on quickly. It’s at that stage in the season where we can’t dwell. It was disappointing on the whole after an encouraging first three days, but we have to get ourselves going.

“[Birmingham City] will be looking for that consistency in their performances and results. They have had some wins and defeats, and it’s natural for where they are in the division.

“Even though we aren’t where we want to be, we are still a target and it’s a big game for everyone who comes to Vicarage Road. They are looking at a team steeped in Premier League history, that has some big-name players, and they will look to do what QPR did to us. We have to be ready for that challenge.”

John Eustace, Birmingham City Head Coach:

“Theres’s still a long way to go, and a lot of football to play. I think it’s important you don’t get carried away with anything, we take each game as it comes, we know what the Championship can be like.

“It’s important we keep working hard as a group and we stick together and we just take it from there. We have got really difficult games against Watford and QPR in the next two away games. We have got to see who is fit, who is available and take it from there.”

Overall:

Won: 22
Drawn: 10
Lost: 17

Last Six:

August 2022: Birmingham City 1-1 Watford (Championship)
March 2021: Watford 3-0 Birmingham City (Championship)
December 2020: Birmingham City 0-1 Watford (Championship)
April 2015: Watford 1-0 Birmingham City (Championship)
November 2014: Birmingham City 2-1 Watford (Championship)
February 2014: Watford 1-0 Birmingham City (Championship)

Goals from Ken Sema, Nathaniel Chalobah and Andre Gray gave Watford a deserved 3-0 victory in the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship fixture.