Match Pack: Watford v Sheffield Wednesday

• Watford v Sheffield Wednesday
• Sky Bet Championship
• Vicarage Road
• Saturday October 21, 3pm KO
• Yellow and black home kit

• Referee: Dean Whitestone
• Assistant Referees: Daniel Leach and Andrew Dallison
• Fourth Official: Sunny Singh Gill

It’s been a busy two-week break for Sheffield Wednesday, who appointed former Germany assistant coach Danny Röhl as their new manager, replacing ex-Watford boss Xisco Muñoz.

The task is a tough one as the Owls come into the encounter against the Hornets with no wins from their 11 Sky Bet Championship matches, meaning Röhl will be keen to hit the ground running at The Vic this Saturday.

• Watford have lost none of their last five league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W3 D2) since a 1-0 defeat back in December 2013.

• Sheffield Wednesday are winless in their last seven league games against Watford as a newly-promoted side (D2 L5), losing each of their last three such encounters.

• The Hornets kept a clean sheet in both league meetings against Sheffield Wednesday in 2020/21. They hadn’t done so in three successive league games against the Owls before.

For a full statistical breakdown, check out Stats Buzz: Sheffield Wednesday In Numbers.

For Watford, Ryan Andrews remains unavailable as he goes into his second match of a four-game suspension after The FA increased his ban by an additional fixture.

Elsewhere, the Hornets’ squad has a clean bill of health with Francisco Sierralta having recovered from a light muscle injury sustained last time out against Cardiff City.

For Sheffield Wednesday, Josh Windass and captain Barry Bannan could be involved after missing out on Wednesday’s last match before the international break.

Valérien Ismaël, Watford Head Coach:

“I know Danny Röhl’s name and his career so far. I think it’s clear to see that Sheffield Wednesday want to create an identity and a way to play and this is what we will face. For us, we take the games one by one and it’s a home game. We will play in front of our fans and we want to put in a performance from minute one with the intensity we need.

“It’s always difficult to prepare [against a new manager], but we have some information and we are prepared. We have an idea because it’s our job to be prepared. The most important thing though is our own performance and our own decisions. We have a big desire to get it right and do everything through the 90 minutes to bring our fans some happiness.”

Click HERE to see Ismaël’s full pre-match press conference.

Danny Röhl, Sheffield Wednesday Manager:

“We are looking forward to going to Watford to show what we can do on the pitch. I'm looking forward to it. It’s a big challenge but I hope we can take points there.

“I spoke about the dream becoming true and I'm really happy. We had a good start in the week and now we go to Watford.”

Overall:

Won: 23
Drawn: 11
Lost: 15

Last Six:

April 2021: Watford 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)
September 2020: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Watford (Championship)
May 2015: Watford 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)
October 2014: Sheffield Wednesday 0-3 Watford (Championship)
March 2014: Sheffield Wednesday 1-4 Watford (Championship)
December 2013: Watford 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday (Championship)

The Hornets’ most recent meeting with the Owls came in April 2021 when - at an empty Vicarage Road due to the pandemic - Watford secured their sixth successive victory with a 1-0 win.