Match Pack: Watford v Southampton

• Watford v Southampton
• Emirates FA Cup fourth round
• Vicarage Road
• Sunday January 28, 2pm KO
• Yellow and black home kit

• Referee: Tom Nield
• Assistant Referees: Mark Stevens & Robert Hyde
• Fourth Official: Rebecca Welch

Southampton have bounced back from an indifferent start following relegation from the Premier League to go on a record-breaking run which puts the side in contention for an immediate return to the top flight from the Sky Bet Championship.

Four straight defeats in September, including a 5-0 reverse away to Sunderland, started rumours of Russell Martin's job being at risk, but pressure was eased with a comprehensive 3-1 win at home to Leeds United which included three first-half goals.

Since then, the Saints have been on nothing short of a promotion charge. They haven't lost a game since the fourth in that run of defeats, and are currently on a club-record run of 21 games unbeaten.

They will be looking to make it to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the third successive season, and made it to this stage following a dominant 4-0 home win over League Two side Walsall.

• Southampton are unbeaten in their last nine league visits to Watford (W4 D5), including the 1-1 draw between the sides in December.

• The Saints are currently on the longest unbeaten run in their history, with their win against Swansea making it 21 games without defeat, one more than their run of 20 matches in 1921.

• Watford have won just one of the six FA Cup meetings between the two sides (D1 L4), with the visitors victorious in the last cup clash in the fourth round in 2018.

Emmanuel Dennis is available to make his second Watford debut after re-signing from Nottingham Forest on loan this week.

Ken Sema is also back in contention following a period on the sidelines due to injury.

Edo Kayembe is still unavailable as a result of the injury that ruled him out of AFCON, but there is hope he will re-join training in two weeks.

Jeremy Ngakia's long-term absence due to injury also continues.

Valérien Ismaël, Watford Head Coach:

We are facing a big team who are flying in the league. They have performed well, and have a great manager, and a great team.

The FA Cup is a big competition and we respect it. I see the game as another chance to win a game, and to stay in the rhythm.

Matt Gill, Southampton Assistant Manager:

We certainly want to win the game. There will be some changes, of course, and lots of the players deserve to play.

We’re going to need everyone between now and the end [of the season] anyway, so we need everybody to be as ready as they can be.

Overall:

Won: 27
Drawn: 23
Lost: 38

Last Six:

December 2023: Watford 1-1 Southampton (Sky Bet Championship)
March 2022: Southampton 1-2 Watford (Premier League)
October 2021: Watford 0-1 Southampton (Premier League)
June 2020: Watford 1-3 Southampton (Premier League)
November 2019: Southampton 2-1 Watford (Premier League)
April 2019: Watford 1-1 Southampton (Premier League)

A late brace from Darius Henderson saw the Hornets take all three points in the Championship meeting in September 2007, despite Southampton assuming a 2-1 lead after Grzegorz Rasiak and Nathan Dyer struck following Danny Shittu's first-half strike.