Championship | Gameweek 34

Feb 23, 2025 at 12pm UK

Vicarage Road

Watford vs Luton

Match preview

After a sobering 15th-place finish in the Championship in the 2023-24 season, Watford are now on a mission to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2022, and Sunday's hosts sealed a vital win in the second tier last Saturday afternoon.

After a worrying run of six league games without a win, the Hornets were able to secure maximum points at the Riverside last time out when a first-half strike from former Tottenham Hotspur man Moussa Sissoko proved enough to secure victory.

Despite taking just four points from their last six games, Tom Cleverley's side still occupy a respectable ninth place in the Championship table ahead of this weekend's visit of Luton, four points behind Bristol City in the final play-off spot.

The Hornets sit seventh in the second tier in terms of home form, although Watford have struggled in front of their own supporters of late and will be desperate to avoid a sixth successive defeat at Vicarage Road on Sunday afternoon.

Despite facing the worst away side in the Championship at Kenilworth Road on Wednesday night, Luton Town failed to pick up their first win under Matt Bloomfield, highlighting the challenges facing the former Wycombe Wanderers boss in Bedfordshire this season.

After an uneventful opening period, the Hatters looked on course for a much-needed win when Jacob Brown came off the bench to open the scoring for the home side, but Maksym Talovierov's first goal in green restored parity for the travelling Pilgrims.

Winless in their last 11 games in the second tier - dating back to 20 December - Luton remain firmly rooted to the foot of the Championship table after 33 games, two points behind Ruben Selles' Hull City in the relative safety of 21st place.

With just one away win in 16 attempts in the Championship this season, only the aforementioned Plymouth have a better away record in the division than the Hatters, with their last away success coming at Millwall in September.

Recent Performance

Watford Championship form:LLLDLW

Luton Town Championship form:LLDLLD

Team News

Watford will be without first-choice goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann, who is expected to return from an ankle problem in April.

The Hornets will also be without striker Kwadwo Baah, who remains on the sidelines with a thigh problem.

Luton will be without a number of key defenders, including Tom Lockyer, Teden Mengi and Reece Burke, all of whom are struggling with fitness.

Former Manchester United forward Tahith Chong, who last featured for the Hatters on 6 January, is in the visitors' medical room ahead of Sunday's clash.

Possible starting lineup

Watford possible starting lineup:

Selvik; Andrews, Abankwah, Keben, Larouci; Louza, Dele-Bashiru, Ince, Kayembe, Chakvetadze; Vata

Luton Town possible starting lineup:

Kaminski; McGuinness, Naismith, Bell; Jones, Walsh, Nakamba, Aasgaard, Doughty; Nordas, Brown