[BBC] Watford host Southampton on Sunday (13:30 BST) as they return to the Championship after their dramatic seasons last time out. The Hornets saw three different managers at Vicarage Road last season and they have a brand new one to introduce on the weekend as Alessio Dionisi makes his debut in the English Football League. While Saints will want to show they haven't been rattled following their expulsion from the play-offs after 'Spygate'.
Watford have won just one of their last 14 meetings with Southampton in all competitions (D6 L7); a 2-1 away win in the Premier League in March 2022 (D3 L3 since). Southampton are unbeaten in their last 10 away league games against Watford (W4 D6), drawing each of their previous two visits since a 1-0 win in the Premier League in October 2021. Watford lost their final five Championship games last season by an aggregate score of 1-16; the Hornets last lost six in a row outside the top-flight in February 1973 (9). Southampton ended last season unbeaten in their final 19 league games (W14 D5), only once previously have they gone 20+ league games unbeaten, doing so in February 2024 (22). Despite only playing 1,800 minutes in the Championship last season (excluding play-offs), only Radek Vítek (8.5) and Carl Rushworth (8.1) prevented more goals based on Opta's expected goals model than Southampton's Daniel Peretz (7.1), conceding 18 goals (excluding own goals) from an xGOT conceded total of 25.1. [BBC]