Dugout Discussion

Flores back in the Watford hot seat as Ceballos and Ozil return for Arsenal

The penultimate match of Gameweek 5 sees Watford take on Arsenal at Vicarage Road. Kick-off is at 16:30 BST.

This is returning head coach Quique Sanchez Flores’ first Watford match in charge since departing the Hornets at the end of the 2015/16 season.

Flores has made three changes to the starting XI that drew 1-1 at Newcastle a fortnight ago, with Jose Holebas (£4.8m), Gerard Deulofeu (£6.2m) and the fit-again Etienne Capoue (£4.9m) replacing Daryl Janmaat (£4.4m), the injured Craig Cathcart (£4.4m) and Roberto Pereyra (£5.8m).

The release of the teamsheet had the Hornets lining up in a 4-2-3-1, a formation Flores had favoured on and off during his managerial career.

Andre Gray (£5.9m) leads the line, with Ismaila Sarr (£6.4m) among the substitutes.

There is no place in the matchday squad for Danny Welbeck (£6.0m), however.

Unai Emery has made two changes to the side that rescued a point in the north London derby.

The injured Alexandre Lacazette (£9.4m) is replaced by Mesut Ozil (£7.3m), while Dani Ceballos (£5.7m) returns to the side in place of Lucas Torreira (£4.9m).

The Gunners may well be playing in a 4-4-2 diamond, given the number of central midfielders in the starting XI.

This corresponding fixture last season saw the Gunners keep their only clean sheet of 2018/19.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (£11.0m) scored the only goal of that match.

The Gabon international is the sixth most-popular captaincy choice of Gameweek 5.

Aubameyang starts up front with Nicolas Pepe (£9.4m) this afternoon.

Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Dawson, Kabasele, Holebas, Doucoure, Capoue, Hughes, Cleverley, Deulofeu, Gray.

Arsenal XI: Leno, Maitland-Niles, Sokratis, Luiz, Kolasinac, Ceballos, Guendouzi, Xhaka, Ozil, Aubameyang, Pepe.

1,887 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Egg noodle
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Is Tomori nailed on?

    1. Hazz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      No. Not yet, but is making a case for himself for sure.

      Eyes on him after Liverpool.

      1. Amey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Can be a bargain 😮

        1. Hazz
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Hopefully Kante is back soon & Rudiger isn't too badly injured (again).

          Annoyingly it will be Rudiger partnered with either one of Tomori, Christensen or Zouma. Likely 4 ATB mostly. Nice to see we can adapt to 5 ATB, but may have just been to match Wolves.

          1. Amey
            • 5 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            That's what i thought tbh.
            Can be tactical.
            Took the goal brilliantly though.

  2. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    my word Luiz, the funniest thing Chelsea have done in years is cursing Arsenal with Luiz

  3. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Leno to save this

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Dart board.

  4. Astonvanilla
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Is aurier a viable route into spurs def?

    1. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      In principle yes, but you never know in the long term.

  5. BrutalLogiC
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    how much has Luiz racked up in transfer values...?

  6. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Bunch of Muppets! Jeees!

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Bet on Arsenal?

      1. THE SHEEP HUNTERS
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        😆

  7. Mr Peanutbutter
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    is that luiz's 3rd foul in the box this season?

  8. Wild Rover
    • 13 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Justice, minimum Watford deserve

  9. diesel001
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    2-2

  10. Rainer
    • 7 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Cojones!!

    Get the winner now 😀

  11. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Mustafi was a lot better than luiz

  12. Hazz
    • Fantasy Football Scout Member
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Oh Arsenal.

  13. Twisted Saltergater
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Arsenal are beyond niaive

  14. Tsparkes10
    • 5 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Pererya looking like a great option. Assist and goal.. 10 points?

    1. Dannyb
      • 6 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Wont play Arsenal every week.

    2. JonBoy
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Digne-to-Pereyra wagon.

  15. Deulofail
    • 8 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    I must be crazy. That looks like a clear and obvious error. No pen

    Maybe just the resolution on this stream though haha

    1. Rainer
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Crazy, but we already knew that 🙂

      1. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        🙂

    2. Gudjohnsen
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Clear pen

    3. Brosstan
      • 9 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Seemed a pen to me.

    4. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      What? Luiz clearly tripped him in the box.

      1. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        He’s so lazy!

        1. Rainer
          • 7 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Luiz with his defending, not Deulo.

          1. Deulofail
            • 8 Years
            4 years, 6 months ago

            Me too though

      2. Deulofail
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Looked like he just jumped, expecting contact, on my screen

    5. Debauchy
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Was a pen mate

  16. Nightcrawler
    • 4 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Don't understand the point of var. That was a clear no pen

    1. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Outside the box?

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        No looked like a dive

        1. TorresMagic™
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • Has Moderation Rights
          • 14 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Time for glasses.

    2. Wild Rover
      • 13 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Poor quality trolling

      1. Nightcrawler
        • 4 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        It's an opinion

        1. Wild Rover
          • 13 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          You stated it as a fact

  17. schwing
    • 14 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    Sterling out - Pererya in! LOL

  18. SkeletONv01
    • 6 Years
    4 years, 6 months ago

    LOL @ City, lost to Norwich, should have played Cantwell ^^

    1. Lionel Ronaldo
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Dial-up?

      1. SkeletONv01
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Hangover 😛

    2. Party time
        4 years, 6 months ago

        You live in Saturn?

      • Amey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Internet explorer

    3. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Delofeu has missed too many chances in this game

    4. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      so pleased for Watford 🙂

      1. Wild Rover
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Not over yet

    5. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Oh Delu fail. So close yet so far.

    6. onceuponatyne
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 10 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      M Kelly or Rico as def low-price fodder?

      1. RamaJama
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        They are equally not nailed

      2. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Kelly is injured. Rico isn't nailed. Answer is still Lundstram although he also has fixtures.

        1. onceuponatyne
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 10 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Yeah, I have Lundstram - need another one! Greedy!

        2. RamaJama
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 11 Years
          4 years, 6 months ago

          Kelly only A knock, probably back next week, but not nailed

      3. Camzy
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 13 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Rico looks good. He's on set pieces too.

    7. FER FUSCH AKE
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Surely arsenal to score a third.

    8. Tsparkes10
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Watford start like this against city... You never know ahhaa

    9. diesel001
      • 7 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      You're seeing the worst of Auba now with no Lacazette. Laca is good at holding the ball up whereas Auba wants it in behind.

    10. pundit of punts
      • 11 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Best 2 defenders to own for 9.5m? Can't be Burnley.

      1. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Find a way to squeeze Kola & AMN in.

      2. pingissimus
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Rico and Lund and pocket the change 😉

      3. Lionel Ronaldo
        • 8 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        In the short term? Maitland and Lundstram
        In the long-term? Perhaps Aurier and Ward

    11. pingissimus
      • 5 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Odds on Chelsea and Arsenal getting more than 2 cs between them this season?

      1. Debauchy
        • 11 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Odds on any teams ?

      2. Amey
        • 5 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        Lol

    12. have you seen cyan
      • 4 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      this second half Watford have just dominated Arsenal, Arsenal have some serious problems..

      1. Rainer
        • 7 Years
        4 years, 6 months ago

        None existent midfield and that defence without protection...

    13. Deulofail
      • 8 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Double agent Luiz at it again 🙄

    14. TorresMagic™
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 14 Years
      4 years, 6 months ago

      Old manager bounce.