MATCH PREVIEW: WATFORD V BURNLEY

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Clarets take on the Hornets in Good Friday clash

2025-04-17T18:00:00.000Z

MATCH PREVIEW: WATFORD V BURNLEY

Clarets take on the Hornets in Good Friday clash

2025-04-17T18:00:00.000Z

Clarets take on the Hornets in Good Friday clash

Burnley travel to Vicarage Road on Friday afternoon, as the Clarets take on Watford in the Sky Bet Championship in the first of an Easter weekend double-header.

Scott Parker's men head to Hertfordshire in scintillating form on a 29 match unbeaten run in the league and currently occupying 2nd place in the Championship table.

Prior to the weekend's Easter fixtures, the Clarets sit five points ahead of 3rd place Sheffield United and behind leaders Leeds United on goal difference.

Watford, who are unbeaten in their last three home games, currently sit 11th in the Championship table and seven points off the play-off places.

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How to watch

The trip to Watford is sold out and there are no tickets available to buy anywhere online or at the ticket office.

The game is available to watch in the UK on Sky Sports+ and to find out the EFL rightsholders countries showing the game click here.

Live audio commentary will be available as usual via Clarets+ from 2:45pm on the day.

Full match highlights, goals and interviews will be available to view after the match on Clarets+ and across all social media channels.

Click here to view all our Clarets+ packages.

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The opposition

There's been plenty of ups and downs over the last ten years at Vicarage Road, with the Hornets relegated twice from the Premier League, promoted twice from the Championship and an FA Cup Final at Wembley in between.

Watford have played the majority of their football in the top-two tiers over the last 40 years, with eight of those in the Premier League, the most recent spell in the top-flight coming in the 2021/22 campaign.

After initially reaching the Premier League for the first time in 1999, the Hornets only spent a season there, before returning to the second tier.

The London side were back in the top-flight once again in 2006, but were again relegated the following season. However, after an eight-year absence with two failed play-off attempts, Watford were back in the Premier League in 2015.

A five-year spell in the top-flight came to an end in 2020, as the Hornets finished 19th and were back in the Championship, but only for a season, after winning promotion back up to the top-flight in 2021 at the first time of asking.

However, history repeated itself and a disappointing campaign followed, which saw the Hertfordshire side return to the second tier once again and the Hornets are yet to come close to a return to the Premier League, with 11th and 15th place finishes in the last two years.

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Last time we met

21/12/2024 - Burnley 2 - 1 Watford (Turf Moor)

Burnley: Trafford, Roberts (Egan 90+3), Egan-Riley, Esteve, Humphreys, Cullen, Laurent, Brownhill, Anthony, Hannibal (Koleosho 84), Flemming (Rodriguez 90+1)

Unused substitutes: Hladky, Worrall, Ekdal, Pires, Delcroix, Hountondji

Watford: Bachmann, Ngakia (Ebosele 59), Porteous, Pollock, Chakvetadze, Vata (Sierralta HT), Dwomoh (Kayembe 82), Sissoko, Bayo (Jebbison 71), Baah, Larouci (Andrews 60)

Unused substitutes: Bond, Ogbonna, Morris, Ince

Goals: Anthony 9’, Brownhill 62', Baah 80'

Attendance: 19,601 (893)

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What Scott Parker said

"It's no different for us, really. I think we're at the stage of the season where, for me there's probably three key things and one is belief, one's a clear focus and a real togetherness.

"Now this team, we believe in everything that we've built and we believe in everything that we do focus wise. We've been focussed throughout this year in terms of game after game and moments and probably the biggest thing for this group is sticking together and being together.

"That will be the key rider from now until the end of the season and that's been the key message throughout this year. They will still be the key things leading into the back end of the season."