Without a confirmed lineup, we paint the expected picture. Watford under any recent manager — think Xisco Muñoz or Rob Edwards — have favoured a 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1, with direct wingers and a target man. They’ll look to hit early crosses, feed off second balls, and turn the game into a scrap. Southampton, by contrast, have lived and died by the 4-2-2-2 or 4-3-3 press — a double pivot that snaps at ankles, full-backs who push high, and a front line that hunts in packs. The midfield dogfight will be the whole match. Watford’s engine room is functional, not flashy; Southampton’s is younger, quicker, and more technical. If the Saints can win the second balls in the middle third, they’ll knife through Watford’s back line with runners in the half-spaces. Set pieces? Watford have always been dangerous from dead balls — big centre-backs, a crowded box — but Southampton’s zonal marking has been their Achilles heel. Expect Watford to test that from every corner. The game state matters: if Southampton score first, they’ll drop into a low block and dare Watford to break them down — and that’s a task the Hornets have often failed at. If Watford score first, they’ll park the bus and hit on the counter, which plays right into Southampton’s hands because the Saints are built to dominate possession against a deep defence.