Match Pack: Watford vs Saints
The Sky Bet Championship season gets under way this weekend, with Southampton heading to Watford on Sunday afternoon looking for the perfect start. Get clued up ahead of our first league outing of 2026/27 with our Match Pack…
THE MATCH
Watford vs Saints
Sky Bet Championship
Vicarage Road
Sunday 16th August, 1.30pm BST
THE OFFICIALS
Referee: Matt Donohue
Assistant Referees: Jacob Graham and Jonathan Block
Fourth Official: Sam Allison
THE KITS
For the first time Saints will be in their new away kit, inspired by the Solent, made up of ultra blue with light pink detailing and an iridescent club crest.
TICKETS
The season will begin with a sold out away end at Vicarage Road, with Saints being roared on by a full allocation of 2,313 in the away end.
LIVE COVERAGE
The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
Saints Play audio passes are available to supporters worldwide, priced at £5 for a month or £50 for a year.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Although the season officially started last weekend with the 2-0 win at Colchester in round one of the Carabao Cup, all eyes will be on Sunday's league opener in Hertfordshire.
Tonda Eckert's side head into the campaign still 21 games unbeaten in the Sky Bet Championship, and will be looking to carry momentum into the new campaign.
Starting on minus four points as a result of the sanctions imposed by the EFL, an opening day win will quickly move Saints towards parity ahead of back-to-back home games in the league.
After ending the 2025/26 season with an eight-game winless streak, the Hornets will equally be targeting a positive start to negate any lingering hangover from a disappointing conclusion.
New manager Alessio Dionisi will be keen to capitalise on home advantage to begin his tenure with victory.
TEAM NEWS
Watford: The Hornets will be without Jeremy Ngakia, who continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.
There will also be late judgement calls made on the likes of Kwadwo Baah and Rocco Vata, with Jack Grieves and Travis Akomeah stepping up their rehabs.
Saints: Caspar Jander is the only fitness question mark for Saints, with the German not featuring since the first pre-season friendly at Eastleigh in July.
Finn Azaz, who has been carrying a shin problem, came off the bench at Colchester last weekend and will be available for the Championship season opener.
THE MANAGERS
Alessio Dionisi: "Our first match of the Championship season will be against a good team. I am happy because I see that we have a lot of players that are motivated. That is important. We have worked together for eight weeks and now the moment has arrived.”
Tonda Eckert: “We are ready. I think the last game in the cup was important for us and we’ve had a whole week now leading up to the game. With us playing on Sunday, it’s given us an extra day to put some content into this week and the boys look good. I expect Sunday to be tough and we need to work hard to find a way into the game.”
ONES TO WATCH
Luca Kjerrumgaard: The Danish striker was the only Watford player to reach double figures for goals last season, notching 10 in his first season in English football.
With reinforcements lacking in the summer, Kjerrumgaard remains the Hornets' main attacking outlet heading into 2026/27 and will lead the line on Sunday afternoon.
Divin Mubama: Only arriving at the club on Tuesday, Mubama will be keen to make an impression after enjoying an impressive pre-season with Manchester City.
Registering two goals and an assist on City's tour of Asia, the striker will want to emulate his Stoke City debut on opening day last season where he scored in a 3-1 win over Derby County.
TOP PERFORMERS 2025/26
Watford
Goals:
Kjerrumgaard 10
Louza 7
Ince, Irankunda, Kayembe, Semedo, Doumbia, Maamma 4
Assists:
Louza 10
Irankunda 5
Ngakia 4
Saints
Goals:
Azaz, Stewart, Armstrong 11
Larin 9
Manning 8
Assists:
Scienza 10
Azaz, Fellows 8
Manning 7
FORM GUIDE
Watford
Crawley (h) CC: W 1-0 (Bola)
Fiorentina (h) PSF: L 0-1
Hansa Rostock (h) PSF: W 3-0 (Maamma, Nabizada, Chikovani)
Barnet (a) PSF: D 2-2 (Massiah-Edwards, Kjerrumgaard)
Boreham Wood (h) PSF: L 1-2 (Doumbia)
Saints
Colchester United (a) CC: W 2-0 (Larin, Akachukwu)
SC Preuẞen Münster (a) PSF: W 2-1 (Scienza, Dobbin)
SC Paderborn (a) PSF: L 1-2 (Dobbin)
Eintracht Braunschweig (a) PSF: W 1-0 (Downs)
Eastleigh (a) PSF: W 3-1 (Dobbin, Oyekunle, Akachukwu)
HEAD TO HEAD
Played: 93
Watford wins: 27
Draws: 25
Saints wins: 41
LAST FIVE MEETINGS
Feb 2026: Saints 1-0 Watford Championship (Larin)
Aug 2025: Watford 2-2 Saints Championship (Archer, Manning)
Apr 2024: Saints 3-2 Watford Championship (Smallbone, Adams, Downes)
Feb 2024: Saints 3-0 Watford FA Cup (Mara 2, Adams)
Jan 2024: Watford 1-1 Saints FA Cup (S Armstrong)
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