Manchester City vs Watford: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview

With the sharp memory of their first loss of the season likely to be still ringing in their ears, Manchester City will look to make no such mistakes again against Watford on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's side got back to winning ways in the Champions League in midweek, but their shock defeat at the hands of Norwich City last weekend will likely still be in the back of their minds.

Quique Sanchez Flores' visitors, however, will be keen to make it a second surprise result in as many games following their draw with Arsenal last Sunday, setting the stage at the Etihad Stadium for an intriguing clash.

TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!

In the United States (US), the game can be watched on NBCSN and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo. It can be streamed on the NBC Sports App.

In the UK, the match will not be broadcast or available for streaming due to it falling within the blackout period.

Squads & Team News

Pep Guardiola is missing the key trio of Leroy Sane, John Stones and Aymeric Laporte through injury, with the latter's absence having contributed significantly to Norwich's ability to expose City a week ago in their shock defeat.

In his place Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi start at centre-back, while Raheem Sterling has been rested for this one.

Also missing on Saturday is Oleksandr Zinchenko and he has been replaced by Benjamin Mendy, who starts his first league game of the season.

Phil Foden, is also unavailable due to illness.

Confirmed Manchester City starting XI : Ederson; Walker, Fernandinho, Otamendi, Mendy; De Bruyne, Rodri D. Silva; B. Silva, Mahrez, Aguero.

Quique Sanchez Flores remains without striker Troy Deeney, who is still sidelined with a knee injury, while Craig Cathcart is also expected to be out for a further week.

Isaac Success is also not anticipated to feature due to a groin issue that will keep him out for an unspecified period.

The Hornets have made two changes for Saturday's game, with Dimitri Foulquier coming in to start his first league match of the season, while Adrian Mariappa is also selected from the off. Christian Kabasele and Andre Gray have dropped out of the side.

Confirmed Watford starting XI: Foster; Foulquier, Dawson, Mariappa, Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Femenia, Cleverley, Hughes; Deulofeu.

Betting & Match Odds

Watford are massive 22/1 outsiders to win this match with  bet365 . Manchester City, meanwhile, are comfortable 1/12 favourites and even a draw is relatively long odds at 10/1.

Click here to see all of bet365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

Match Preview

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Back on their own turf for the first time in three games, Manchester City will be looking to ensure that the gap between them and Premier League leaders Liverpool doesn't grow any further when they welcome last-place Watford to the Etihad Stadium.

The Citizens found themselves stunned by top-flight new boys Norwich City last weekend, going down 3-2 at Carrow Road, which saw the Reds open a five-point gap on them at the summit.

The title holders, chasing a third title in a row under Pep Guardiola, will not be too worried yet, with a long way still to go across the season, and a midweek demoltion of Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League doing much to resume normal business.

Still, speculation has been swirling over the 48-year-old's future, with the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich man having not spent more than four years at one club during his managerial career.

With three complete campaigns under his belt in Manchester, Guardiola has refused to be drawn on whether he will still be at City this time next season, but he has backed his assistant Mikel Arteta to be his ultimate successor with the club.

"I'm pretty sure [he'll succeed me]. He will have success," he stated on the 37-year-old .

"Sooner or later it's going to happen [Arteta becoming a manager]. He's a young, young manager. He has experience already, handling big players and big teams.

"He's got an incredible work ethic. He has a special talent to analyse what happens and to find solutions."

Their latest visitors, however, will be unruffled by whatever talk there is over their opponent's future, instead keeping their focus tightly on taking points off another 'top-six' side and finding their first league win of the season this weekend.

Having come from behind to draw 2-2 with Arsenal a week ago, the Hornets will be determined to give a fine account of themselves as they look to move off the bottom of the table under manager Quique Sanchez Flores, who is back in the hot seat at Vicarage Road.

One issue for Watford so far this year is a lack of goals, with only four notched in the top flight across their opening five games, while record signing Ismaila Sarr is yet spark.

Despite that, Flores has called upon his side to help support the 21-year-old Senegal international , backing him to come good when he is needed to.

“Sarr is a really young player and we need to be patient with this player,” the coach stated .

“We need to give him support. He is really fast, with skills and is a modern forward. We have a big circle around him and we need to care about him."