Manchester United travel to Watford on Sunday (18 September), as the Red Devils look to secure their first win in three outings, following a horrendous run of results in all competitions. Jose Mourinho's men suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Feyenoord in their first group game of the Europa League and are likely to field a much changed side from their mid-week exertions.

Where to watch live

Kick-off s set for 12pm BST. Live coverage of the game will be available on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1 HD.

Overview

Watford started their campaign in disappointing fashion, picking up only a point from their opening three games, but have turned it around after a four-goal rout against West Ham, who have been the story of the league thus far, for all the wrong reasons. They lost narrowly to Chelsea owing to a last minute goal by Diego Costa and were well beaten by Arsenal, who emerged 3-1 winners at Vicarage Road.

New manager Walter Mazzarri believes that Watford can be the Leicester from last season and pull off a major upset in the league with the form they are currently in. Odeon Ighalo and Troy Deeney both scored last weekend and will be a handful against a United defence, which has not been too frugal off late.

United come into the fixture after an overwhelming 2-1 loss to arch rivals Manchester City last weekend, followed by a 1-0 loss to Feyenoord in midweek. Mourinho's men were second best in major parts of the Manchester derby, but will be aggrieved to have not received a penalty for Claudio Bravo's challenge on Wayne Rooney in the second half.

Paul Pogba has been the centre of discussion over the past week, with the Frenchman failing to stamp his mark on the pitch after a world record move to Old Trafford. The midfielder was paired alongside Marouane Fellaini against City, but the Portuguese manager is likely to change the set-up to give him more freedom.

Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba returned to Manchester United this summer in a world-record £89m deal four years after leaving on a free transfer to Juventus Getty

What managers say

Walter Mazzarri: "[On win over Mourinho] For me it wouldn't mean anything," he said. "For the fans and the club it would mean something because it would bring us three points closer to our objective. An experienced coach like me knows the Premier League does not finish this weekend, so we will take it to the next game. If we happen to win, after two days of being very happy it's up to me to tell the players they immediately need to concentrate on the next game."

Jose Mourinho: "I think the game on Sunday will be an independent game. It is a new event. It starts minute zero at 0-0 so I think it has nothing to do with the previous two matches. But obviously when you lose matches the mood, the feeling, is not the same. That's normal. But I think we are experienced players and the players are very good guys and I know they want to win and work, so that's what we have to do."

Betting odds (Betfair)

  • Watford win: 5
  • Draw: 29/10
  • Manchester United win: 4/7

Team news

Manchester United

Possible XI: De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw; Fellaini, Herrera, Pogba; Rashford, Ibrahimovic, Rooney.

Watford

Possible XI: Gomes; Cathcart, Britos, Prodl, Janmaat; Behrami, Capoue, Amrabat, Zuniga; Deeney, Ighalo.

Premier League Manchester United FC Watford FC