Watford v Stoke City: unbeaten home start meets improving visitors in mid-table test | OneFootball

Watford host Stoke City in the Championship at Vicarage Road on Saturday, 12 September 2026, with the hosts aiming to extend an unbeaten home start and the visitors seeking a first away league win to climb the table.

Watford sit 12th on eight points, with Stoke City 16th on seven. Each won last season's home meeting in this fixture, Watford edging it 1-0 at Vicarage Road before Stoke City replied 3-1 at their place.

The Hornets have taken seven points from three home games, including a 2-1 win over Preston last time out at Vicarage Road. Stoke City have steadied with back-to-back wins over Norwich City and Charlton Athletic before a draw at Cardiff City, but they are yet to win away after defeats at Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Watford's options are thinned by injuries to Marc Bola, Jeremy Ngakia, Kwadwo Baah, Edoardo Bove, Jack Grieves and Branimir Mlačić. Stoke City list Ben Gibson, Aaron Cresswell, Sam Gallagher, Svante Ingelsson and Junior Tchamadeu among their absentees.

Stoke City have scored nine league goals, including three from outside the box, and kept two clean sheets, with Ethan Galbraith on three for the season. The Hornets have six goals, two of them headers, and a steady supply from wide areas, so crosses could trouble Stoke City's defence, while long-range efforts from the visitors may test the Hornets, who have scored only from inside the box.

A win would lift the Hornets to 11 points and could move them into the top half. Victory for Stoke City would take them to 10 points and may pull them further away from the early relegation picture.