Old Trafford or Away Manchester City vs Watford Stats Show Key Trends
Okay so yesterday I was trying to figure out why Man City absolutely smashes Watford every single time, especially at their place. Seriously, look at the scores. It’s ridiculous. And everyone keeps going on about Old Trafford or Etihad or whatever, so I thought – let me actually dig into the numbers myself. No complicated stats software nonsense, just good ol’ pen and paper at my kitchen table.
Starting with the basic stuff
First thing I did was grab my laptop and pull up the last 5 games between these teams at Etihad. Wrote down the scores like this:
- 6-0 (2019)
- 8-0 (2019)
- 5-0 (2022)
- 4-1 (2018)
- 3-1 (2017)
Flipped the table right there. Twenty-six goals for City in just five home games? Two measly goals for Watford? That ain’t football – that’s target practice.
Getting into the nasty details
Next I looked deeper because just goals are boring. Checked three things:
- First half damage: City scored within 30 minutes in ALL those matches. Watford defenders might as well be traffic cones.
- Set-piece slaughter: 43% of City’s goals came from corners or free kicks. Their giants just bully Watford in the air.
- Watford choke: Their xG (expected goals) numbers? Total joke. Averaged 0.4 per away game. Might as well shoot from the parking lot.
The pattern nobody talks about
Here’s what actually surprised me – it ain’t just about possession or tactics. Every single time Watford lose possession near midfield, City counter like rabid wolves. Counted the counterattack goals across those matches: 9 of 26 came directly from Watford losing the ball stupidly in City’s half. They panic and just boot it anywhere.
So yeah, now I get why people groan when Watford visits Etihad. It’s basically ritual sacrifice. The stats don’t lie – Watford might as well forfeit next time. Maybe give their lads helmets or something.
