Six games into a young fledgling Premier League season, still yet to spread its wings and fly the nest, Manchester City were already airborne and sitting pretty at the top of the division.

One Champions League night at Celtic Park later, their first dropped points of the campaign, and the wheels were off. One top-flight win from five followed, and soon it was clear this would not be the same walk in the park for Pep Guardiola he has enjoyed in the past.

For a time it even seemed Manchester City might miss out on Champions League football for the first time since 2010, but even defeat today should be enough to keep them in the top four.

For all the riches at their disposal, if the Citizens were a car they would be a faltering gas guzzler rather than a dependable hatchback this year, and while the season as a whole hasn't been a disaster, it certainly hasn't been a success.

The form book

One defeat in 17 in the league, going back to a 4-0 battering at Everton in January, has sorted out Guardiola's side at last.

City have won each of their last three league games - each at home - but drew their last away match at relegated Middlesbrough. So hope for Watford?

Pep's pilgrims have shipped only two goals fewer than seventh-placed Everton, but are also fairly free-scoring - notching up 75, on par with Liverpool.

Team news

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Vincent Kompany is probably going to be fit - I know, a collector's item. John Stones may be alright to partner him at the back after recovering from a groin problem.

Ilkay Gundongan and Claudio Bravo, who have both been missing for some time, will not play again before next season. Fabian Delph will also be absent with a muscle injury.

Man to mark

You can't look beyond top scorer Sergio Aguero, who has five in his last eight, and 18 for the season.

It looked like this season might the the Argentine's last at the Etihad not so long ago, but an injury to Brazilian wonderkid Gabriel Jesus won him his place back in January.

Agile, quick, with a fine eye for goal and superb movement, 28-year-old Aguero will fancy himself to get Manchester City firing this afternoon.

The Watford connection

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Man City have won each of the last five meetings between the sides, but they did memorably get an almighty scare in the FA Cup thanks to first-half goals from Matej Vydra and Troy Deeney.

A 2-0 half-time lead was turned on its head by Aguero, who scored a spectacular hat-trick, while Aleksander Kolarov added a fourth to give the scoreline a far more comfortable feel than the reality had been.

You have to go back to the old Division One and April 1987 for Watford's last win, when they picked up a 2-1 victory at Maine Road.

What they've said

Pep Guardiola was in spiky form this week, admitting his annual performance review would have got him the sack either of his former clubs.

He also took a potshot at the Premier League, and declared today's game a final - with Champions League qualification at stake for the visitors.

He said: “It’s in our hands. Just look at we have to do, win the game against a team who at home over the season made a good result. 

“Every game is pressure, every game we play with everything. 

“It’s in our hands. It depends not on Arsenal or Liverpool. We have to go there and win the game.

“We are going to finish the season with 15 or 17 points behind the first and second in the league, the gap is big, so we have to work harder next season to reduce that gap."