Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his Manchester United side to Vicarage Road to face Watford in the first match after the November international break.
Following the latest two-week break in top-flight football there will be no more international football interruptions until March.
This will be biggest stretch of non-stop club games throughout the season, and there will be nowhere to hide for Solskjaer and his beleaguered players.
But the resumption of the Premier League will see the Norwegian travel to a ground where he has already had one of his most difficult days as manager of Manchester United.
No repeats of 2019
In the run up to Christmas in 2019, United had taken seven points from their last three Premier League games against Tottenham, Manchester City and Everton.
But on 22nd December 2019, Watford secured just their second win of the season at United’s expense.
The defeat left a dismal United side in eighth place and 24 points behind the league leaders Liverpool, who had a game in hand after 18 games played.
Nigel Pearson’s side were given a helping hand courtesy of David de Gea’s error for their opening goal, with the Spanish keeper allowing Ismaila Sarr’s mishit shot to slip through his arms and strike him in the face as it went into the net.
The Hornets were having a field day and after Aaron Wan-Bissaka scythed down Sarr, captain Troy Deeney doubled the hosts’ lead from the penalty spot.
Not even the introduction of Paul Pogba – returning after a near three-month absence – as a substitute could raise United’s level, who failed to register a shot on target until Watford were already two goals ahead.
The worrying thing is Solskjaer’s backline and midfield duo that day were de Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay and Fred.
The same seven that all started alongside one and other in last weekend’s chastening 2-0 Manchester derby defeat at Old Trafford.
Only Norwich (8) have lost more Premier League games than Watford (7) so far this season and with big games to follow against Villarreal, Chelsea and Arsenal, Solskjaer cannot afford another lacklustre performance in Hertfordshire.
With the pressure surrounding his future continuing to mount, the Norwegian and his players can ill afford another slip up against Claudio Ranieri’s men.
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