Watford vs Newcastle United preview: Fabricio Coloccini to be tested at Vicarage Road against Premier League's surprise package

A look ahead to the FA Cup Third Round fixture at Vicarage Road.

Allan Nyom and Ayoze Perez compete for the ball (Getty Images)

It’s a big game for…

Fabricio Coloccini – Newcastle’s defensive record in the last three games leaves something to be desired, and the Italian was largely anonymous in the heart of the defence. He has won just a third of his attempted duels in that time, and needs to prove to Steve McClaren that his age (33) isn’t catching up with him.

Weird stat…

It took these two teams four games to find a winner last time they met in the FA Cup in 1989. The first three resulted in draws: only Glen Roeder’s own goal five minutes from the end of extra time in the fourth game prevented it becoming the longest FA Cup tie ever.

Remember when…

Ighalo was electric the last time these two met back in September. Skip to 1.16 here to see the first of his smartly taken goals, or 0.33 to see his signature piece of ball control, the ‘Iggy Chop’.

Player to watch…

Etienne Capoue has been a rock for Watford recently, making no defensive errors in the last 7 matches. With Ighalo experiencing a (hopefully) temporary dip in form, Capoue provides additional forward momentum, almost always choosing to pass the ball into attack.

Past three meetings…

Newcastle United 1 (Janmaat), Watford 2 (Ighalo 2)
Premier League, September 2015

Watford 1 (Hoskins), Newcastle United 2 (Coloccini, Carroll)
Championship, February 2010

Newcastle United 2 (Lovenkrands, Pancrate), Watford 0
Championship, December 2009

Form guide…

Watford: WWWDLL

Newcastle United: WWDLLL

Vital information…

KICK-OFF TIME: 3.00pm

TV: Highlights BBC1 at 10.25pm