Quique Flores will take charge of his final match as manager of Watford when they welcome Sunderland to Vicarage Road on the final day of the season this weekend.

The visitors, meanwhile, arrive with Premier League survival once again guaranteed following back-to-back wins in their last two matches.

Watford

When Watford announced on Friday that they would part company with Flores at the end of the season, the news was greeted with confusion by most.

Reports had hinted at a possible departure, but the job done by Flores during his sole season in charge made it difficult to comprehend just why the board were considering a change.

When the Spaniard arrived at Vicarage Road last summer he was the club's fifth manager within 12 months, but there were no signs of an unsettled squad and within the first half of the campaign Watford had already set a new club record for Premier League points.

Flores will depart as the only manager to have ever kept Watford in the Premier League for a second season, and while he will not be there to oversee that, he has left a good platform for his successor to build on.

However, there is no getting away from the fact that the Hornets have suffered a slump in the second half of the campaign, with just four wins from their 20 league games since Christmas having been just one point off the top four heading into the festive period.

They have lost 12 of those matches, including seven of their last 10, while their tally of 29 points from their opening 18 games of the season is almost twice as many as they have picked up from the next 19 (15 points).

Even so, most Watford fans would have snapped your hand off if you had told them they would be 10 points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final day, and they could still finish as high as 11th in the table.

That would require a final-day win over the Black Cats, though, and they have only won one of their last six league outings in front of their own fans, with that coming against rock-bottom Aston Villa in their most recent game at Vicarage Road.

Back-to-back home league wins for the first time since December would be a good way to sign off for Flores, but having steered the club to an FA Cup semi-final as well as safety, his short reign is sure to be fondly remembered by Watford fans whatever happens on Sunday.

Recent form: DWLWLL
Recent form (all competitions): WLLWLL

Sunderland

The greatest of escape artists have done it again this season, and Sunderland can go into Sunday's final match without anything riding on the result.

The Black Cats are now guaranteed to finish 17th in the table having repeated their formula from recent seasons with a late upturn in form taking them to safety.

Sam Allardyce follows in the footsteps of Paolo Di Canio, Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat in pulling it off, and Sunderland fans will now be hoping that the current boss is better equipped than his predecessors to break the recent managerial merry-go-round at the Stadium of Light.

Allardyce's past record suggests that will be the case, and considering Sunderland have spent 237 days in the relegation zone this season, there is an argument to be made that this is the best escape job of the lot.

Only Southampton in 1998-99 (252 days) have ever spent longer in the Premier League's bottom three without being relegated, but a run of just one defeat in their last 10 games has seen Sunderland hold off the challenges of Newcastle United and Norwich City with a game to spare.

The Black Cats have picked up 11 points from the last 15 available, including back-to-back league wins for the first time since November to push them over the line.

A dramatic comeback victory over Chelsea last weekend breathed new life into their survival hopes as they climbed out of the drop zone, and Wednesday's 3-0 triumph over Everton saw them complete the job in their final home game of the campaign.

Another win on Sunday would see them make it three in a row in the Premier League for the first time in more than two years.

Sunderland have now scored more goals than any other side apart from the Toffees outside the top nine, and the same number as fifth-placed Manchester United, and they owe a big thank you to Jermain Defoe in particular, with the frontman's 15 league strikes proving to be invaluable this term.

Allardyce's side have only failed to score in one of their last 14 away games in all competitions stretching back to October, although they have also only won one of their last seven on the road and three of 19 all season.

Recent form: LWDDWW

Team News

Watford have no new injury concerns heading into Sunday's match, although Flores will still be without Etienne Capoue (knee) and Valon Behrami (rib).

The Spaniard could name an unchanged side to the one that was beaten 4-2 by Norwich in midweek - a game which saw both Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney back on the scoresheet.

The latter now has as many goals in his last three league games (3) as he managed in his previous 16, while he has provided seven assists for Ighalo this season - no player has set up more goals for another in the league this term.

Sunderland, meanwhile, are expected to make sweeping changes to their side after Allardyce outlined his plan to field a number of youngsters on the final day.

The likes of Jordan Pickford, George Honeyman, Tommy Robson, Liam Agnew and Rees Greenwood could all be in line to feature in what is likely to be an experimental side.

Watford possible starting lineup:
Gomes; Nyom, Cathcart, Britos, Ake; Abdi, Suarez, Watson, Jurado; Ighalo, Deeney

Sunderland possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Yedlin, Kone, Kaboul, Robson; Greenwood, Cattermole, Kirchhoff, Honeyman, Khazri; Defoe

Head To Head

Sunderland were unbeaten in the previous six Premier League meetings between these two sides before welcoming Watford to the Stadium of Light in December.

However, the Hornets picked up their first victory over the Black Cats since 1999 courtesy of Ighalo's early strike - a goal that also saw Watford win three consecutive games for the first time ever in the Premier League.

Watford have only won one of their last eight home games against Sunderland, with that coming in January 1999 when they ran out 2-1 winners in the second tier.

We say: Watford 1-0 Sunderland

The form book points to a Sunderland win here, but with survival now in the bag and an inexperienced side in the pipeline for the visitors they are unlikely to hit their recent heights on Sunday. The Watford players will be keen to send Flores on his way with a win, and we are backing them to do just that.