Watford 2-1 Preston North End: Match Report

Watford came into the game off the back of a Carabao Cup first round home win over Crawley Town 1-0, a home SkyBet Championship win over Southampton 2-1, a 1-1 away draw at Wrexham, a midweek Carabao Cup second round defeat 1-5 at home to Peterborough United, a 1-1 home draw with West Ham United and two away losses against Swansea City 0-2 and West Bromwich Albion 0-1 last Saturday.

Preston North End came in off the back of a Carabao Cup first round home win over Huddersfield Town 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, then a 1-2 away loss to Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers, a 1-3 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Deepdale, a 0-4 Carabao Cup second round loss to Everton, a 0-1 away defeat at The Valley against Charlton Athletic and a 1-3 home defeat to Bristol City, before finally winning last time out 2-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Watford had won just one of their last eight Championship games against Preston North End (drawn five, lost two), a 5-1 away victory in December 2023 the last win for the Hornets. Preston North End were unbeaten in four league visits to Watford (won one, drawn three), after losing three of their previous four prior to that (drawn one). Watford had lost only one of their last nine midweek home games in the Championship (won five, drawn three), a 0-2 defeat to Ipswich Town in February last season. Preston North End could lose each of their first three away games of a league season for the first time since 2018-19 (first five). Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom was unbeaten in five league meetings with Watford (won three, drawn two) since a 0-1 defeat with Sheffield United in August 2022.

Watford manager Alessio Dionisi started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Federico Ravaglia in goal, then a back four of Kevin Keben, captain Mattie Pollock, Soumaila Coulibaly and Omar Traore, then two holding midfielders in Edo Kayembe and Hector Kyprianou, then three attacking midfielders in Amin Nabizada, Martin Payero and Rocco Vata with Mamadou Doumbia up front. Watford made six changes from the defeat at the Hawthorns on Saturday, with Albert Eames, Jordan Zemura, Edoardo Bove, Othmane Maamma, Iker Bravo and Luca Kjerrumgaard replaced by Soumaila Coulibaly, Rocco Vata, Mamadou Doumbia, Amin Nabizada, Omar Traore and Edo Kayembe.

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom started with a 5-3-2 formation with Daniel Iversen in goal, then a back five of Harry Clarke, Odeluga Offiah (a relative of the famous rugby league star Martin), Jordan Storey, captain Lewis Gibson and Andrija Vukcevic, then a three man midfield of Leo Leroy, Jordan Thompson and Alfie Devine with two up front in Callum Lang and Johnny Kenny. Preston North End made three changes from Saturday's win against Blackburn Rovers, with Andrija Vukcevic, Odeluga Offiah and Johnny Kenny coming in for Caleb Wiley, Stan Mills and Delano Burgzorg.

Watford kicked off the first half. Preston North End played with a different style to Watford so it was an interesting encounter. The visitors opened the scoring in the 5th minute as Callum Lang tapped the ball home after an initial shot by Jordan Thompson which was on target and which Federico Ravaglia tipped onto the post, the ball rebounding to Lang who put it into the net to make it 0-1.

After the opening goal, Preston North End steadied the play and forced Watford into opening up in search of an equaliser. In the 13th minute the visitors went close to a second when Alfie Devine shot over the crossbar from 15 yards out. Watford responded with an Omar Traore shot from 15 yards which went wide of the target in the 15th minute. Watford lacked belief and conviction going forward, especially after the two defeats on the road in the last two matches.

Watford forced a corner in the 18th minute after an Amin Nabizada right footed shot went out for a corner, but it came to nothing as goalkeeper Daniel Iversen gathered the ball easily. Then immediately on the counter attack Preston should have gone 2-0 up after a cross into the penalty area by Johnny Kenny found Callum Lang, but his right footed shot was well saved by Federico Ravaglia.

Alfie Devine, signed from Tottenham Hotspur, was influential in the middle of the park and had the better of Hector Kyprianou and Edo Kayembe. Preston's Andrija Vukcevic came forward with pace on the left flank and caused Watford problems. Johnny Kenny, the former Celtic striker, saw a right footed shot from 15 yards tipped away for another corner to the North Enders in the 28th minute, but Watford cleared the cross into the penalty area quickly.

Leo Leroy fired a right footed shot wide in the 29th minute as Preston appeared to be first to the ball all the time. Preston reacted quicker throughout the first half and deserved the lead. Rocco Vata fired a right footed shot high and wide from 22 yards out in the 38th minute. Watford looked second best in the first half and Preston North End's system caused Watford problems, so it was going to be an interesting half time chat by Alessio Dionisi as his side lacked ideas.

Preston North End led 1-0 at half time as the Watford players left the field with heads truly down. Preston North End kicked off the second half a goal to the good. Watford manager Alessio Dionisi made a triple substitution at half time with Amin Nabizada, Martin Payero and Rocco Vata replaced by Othmane Maamma, Iker Bravo and Stephy Mavididi.

Preston came forward through Harry Clarke and his scuffed right footed effort in the 58th minute was deflected off Soumaila Coulibaly and hit the post before Federico Ravaglia could gather the ball. It could easily have been 2-0 to the visitors. It was another mighty escape for the Hornets.

Watford fans got behind the team on the hour with strong support. Watford brought on Jordan Zemura for Omar Traore in the 61st minute. Preston wing back Andrija Vukcevic was yellow carded in the 62nd minute for a foul on Othmane Maamma. Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom then replaced Johnny Kenny and Andrija Vukcevic with Stanley Mills and Delano Burgzorg in the 66th minute, and captain Lewis Gibson was booked in the 67th.

Watford equalised in the 69th minute after good work down the left flank by the two substitutes Stephy Mavididi and Othmane Maamma, as they worked the ball into the penalty area where Edo Kayembe struck a left footed shot from inside the box into the net to make it 1-1.

Preston North End brought on Jusef Erabi and Liam Gibbs for Callum Lang and Leo Leroy in the 75th minute. Watford went ahead in the 76th minute as Mamadou Doumbia powered a close range header home from an assist by Iker Bravo to make it 2-1, a fabulous finish which sent the Hornets fans wild with joy.

Preston North End manager Paul Heckingbottom brought on Thierry Small for Alfie Devine, who faded after an hour. Watford's last substitution saw Luca Kjerrumgaard come on for Mamadou Doumbia in the 88th minute to a standing ovation after he won the game for the home side in style. Lewis Gibson appeared to pull up near the end but stayed on the field as all the substitutions had already been made.

Watford ended the night in 11th spot with 8 points whilst Preston North End were bottom on 3 points. Watford host Stoke City next Saturday at home whilst Preston North End host Lincoln City at Deepdale.