Watford

A 2-1 win over Preston is a big result for Watford, according to head coach Alessio Dionisi.

The Hornets ended a four-match winless streak in the Championship as they came from behind at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night.

"I am very happy for my team, because it's a big, big result," Dionisi told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"The match wasn't easy. In the first half we played so-so but I understand and know the situation, it is not easy for my players at the moment."

Watford had lost their past two games without scoring which had already placed the Italian under pressure with the club having gone through three permanent appointments last season.

"Now it is important to stay together - the atmosphere was fantastic," he added.

"There was a lot of emotion and the reaction in the second half was perfect."

Watford are 11th in the Championship table and are at home to Stoke City on Saturday, 12 September (15:00 BST).

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Watford are hoping to end a run of just one point from their past three Championship games when they meet Preston North End on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

By contrast, Preston collected their first three points of the campaign and ended a four-game losing streak against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.

• Watford have won just one of their past eight Championship games against Preston (D5 L2), a 5-1 away victory in December 2023.

• Preston are unbeaten in four league visits to Watford (W1 D3), this after losing three of their previous four prior (D1).

• Watford have only lost one of their past nine midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home games in the Championship (W5 D3), a 2-0 defeat by Ipswich in February last season.

• Preston could lose each of their first three away games of a league season for the first time since 2018-19 (first five).

• Preston's Paul Heckingbottom is unbeaten in five league meetings with Watford (W3 D2) since a 1-0 defeat while in charge of Sheffield United in August 2022.

After a winning start to the season, Watford have failed to take victory in their past three Championship games and will be hoping to do at the Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 BST).

West Bromwich Albion are winless across their past two and will be seeking a win of their own to keep them in the upper half of the table.

• After their 3-0 win in April, West Brom are looking for back-to-back league victories over Watford for the first time since November 2007 (3 in a row).

• Watford have lost both of their last two away league games at West Brom, only losing three in a row at the Baggies once before (Oct 1983 to Dec 1985).

• West Brom are unbeaten in each of their last nine home league games (W3 D6), and could start a campaign unbeaten in three at home for the ninth time across their last 12 Championship seasons.

• Watford have won just one of their last 12 league games (D4 L7), a 2-1 victory over Southampton on MD1 this season.

• Only Wolves' Mateus Mané (24) has attempted more dribbles in the Championship so far this season than Watford duo Iker Bravo and Othmane Maamma (19 each).

Image source, Getty Images

Transfer deadline day is upon us and today is the final chance for your EFL club to finalise any business until January.

The transfer window closes at 23:00 BST, so we might have some late night scrambles to get deals over the line.

There has already been plenty of movement this summer and whether it's a busy or quiet day for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our EFL deadline day live text coverage throughout the day here

Get alerts and keep up to date with all the latest news, insight and fan views for your club

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Championship match between Watford and West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Watford fans

Melvyn: It is a reasonable start for a club that were supposedly destined for relegation. We still need defenders and probably a striker if we have any chance at all to do well this season.

Watman83: West Ham didn't look like a team ready for a return to the Prem.

Watford now has a good midfield this season with a solid looking defence. These new players have settled in and have made going to the matches enjoyable. This was my 12 year old daughter's first home game and she wants to come to another match! I hope the doubters about Watford are hopeful now.

Stan: It was a solid performance, shame about one poor lapse in concentration and they swoop up the chance. I think five points from three very tough games is a good start and the beginnings of a decent foundation.

Image source, Shutterstock

West Ham fans

Nicholas: Nobody plays 4-4-1-1 and scores enough goals. All the top Championship teams are playing 4-2-3-1 and scoring four or five. I know they had loads of possession but that's only because Watford sat back to get a draw. We need to improve quickly or we are not going back up.

Richard: One shot on target, experienced striker on the bench, unconvincing defence. Two home games to come, if we don't get at least four points from them, Nuno should be out of a job by the end of September. Something is wrong with the tactics and coaching.

R A: The whole balance of the team is wrong. Taty and Piroe don't fit together. Piroe needs to play with Orford and Musaka behind him. Nuno's tactics seem utterly mysterious to me.

Watford boss Alessio Dionisi told BBC Three Counties Radio he was pleased with his side's draw against West Ham United and discussed whether the club would be bringing in new recruits before the summer transfer window closes.

Watford are in talks to sign defender Jamaal Lascelles who is a free agent after leaving Leicester City at the end of last season. The Hornets are also interested in Tottenham defender Kota Takai. (Sky Sports), external

Find more of Friday's EFL gossip here.

It is 46 years since West Ham United last failed to win any of their opening three games of a Championship season.

Watford are unbeaten from their first two games with four points from a win over Southampton and a draw at Wrexham.

• Watford have won just two of their past 17 home league games against West Ham United (D4 L11), with those two victories representing the only two times that they have netted 2+ goals in a game during that run.

• West Ham United have won each of their past five league games against Watford, with four of those five matches witnessing the Hammers score 3+ goals.

• Watford have won four points in the Championship this season and Alessio Dionisi could be the first Hornets manager to win as many as seven points from his first three league matches since Rob Edwards in 2022-23 (7). Watford have had seven permanent managers between the two.

• West Ham United are winless in the Championship this season (D1 L1) and could open up a second-tier campaign without a win from their first three matches for the first time since 1980-81, a season in which they were crowned champions.

• West Ham United's Joel Piroe has scored five goals across his past four Championship appearances and has four goals across his past four league starts against Watford.

Watford midfielder Imran Louza is set to join Greek club Panathinaikos after the two clubs agreed a deal worth £6.8m for the 27-year-old Moroccan. (Sky Sports), external

For more EFL transfer news and rumours, read Thursday's full gossip column here.

We asked you for your thoughts after Watford succumbed to a 5-1 home loss to Peterborough United in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening.

Here is some of what you had to say:

David: If the manager wanted to make a point about the squad's weakness in depth, then he certainly made it tonight! However, a 5-1 home defeat by a lower division team is not the way to build confidence within the club and its fanbase.

Joel: I came tonight expecting a game of football. Instead, Watford have treated me to a live comedy masterclass in defending, with a bonus act from the ownership on how to build promotion-winning squad depth. In fairness, for the price of a match ticket, this was absolute bargain night of entertainment, but for my footballing sanity, we have to sign five defenders between now and the window closing or else our promising start to the league season will unravel, and fast!

Michael: Abysmal team tactics by the manager. A dismissive attitude towards the League Cup, saying that it is expendable, and a naive delusion that older players should be rested for the Championship campaign. In both cases - wrong.

Ron: I am all for bringing youngsters through but they need stability and support. A team performance like this could shatter confidence. In goal, Bachmann continues to palm saves into the path of anyone following up, not exactly a confidence boost for young defenders.

Paul: Don't blame the young lads, who put in a good display. Looks like we may have a few promising players. We need to blame the owners. Short of seven or eight first team players because they don't spend money. Give the coach the players he needs or sell up and leave.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Shutterstock

An actual headache has caused a defensive headache for Watford and puts more pressure on the club to go back into the transfer market before deadline day.

A nasty head clash between Omar Traore and Wrexham's George Thomason just before half time in Saturday's 1-1 draw now leaves the Hornets with just three senior defenders.

Traore's contribution before he came off injured was key. He provided the cross from which Luca Kjerrumgaard's headed the opener 13 minutes in, and won a number of challenges in a first half where Watford were more resolute in both defence and turning over the ball to the counter-attacking speed required under the style of play demanded by new manager Alessio Dionisi.

Traore — or someone of his level — was missed in the second half, as Wrexham got more time on the ball and crafted the better half-chances.

So, while the pre-match conversation may have been around Watford's attacking options in the Kjerrumgaard v Doumbia choice, the immediate challenge now lies at the other end of the pitch, and the transfer market may have to provide the solution.