Football

Watford triumphs over Burnley, wins match 1-0

Burnley were defeated 1-0 by Watford on Friday night, handing Vincent Kompany his first defeat as Clarets manager. Watford beat Burnley at Vicarage Road thanks to Tom Cleverley’s first-half goal, moving them to the top of the Championship.

watfordThe hosts won thanks to Tom Cleverley’s goal and while Burnley improved after the break and launched a late flurry following Hassane Kamara’s red card, they couldn’t produce a leveller.

Just before halftime, Joao Pedro’s wonderful touch set loose Ismaila Sarr, whose pull-back found Cleverley to side-foot into the bottom corner. As the Clarets improved after the half, Josh Brownhill was twice denied by superb saves from Hornets goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.

Hassane Kamara was sent a straight red card for dragging Vitinho back as he approached the penalty area, and Brownhill then headed the Brazilian’s cross against the bar, but Watford held on.

watfordRob Edwards’ team has started the season with two victories and a draw from their first three games, and while they might be overtaken by the end of the weekend, their position as league leaders is a remarkable start to the former Forest Green manager’s tenure.

Burnley struggled in the first 45 minutes but improved as the game progressed.
Josh Brownhill came near four times in the second half, hitting the bar late on, while Luke McNally blew a wonderful opportunity in extra time.

Both teams had made the identical start after being relegated from the Premier League, with 1-0 victory on the first day and a 1-1 tie on the second. Watford manager Rob Edwards may thank Austrian goalie Bachmann  for keeping his 100% Vicarage Road record intact. Burnley had 70% control in their first two games under Kompany, and they had the lion’s share of the ball again in a spirited start, but a poor pass from goalkeeper Arijanet Muric almost gifted Sarr an opening.

watfordWatford gave Hamza Choudhury his debut two days after signing him from Leicester, and things picked up during the mid-half drinks break. Cleverley’s 33rd birthday was commemorated by his first goal since January 2021, but his celebrations – and match – were cut short by a knee injury sustained while scoring.

kompanyKompany is sure that his squad will generate more chances  as they play together more frequently and begin to gel as a unit.

He stated: “In the first half they were better than us but in the second we could feel the tide was turning. To win games you have got to create chances.

“I think we have goals in the team but it will happen from players understanding each other better,” he said.”

The Burnley chief also remarked: “We had 13 players leave, that is the context. I don’t think they recognised many faces from when they played each other a few months ago.I think Josh will get a lot of goals this season, he is threatening,”

Watford’s performances under new manager Eddie Edwards may not be attractive, but they are undoubtedly effective, with the Hornets winning as many games (two) at Vicarage Road as they had in their previous 20.

The home team was forced to undertake a rear-guard battle for much of the game against Burnley, but they still came away with glory and the crucial three points.

watfordWatford fans have been through a lot at home in the last year, and their jubilant response after the final whistle underlined how happy they are to be witnessing a winning team, regardless of how those wins come about. Fans and managers alike will be satisfied with how their team overcame the absence of striker Emmanuel Dennis on their road to triumph.

Kajal S

Kajal S

kajal

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.