Burnley thrash Watford to claim their first win of the season

Burnley finally won their first match of the season, beating Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road. The result was also their first away win since February and lifted Nicky Hayen’s side off the bottom of the Championship, while Alessio Dionisi’s fifth defeat in six matches increased the pressure on the Watford head coach.

The game turned in the 13th minute, when Jacob Bruun Larsen swept in Reo Hatate’s pass to score his first goal in 39 appearances for the club. Burnley then scored three times in a 12-minute spell in the first half. Watford’s defence extended its run without a clean sheet to 29 weeks. The Clarets also ended a 241-day wait for an away victory.

Watford supporters made their anger clear, chanting for the board to be sacked and directing abuse at owner Gino Pozzo. Watford had only nine players at the final whistle when Moussa Sissoko and Edo Kayembe were dismissed in the sides’ previous meeting, 18 months earlier. This time, the contest was effectively decided before the half-hour mark.

Last month, Watford paid tribute to Kevin Miller, their former goalkeeper and two-time player of the season, who died aged 57. Before this match, executive chairman Scott Duxbury said on the club’s official podcast: “This year, no excuses: we’ve got to achieve our potential and have a successful season. I’m not setting any parameters at this stage, but we’ve got players here who demand it.”