Watford faced a test of their midweek home form against Preston North End in the Championship on Tuesday evening. The match, which kicked off at 19:45 BST, saw the Hornets aiming to improve on a return of just one point from their previous three league outings.
The statistical backdrop to the fixture included Watford's impressive record of just one loss in their past nine midweek home Championship games. That sole defeat was a 2-0 loss to Ipswich back in February of the previous season. Preston arrived having just ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Blackburn Rovers, collecting their first three points of the campaign.
Historical data presented a mixed picture for Watford against this opponent. The Hornets had managed only one win in their last eight Championship meetings with Preston, drawing five and losing two. Their most emphatic victory in this period was a 5-1 away triumph in December 2023. Recent visits from Preston to Vicarage Road had been tricky for the home side, with the Lilywhites unbeaten in their last four league trips to Watford, winning one and drawing three. This marked a significant shift from the period before that, where Preston had lost three of four visits.
The Preston manager, Paul Heckingbottom, carried a strong personal record into the contest. He was unbeaten in five previous league meetings with Watford, securing three wins and two draws. His only defeat to the Hornets came while in charge of Sheffield United, a 1-0 loss in August 2022. This historical edge for the visiting manager added an intriguing layer to the tactical battle.
The 2-1 win moves Watford up the Championship table. Their record now shows three wins, two draws, and two losses from seven games. The team has scored 8 goals and conceded 8, giving them a 0 goal difference.
However, they face a challenge with several players currently sidelined. The injury list includes Branimir Mlačić, Edoardo Bove, Jack Grieves, Jeremy Ngakia, Kwadwo Baah, and Marc Bola.
Attention now turns swiftly to the next fixture. Watford are scheduled to play at home again on Saturday, September 12th, against Stoke City. For Preston, the defeat meant they avoided losing each of their first three away games of a league season for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign.
