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17th October 2015- Premier League, Watford 0 Arsenal 3

Referee: Mike Jones
Attendance: 20,721

Arsenal produced a superb second-half display to defeat Watford and move into second place in the Premier League.

Arsenal caught Watford on the counter several times in the second half, and the Hornets fell behind just after the hour mark. Capoue went down on the edge of the Gunners box with Watford committed forward, but the referee was unmoved and Arsenal broke through Cazorla and Ozil.

Watford made Arsenal work for their win, but the Gunners had too much for the Hornets in the second half, and they reclaim second spot in the Premier League table.

Watford approached their four previous home games with such caution that a combined total of two goals were scored in what became a 360-minute improvised symphony of sterility. They played a different tune here and Vicarage Road duly witnessed more attacking action in the opening half-hour than in the previous two months combined. Aaron Ramsey, who clipped the bar after running on to Sánchez’s sublime chipped pass, came closest to scoring but the home side had their chances, with the previously deadeye Odion Ighalo, scorer of their last five Premier League goals, missing the most glaring after half an hour when he was played in by Ikechi Anya. But, having been so conservative against some less daunting opponents, this seemed like a dangerous occasion to start taking risks.

“Oh look, it’s Arsenal!” you think, in the same way you might if you passed, say, Dermot O’Leary in the street. Except I get the impression that Dermot O’Leary is a reasonably good egg who might not mind if you smiled and said hello*, whereas Arsenal have long since transcended those kind of everyday niceties and would undoubtedly consider any acknowledgement of your existence beneath them. They’re very much, you know, in the cloud. They’re a football club in the same way that U2 at Wembley is a rock’n’roll gig…that is, very much so or not at all, depending on your point of view. (Go on, have a guess.) Except that they aren’t U2, obviously. They’re some b-list stadium atrocity, overwrought and overblown. They’re Muse.

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17th October 2000- New Division One, Watford 0 Gillingham 0

BSAD imageI hate Gillingham. In an admiring sort of way.  They’re a pain in the arse, obviously. We haven’t beaten them since the invention of the combustion engine and, on last night’s evidence, we’ll have seen a few more inventions come and go before we beat them again. They know how to make themselves unpopular, that’s for sure.  Perhaps they’ve burst our bubble at an appropriate moment, though.

BSAD imageOn the subject of our forwards, Gifton on an off-night plays depressingly more like a Harlem Globetrotter than Michael Jordan; and with a wall of blue meanies facing them, even Tommy Smith back in a central role couldn’t jinx a way through.

http://watford.fcdb.info?s=32168&id=4416
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17th October 1966- Division Three, Peterborough United 2 Watford 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2640
Daily Telegraph, 18 Oct 1966

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1966-10-17
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-three/17-october-1966/
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17th October 1959- Division Four, Millwall 2 Watford 2

http://watford.fcdb.info?id=2282
Sunday Dispatch 18 oct 1959
Sunday People, 18 Oct 1959

Watford Observer match report

https://www.soccerbase.com/matches/results.sd?date=1959-10-17
https://www.11v11.com/league-tables/league-division-four/17-october-1959/

17th October 2026- Championship, Watford 2 Charlton Athletic 0

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi slams ‘fake news’ after sack claim

Alessio Dionisi unaware of Watford ownership frustrations

Mattie Pollock led Watford support of boss Alessio Dionisi

Gino Pozzo discusses everything Watford-related

Alessio Dionisi braced for ‘very strong’ Charlton Athletic mentality

Watford Observer: Matchday as it happened: Watford 2-0 Charlton Athletic: Hornets bounce back

Match report: Watford 2-0 Charlton Athletic – Hornets bounce back

‘Today, I drink’ – Alessio Dionisi celebrates Watford win

Sir Elton John hails bounce-back Watford triumph

BBC: Watford ended their run of four straight Championship defeats as goals from Luca Kjerrumgaard and Jordan Zemura gave them victory over Charlton Athletic.

Sky: Despite the mood of insurrection swirling around Pozzo on social media, protests against his 14-year ownership outside the ground before kick-off were limited.

13th October 2026- Championship, Cardiff City 5 Watford 1

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi calls for hard work to improve Watford’s form

Watford Observer: Matchday LIVE: Cardiff City 5-1 Watford: Kyprianou pulls one back

Match report: Cardiff City 5-1 Watford: No change, no response

Alessio Dionisi insists questions over Watford future are not for him

Alessio Dionisi set to stay as Watford head coach

BBC: Cardiff City thrashed Watford 5-1 as the Hornets’ worrying slump continued and prompted fans voicing their anger at the club’s ownership.

Sky: This was a fourth defeat in a row and the sixth in the last seven games. With Burnley continuing their revival with a draw at home against Charlton it meant Dionisi’s side slipped to 22nd in the table while the Bluebirds flew up to 18th.

Fran’s Watford Blog: A Cardiff fan before the game had said that both teams would probably lose, but it would be a goal fest as both defences were woeful. He was right on one point. It was another poor performance by the Hornets. I can accept being beaten by a team that is clearly much better than us, but that has not been the case in recent games. Moylan was clinical in front of goal, but the goals were all the result of lapses in concentration giving the ball away, or the failure of the defence to deal with balls into the box.

From the Rookery End: After two humiliating defeats, nine goals conceded and a remarkable few days that have seen Sir Elton John and former players speak out, Jon, Jason, David and Mike come together for a very different kind of Debrief. There’s anger and frustration, but also a deep sadness about what supporting Watford has become. Has the club reached a tipping point? Can the growing unrest among supporters bring about meaningful change? And what, if anything, can Gino Pozzo say to restore the trust that appears to have been lost?

10th October 2026- Championship, Watford 0 Burnley 4

Watford Observer: Alessio Dionisi confirms major Watford fitness boost ahead of Burnley clash

Alessio Dionisi excited for Watford’s Vicarage Road return against Burnley

Watford to pay tribute to Kevin Miller ahead of Burnley clash

Watford Observer: Matchday as it happened: Watford 0-4 Burnley

Match report: Watford suffer heavy home defeat against Burnley

“I’m sorry” – Alessio Dionisi issues apology after Burnley thrashing

Sir Elton John says he is “very upset” about recent Watford decline

BBC: Burnley thrashed Watford at Vicarage Road to secure a first league victory of the season and climb off the foot of the Championship.

Sky: When Stoke won 2-1 at Vicarage Road last month, it ended 251 days without a win on the road for the Potters. Here, Watford extended more charity to the Clarets, who ended 241 days without an away win comfortably.

Fran’s Watford Blog: Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for Kevin Miller who recently passed away at a tragically young age. It was impeccably observed.

From the Rookery End: A disastrous afternoon at Vicarage Road saw Watford fall to a 4–0 defeat against Burnley, leaving supporters with plenty of questions about where the Hornets go from here.

Following the game Troy Deeney made this comment on Instagram about the club’s current direction.

Watford Observer: Troy Deeney says ‘the writing is on the wall’ for Watford after Burnley thrashing

Troy Deeney issues Watford captaincy advice after Burnley loss

Sir Elton John then made a comment on Instagram that was widely reported.

BBC: Elton John ‘upset and disappointed’ with Watford form

Watford Observer: Sir Elton John says he is ‘very upset’ about recent Watford decline

The 1881 and Proud Hornets supporters group as well as the Watford Supporters Board released statements exprssing concern about the current direction of the club.

9th May 2013- Championship Playoff Semi-Final First Leg, Leicester City 1 Watford 0

https://watford.fcdb.info/index.php?page=matches

BBC: David Nugent’s first goal in 17 games gave Leicester a slender and deserved lead over Watford after an open Championship semi-final first leg.

BHappy:  Less than a fortnight after the last time, we’re back at the KP stadium and it’s an odd experience.  In so many ways, and despite our refusal to get all obsessive about replicating the components of the previous encounter in the name of fortune it’s like stepping back into a story that hadn’t stopped, walking back into a room where the same album had been playing on loop for a fortnight. From the way the wind howls around the ground to the impressive and imposing noise to the frantic edginess of the occasion.  If there’s a change in mood it’s a subtle one in the away end… we’re no longer the nothing-to-lose, let’s give this a go chancers;  we had a go, we almost made it despite extraordinary obstacles, but not quite.  We are battle hardened and slightly circumspect as a result… it’s intangible, but it’s real enough. If the welcome presence of Luther Blissett in the away end provides a fillip, there’s a something that veers between determination and fear which wasn’t here two weeks ago.

Daily Telegraph, 10 May 2013
Guardian, 10 May 2013
Independent, 10 May 2013
Evening Standard, 10 May 2013