29th August 2026- Championship, Watford 1 West Ham United 1

Watford Observer: ‘Difficult but not impossible’ – Dionisi on how Watford can beat West Ham

Dionisi’s realistic tone tells the story ahead of West Ham visit

Watford Observer: MATCHDAY AS IT HAPPENED: Watford 1-1 West Ham United

Match Report: Watford extend unbeaten start to league season with 1-1 West Ham draw

Dionisi on Nabizada’s ‘moment’ and full of praise for Keben response

WATCH: Immediate reaction to Watford 1-1 West Ham United

Dionisi explains naming two goalkeepers on the bench against West Ham

BBC: Watford withstood huge second half pressure from West Ham to maintain their unbeaten start to the Championship season and keep the Hammers winless. The Hornets took the lead with a lovely solo effort from Amin Nabizada – his second goal of the new campaign.

Sky: It was a goal reminiscent of Gerard Deulofeu’s trick shot at Wembley in the Hornets’ FA Cup semi-final comeback against Wolves seven years ago, and West Ham were briefly rattled. But when the East-enders rattled the collection tin, Hornets defender Kevin Keben gave generously. Trying to shepherd the ball along the dead-ball line towards his own goal, Keben was robbed by Taty Castellanos and home skipper Mattie Pollock turned the ball into his own net from point-blank range.

BHappy: A crying shame, since for all the pressure that is to come, the visitors will register one shot on target of their own throughout the 90 – a piledriver from impressive teenage debutant centreback Airidas Golambeckis that Ravaglia is right behind. Which is to slightly underplay their threat.. there will be shots across the face of goal and saving tackles in there, details that “shots on target” kinda overlooks. Nonetheless, West Ham’s second half pressure isn’t so much banging on the door as wandering past it nonchalantly, trying to catch a glimpse of movement through the window, and asking the neighbour if anyone’s in. It’s difficult to argue with the take, voiced forcefully on the “Not the Top 20” podcast, that Nuno Espirito Santo isn’t perhaps the ideal choice of coach for a team destined to dominate possession and face a low block throughout the season.

Fran’s Watford Blog: When the fixtures came out, there was a lot of talk about how tough our start was. I don’t think any of us expected that we would have 5 points and be unbeaten after the first three games.

From the Rookery End: Watford remain unbeaten after a 1-1 draw with newly relegated West Ham — but should the Hornets have grabbed all three points? Jon, Jason, Charlie and DCW look back at a sold-out afternoon at Vicarage Road, from a superb Amin Nabizada finish to Kevin Keben’s choices that ended in an extraordinary own goal, and discuss the growing signs that Alessio Dionisi is building a team with a clear identity.