Burnley end winless Championship start with 4-0 victory at Watford

Burnley secured their first Championship win of the season by beating Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday, October 10. Jacob Bruun Larsen, Zeki Amdouni, Reo Hatate and Marcus Edwards scored as Nicky Hayen’s team ended an eight-match wait for a league victory, according to Sky Sports’ match report.

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Bruun Larsen opened the scoring in the 13th minute. The Watford Observer, in a report carried by Yahoo Sports, described how Burnley retained the attacking opportunity after a challenge by Branimir Mlacic and worked the ball to the scorer. Six minutes later, Federico Ravaglia saved another Larsen effort, but Amdouni converted the rebound from close range.

Hatate added the third in the 25th minute, completing a burst of three goals in 12 minutes that put Burnley firmly in control before half-time. Edwards completed the scoring in the 87th minute. Sky Sports’ live commentary recorded his finish from Lucas Pires’ delivery following a corner, bringing the visitors’ total to four without reply.

The result also ended Burnley’s long wait for an away victory. The Guardian reported that they had gone 241 days without winning on the road, a sequence stretching back to February. The three points moved them off the bottom of the Championship, although they remained in the relegation places in 22nd with seven points from nine matches.

For Watford, the defeat was their fifth in six games under Alessio Dionisi. Their failure to keep Burnley out extended a run without a clean sheet to 29 weeks, according to The Guardian. The home side finished the day 20th on eight points, just one ahead of their opponents.

Dionisi apologised for the performance and said the match had effectively been lost within the opening half-hour. He nevertheless maintained his belief in the players and his work. He also defended withdrawing Iker Bravo after 35 minutes, a decision met with boos, explaining that he needed to change something but could not replace everyone.