Watford 0-3 Burnley: Three second-half goals punish bottom-placed hosts
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Chris Wood's goal helped Burnley to their first away win in seven attempts this season
Burnley strike partners Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes both scored second-half goals to secure three points at Vicarage Road and leave Watford at the bottom of the table.
In torrential rain, the Clarets soaked up all the pressure the Hornets had to offer before pouncing early in the second half when Wood hooked home a loose ball from a corner.
Barnes scored from the penalty spot with eight minutes left after VAR deemed Jose Holebas had fouled the Burnley forward.
James Tarkowski put the gloss on Burnley's victory late on, forcing home a rebound after his first effort had been well saved by Ben Foster.
Watford are yet to win at home in the Premier League this season and their lack of confidence in front of goal was summed up by another toothless display.
Sean Dyche's team had been equally poor on the road and showed limited ambition to contain their hosts for most of the 90 minutes.
However, in Wood and Barnes they have strikers on top form to make the difference in tight games, and this win pushes them up to sixth in a congested Premier League table.
Meanwhile, Watford are mired in relegation trouble after 11 successive home games without a win for the first time in their history.
Perfect away display for Burnley
Sean Dyche happy after 'hard-fought' win
Burnley had not won away from Turf Moor this season, and Sean Dyche's tactics in the first half seemed designed to stop their hosts from building any momentum.
Tarkowski and Ben Mee both ended up in referee Paul Tierney's book and their rugged defending kept the lively Gerard Deulofeu in check.
In the second half, Wood's clever finish with their first real shot on target gave them a platform they never looked like conceding.
Substitute Jay Rodriguez was unfortunate to see an opportunistic shot come back off the crossbar, but in the ensuing move Barnes was fouled by Holebas and the Burnley striker made no mistake from the penalty spot.
Ashley Barnes scored with his only shot on target
A two-goal lead was comfortable, but Tarkowski twisted the knife with his first goal since last December as the clock edged towards injury time.
Burnley already have the division's fourth best home record and, if they are addressing their away form, they may stick around the top six for a while longer.
Blunt Watford have pockets picked
Quique Sanchez Flores returned to manage Watford in September with a brief to arrest the malaise that had set in under his predecessor Javi Gracia.
Since the 8-0 drubbing at Manchester City two months ago, they appeared to have tightened up at the back with just five goals conceded in their last six games.
However, shorn of the suspended Christian Kabasele, and with Craig Dawson's head injury leading him to be substituted in the first half, their defence fell apart against Burnley.
The result might have been different had they found a cutting edge in a dominant first-half display.
Gerard Deulofeu flickered with menace, but his mercurial approach play failed to find an end product, and his day was summed up by a blistering shot in the final seconds that thundered against Nick Pope's crossbar and bounced away.
Gerard Deulofeu had three of Watford's four shots on target
Worryingly, the Hornets have scored a mere eight goals this season and will need their talismanic captain Troy Deeney, who played here for the first time since a knee operation in August, to return to his best if they are to find the goals to get them out of trouble.
Man of the match - James Tarkowski
James Tarkowski made the most clearances and blocks for Burnley before scoring the final goal
'We had to dig deep' - what they said
Clarets defeat hard to take - Quique Sanchez Flores
Quique Sanchez Flores: "We were playing well, controlled the play and had lots of chances. They didn't create anything and it was really hard for us when they scored with the first time they shot. Craig Dawson was leading the defensive line and losing him was difficult for us."
Sean Dyche: "In the first half we were miles off. We had a word at half-time and we set out in a different manner in the second half.
"I was surprised the penalty was not given in the first place but I think that is what VAR is for and they made the right decision."
Chris Wood: "It is important to get a win and we had to dig deep with a solid performance. Our defence has been top class and that's what we built the result on."
The stats - Watford's struggles continue
Watford have won just once in their last 17 Premier League games (W1 D6 L10), and once in nine games since Sanchez Flores returned to the club.
The Hornets have picked up just eight points from their 13 Premier League games this season - their lowest return at this stage of a top-flight season.
Burnley's 3-0 win is their joint-biggest away victory in the Premier League, alongside 4-1 v Hull in 2010 and 3-0 v West Ham in 2018.
Ashley Barnes has scored 15 Premier League goals in 2019 - more than any other Burnley player in 2019 (Chris Wood has 14).
Wood has scored six goals in his last six Premier League appearances, as many as he'd bagged in his previous 19 in the competition.
What's next?
Watford face a vital game against fellow strugglers Southampton at St Mary's next Saturday (17:30 GMT). Burnley return to Turf Moor to take on Crystal Palace earlier that day (15:00 GMT).