Watford

Watford will be donning a special edition one-off kit for their home game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday (15:00 BST) - but can they find victory in it?

The Hornets have only managed one win out of their four opening league games (D2 L1) so far, but a busy end to their transfer window has seen the side bolster their defence and given fans room for optimism.

While key departures for Blackburn has drew criticism, with boss Valerien Ismael asking for "time" to settle and develop their new squad.

Time is something the Lancashire side have little of though if they are hoping to improve a lacklustre start to their Championship campaign (W1 L3) on the weekend.

• Watford have won five of their last eight home league games against Blackburn Rovers (D2 L1), including this exact fixture in October last season (1-0).

• Blackburn Rovers have won three of their last six league games against Watford (D1 L2) and could win successive league matches against the Hornets for the first time since October 2012.

• Watford have lost just two of their last nine league games at Vicarage Road (W4 D3), scoring in eight of those matches.

• Blackburn are looking to avoid losing four of their opening five league games of a campaign for the first time since 2016-17 in the Championship, a season that ended in them being relegated to League One.

• Teenager Nestory Irankunda has been involved in a goal in all three of his league starts for Watford this season (2 goals, 1 assist), with both goals coming from direct free kicks.

After an already busy summer transfer window, Watford closed it out on transfer deadline day by signing three more players.

Winger Nikoloz Chikovani and right-back Jeremy Petris arrived for undisclosed fees, while centre-back Formose Mendy signed on a season-long loan.

Lorient defender Mendy is someone BBC 3CR's Geoff Doyle believes will slot straight into the first-team picture with the club possessing depth in the position.

"[Mendy is] likely to be almost number one choice at centre-back. The way Kevin Keben's been playing, he's [now] almost second choice," Doyle said.

"[James] Abankwah hasn't done much wrong, [Mattie] Pollock's coming back from injury plus [Max] Alleyne, who is the back-up. That's five really quite useful ones so Watford at centre-back have plenty of choice."

Another defensive addition comes in the form of Petris who signed from Royal Charleroi in Belgium.

"[He has] plenty of pace, aggressive, pretty tall and [fits] this profile of a Watford side that is physically big and strong and tall," Doyle added.

On Chikovani, a Georgia Under-19 international who signed from Dinamo Tbilisi, Doyle added: "This is one for the future. [Watford] will loan him out at some point."

Doyle believes the final Watford squad for the 2025-26 season shows potential and is one that fans can be optimistic about.

"Watford have got plenty of depth now, plenty of talent. They've got the experienced ones in there so all pretty positive.

"It's a much much better squad so people can be optimistic. Just that number nine position is the worry, otherwise they can give it a right go this year."

Listen to the full analysis and more Watford on Sounds.

Watford forward Nestory Irankunda is clearly enjoying life in the Championship, having scored another jaw-dropping free-kick, external in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Southampton.

That effort followed a high-quality set-piece strike, external to open the scoring in the 1-1 draw at Swansea City the week before.

But for 19-year-old Irankunda, it was just another day in the office.

"I've done it before and I'm very happy to get the goal," he told BBC Radio 3CR., external

"It's about the confidence to be able to step up for the team and be able to do it in the moment.

"[It's] something I've worked on my whole career. I don't practise them as much as I used to but I've learned the technique."

Irankunda has been called up to the Australia squad ahead for September's internationals and is hoping to feature in the two upcoming friendlies against New Zealand.

"My main priority is to perform here and then build the confidence to hopefully go to the [2026] World Cup," he added.

Listen to the full interview with Nestory Irankunda here.

Joshua Adu-Donkor
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Rex Features

A really entertaining Championship game at Vicarage Road ended in a 2-2 draw courtesy of a stunning free-kick from Watford teenager Nestory Irankunda.

Supporters will be itching to see more of the Australian youngster after the international break.

He impressed throughout the game, especially in the second half, with great movement, skill and superb end product.

Irankunda now has two goals in successive league games.

After spells at Bayern Munich and Grasshoppers before joining The Hornets in the summer he comes into the league with high potential and excitement.

Irankunda can be one of the players to watch in the Championship this season, for sure, if he can continue this form for sure.

Image source, Rex Features

Watford are considering bids for defender Ryan Andrews as the summer transfer window nears its end, but no club has yet met their valuation.

Assistant sporting director Valon Behrami has also indicated that midfielders Tom Dele-Bashiru and Tom Ince could also be leaving Vicarage Road.

Andrews, 21, has made 86 league appearances for The Hornets, the most recent against Swansea City last Saturday when he was sent on as a 78th-minute substitute.

"We've had a few offers for Andrews, for example, and it's something we will take in consideration," Behrami told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"It's not a priority to sell Ryan but if he is going to leave for a better opportunity, for sure we are going to find a replacement."

"At the moment, no [the offers haven't been big enough], but the situation can change."

He added: "Tom Dele-Bashiru and Ince, we are trying to look at something for them that is ideal, too."

Watford are at home to Southampton on Saturday.

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Watford team manager Gianmarco Ceresa has been been given a two-match touchline ban and fined £1,000 for verbally abusing a match official following their game against QPR on 16 August.

The 34-year-old, who has been at the club in various roles since 2017, admitted a Football Association misconduct charge.

The incident occurred in the tunnel area at the end of the match, which Watford won 2-1.

The Hornets continue their Championship campaign with a home fixture against Southampton on Saturday, which kicks off at 15:00 BST.

Watford and Southampton have both picked up four points from their opening three Championship matches ahead of their meeting at Vicarage Road on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Paulo Pezzolano's Hornets come into this one unbeaten in their past two Championship games, drawing 1-1 with Swansea City last weekend.

Saints saw their unbeaten start ended by a 2-1 home defeat to Stoke last Saturday, though Will Still's side picked up an impressive 3-0 win away to Norwich City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.

• Watford have won just two of their past 17 league games against Southampton (D7 L8), keeping just two clean sheets across that time.

• Southampton are unbeaten across their past nine away league games against Watford (W4 D5), this after a return of just one win across their prior 16 such clashes with the Hornets (D6 L9).

• Watford have won just two of their past 12 league games (D3 L7), though both of those victories have come at Vicarage Road, including their last fixture on home soil against QPR.

• Southampton have won just two of their past 25 away league games (D5 L18), failing to score in two of their last three on the road.

• Southampton have averaged the largest share of possession so far in the 2025-26 Championship (64.0%), however the Saints have faced more shots via fast breaks than any other team so far this season (6), half of which came against Stoke last time out.

Watford are the latest club to be linked with a move for Ipswich Town defender Luke Woolfenden, 26, with Coventry City and Stoke City also interested. (TWTD), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Watford have agreed a deal to sign Senegal international defensive midfielder Nampalys Mendy, 33, after his departure from Lens. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Wednesday's gossip column here.

Australian Nestory Irankunda said his first goal for Watford might not have happened if team-mate Imran Louza had not been suspended.

The 19-year-old signing from Bayern Munich put the Hornets ahead with a brilliant free-kick in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Swansea City.

"I told the boys I felt confident taking it - but if Imran was there, I wouldn't have taken it, for sure," he told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"I've scored two free-kicks before this one and it's just something I've worked on throughout my four years of playing professional football."

Irankunda had to go off in the second half with a dead leg but it is not thought to be serious and he said he had worked hard after joining the club last month to ensure he was "up to speed" with the Championship.

"It's how I expected it to be. I came in a bit late for pre-season but I still put in the work to be able to play at the level and I think I've shown that in my first three or four games," he added.

"The Championship is a better league and I feel I've got more time to be on the ball because of the position I've been playing.

"It's always been a dream of mine to play in England. I pushed for it and I'm just happy to be here."

Watford are next in action at home against Southampton on Saturday.

Watford are set to sign 18-year-old Georgia under-19 international forward Nikoloz Chikovani from Dinamo Tbilisi and send him out on loan. (Watford Observer, external)

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Watford boss Paulo Pezzolano admitted his side's energy levels may have dropped in the closing stages as they had to settle for a point at Swansea.

Nestory Irankunda put The Hornets in front with a brilliant free-kick, but they were pegged back by Swansea's 82nd-minute equaliser.

"First half was really good, tactically and individually the players played really well," Pezzolano told BBC Three Counties Radio.

"We were very good for 65, 70 minutes and they couldn't find a way to harm us. Maybe in the last minutes we might have run out of energy a little bit, but the opponents also played a good game.

"The first half was very good, very solid. Maybe what leaves a bad taste in the mouth is that we cannot drop these types of points.

"Based on what we did in the first half and part of the second half, we should win this game."

Watford are at home to Southampton next Saturday in their final game before the international break.

Image source, Getty Images

Watford boss Paulo Pezzolano is determined not to let the absence of key player Imran Louza affect the team's performance as the midfielder serves out a three-match suspension.

Louza was sent off against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday following a challenge on Jonathan Varane. His ban begins when the Hornets visit Swansea City on Saturday.

"We know the quality that Imran has, he's an important player for the team," Pezzolano told the club website, external.

"But we will try and play our game the same as always. We have other team-mates who can do a really good job in that position."

The Swans have a decent run of home form behind them having won six of their past eight games at the Swansea.com Stadium, and Pezzolano is aware of the threats his men will face.

"We know Swansea is a very intense team, and a team which is very strong at home. The most important thing for us is to be fully committed," said Pezzolano.

Defender James Abankwah said the Hornets are prepared for a high-intensity clash on Saturday.

"We are expecting them to come out flying," he said.

"Obviously, they are playing at home, and they will press a lot.

"We know what we have got ahead of us. It's not going to be an easy game, but we'll be ready for the test."