Watford keeper Ben Foster drops a corner but Jon Moss penalises Neal Maupay for breathing on him. Free out.

Huge chance for Everton early on.

Leeds gift them the ball and the home side work Anthony Gordon in. He has a chance to hit but dwells slightly, allowing Luke Ayling to get back and tackle.

This is Watford's first home game since appointing Roy Hodgson. No team have ever stayed up having lost 15 of their first 22 Premier League games.

Brighton win an early corner.

It's another important day for teams down near the bottom of the Premier League. The games at Brentford, Everton and Watford are under way.

Image source, Getty Images

Leon Osman
Former Everton midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

If Rafa Benítez was still in charge, I'd have said Everton needed to win these games [Newcastle last week and Leeds today] because I didn't see where they'd pick points up further down the line.

Goodison Park is a united place again; everybody is behind the manager and the team, nobody is getting frustrated that things aren't going well on the pitch. I can see Everton transforming into a difficult place to go.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport at Brentford Community Stadium

Wow, what an atmosphere as the Brentford fans get to see their new signing for the first time. The Danish midfielder is welcomed by the supporters after signing for them on a contract until the end of the season. It’s an amazing story!

Image source, BBC Sport

Scott McCarthy, We Are Brighton, external

The reaction to Dan Ashworth’s resignation as Brighton technical director has been met with a broad spectrum of emotions among Albion fans.

Some view it as an utter disaster. Others are angry that he has seemingly upped sticks at the first sign of more money from a 'rival Premier League club'.

And then there are those who are nonplussed by the whole business. Losing an employee as good as Ashworth is not great, but it is certainly not the end of the world.

Put me in the latter category. Ashworth’s job when he was appointed was to introduce a structure geared towards turning the Albion into a top 10 Premier League club.

In three years, he has revolutionised the academy to create a pathway for the likes of Ben White, Robert Sanchez and Steve Alzate to progress to first-team football.

He was instrumental in the appointment of Graham Potter and the subsequent overhaul of the Albion’s playing style from under 10s to first team.

And Brighton now have a scouting and recruitment network the envy of a lot of clubs. They find young players from across Europe with potential, sign them for knock-down fees, polish them into diamonds and then look to move them on for a profit.

All of that is bearing fruit three years after Ashworth’s arrival. The Albion look on course to finish in the top half this season - and even as Ashworth leaves, the framework he has introduced is in place and will stay.

That is why his departure need not be a disaster. He has done the job he was brought to the Amex to do. Now it is up to his successor to continue that.

What are your thoughts about the next steps for Brighton? Let us know

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton suffered a blow this week when Dan Ashworth resigned from his position as Brighton's technical director to "take a similar role at another Premier League club".

The club had previously given Ashworth permission to talk to Newcastle about their vacant director of football role.

Speaking about Ashworth's departure, chairman Tony Bloom said: "We are extremely disappointed that Dan will no longer be our technical director. He leaves a significant legacy in place and for that we are greatly appreciative."

Former Everton and Rangers player David Weir has become acting technical director with immediate effect, having recently been promoted to assistant technical director.

Image source, Getty Images

Graham Potter says Brighton need to concentrate on beating Watford on Saturday and not whether the club can secure European football next season.

The Seagulls have only lost four fixtures in the top flight so far this campaign - a record only bettered by Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea - and sit ninth in the table with games in hand on some teams above them.

"Our focus is on a very, very tough game at Watford, who are fighting for their lives and will be desperate for the points," said Potter. "So, it would be foolish for us to think of anything other than that.

"We have done quite well in terms of our points accumulation so far, which means we have got 30, but that's not enough for us.

"We have got a hungry group, an ambitious group, and rather than worry about what may happen in the middle of May, we worry about what will happen at the weekend."

Manchester United

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, speaking to MOTD: "History is repeating itself again. We started really well the first 20 minutes, got the goal and it just happened again. We know it's not good enough and it needs to change quickly.

"If we take our chances early in the game it's a different story. We know we need to get better. We can't over-think it. We want to get in the Champions League and it's not good enough and there's no way we will get in Champions League if we keep dropping points.

"The most important thing at the moment is results. It's about picking up the points and we need to be climbing the table."

Johnny Cantor
BBC Sussex commentator

The weather was glorious. So was the performance. Graham Potter stood in the technical area at Vicarage Road for his first game in charge. His family was in the crowd.

"It was a boiling hot day. I would take that performance and that result again no problem," Potter recalls.

"I thought this Premier League lark’s easy, eh! How wrong I was."

The 3-0 win was the perfect start to his tenure but Potter has had to endure plenty of challenges since that victory. Personal tragedy and a global pandemic have thrown obstacles in his way, but the Seagulls, in 9th with 30 points, have a huge opportunity to secure their highest finish in the top flight.

Potter admits there is work to be done and is aware he is yet to beat a team managed by Roy Hodgson. The pair both have gained notoriety as managers in Sweden, but Potter says Hodgson has god-like status in that country.

He does welcome back Leandro Trossard and Alexis Mac Allister, whose eight goals make up 35% of the Albion’s Premier League tally this season.

Forwards Ismaila Sarr and Emmanual Dennis are both available for Watford and will provide plenty for Potter to think about as he tries to emulate that victory back in 2019.

Mike Parkin, From The Rookery End, external

After just two games in charge, the effect Roy Hodgson has had is already plain to see. A battling point in dreadful conditions at Burnley was followed up with an organised and efficient showing at London Stadium, where we were unlucky to lose to a deflected shot.

The Hornets, bolstered by January signings (Hassane Kamara is already a firm terrace favourite) and Roy Hodgson’s approach, certainly look harder to beat - but the big question is whether he has enough time to turn things round quickly enough to keep us up.

Slightly worryingly, our attack continues to misfire after an encouraging first half of the season, so having worked wonders at the back, the manager will need to focus on integrating star forward Ismaila Sarr back into the squad. He’s been missing since we beat Manchester United (our last victory!) through injury and then Afcon. Hopefully his return, complete with winner's medal, can provide a much-needed boost up top.

There is a very real sense of frustration at the timing. If Roy and Ray had been brought in instead of Claudio Ranieri, it feels as though this season could have been very, very different. As it is, Hodgson has had a quick, clear and positive impact.

Whether it will be enough remains to be seen but, with games running out, optimism is fading.

Roy Hodgson says the Watford fans “have a big role to play” as he prepares for his first home game as Hornets boss against Brighton.

The 74-year-old has sat in the away dugout at Vicarage Road on many occasions and is looking forward to the backing of the home crowd.

“It’s very reassuring to know that here the home fans really back their team and are behind them,” he said. “The fans have a really big role to play.”

Hodgson also believes the supporters will see his Watford team are fully committed to trying to stay in the Premier League, but does not think home form is vital.

“It’s too easy to say home games will decide it as that might not be the case,” he said. “Supporters will be happy if we’re picking up the points away from home.

“But one thing they won’t be able to criticise is our level of effort or commitment in the next few months. Whether the players always play as well as we would like, the desire and wanting to do the job will be there.

“I think our supporters will have enough common sense to be patient with us and give us the backing we need to do the job.”

Image source, BBC Sport

• Watford haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last 16 home Premier League matches and conceding in this game will see them equal the record, standing at 17 matches and jointly-held by four teams: Sunderland (2003-05), Blackpool (2010-11), West Brom (2010-11) and Wolves (2011-12).
• Brighton have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games against promoted sides (won six, drawn six), keeping a clean sheet in each of their last five since a 1-0 loss at West Brom in February 2021.
• Watford have lost their last five home top flight matches, only having two longer home losing runs in their Football League history: a nine-game run between December 1971 and March 1972 and a six-game run between August and October 1990.
• Brighton have drawn 12 of their 22 Premier League matches so far this season, the joint-most by a side at this stage of a campaign, along with Ipswich Town in 1992-93. Their last six draws have all ended 1-1, with the Seagulls coming from behind to draw in each of those games.

Geoff Doyle
BBC Three Counties Radio sport

The numbers don’t look good for Watford - 15 points after 22 games is relegation form.

To stay up Watford are going to need something like 23 points from their 16 remaining games; six or seven wins. Considering they haven’t won in their past 10 and have picked up two points from a possible 30 this seems unlikely. But there is some hope.

In Roy Hodgson’s two matches in charge, they’ve only conceded one fortunate deflected goal. The Hornets are competitive, whereas before Hodgson this was not the case in many matches.

Admittedly, the style is pretty conservative where they’ve managed to suck the life out of the other team - but it’s worked defensively.

Of course, Watford now need to score goals. So Hodgson has to find the balance between keeping a tight shape and being more expansive in attack.

Much could depend on Ismaila Sarr. The Senegal Africa Cup of Nations winner is on his own at the top level in this Watford squad.

Joao Pedro could get there with his obvious talent and potential and Emmanuel Dennis isn’t far off it. But Sarr is a special player and if Watford are to stay up it’s him who’s likely to be the difference.

He’s only just returned from celebrating with his country and trained at London Conley for just one day. But Hodgson will surely have to play him against Brighton, such is the need for victories.

Image source, BBC Sport

Lawro's prediction: 1-1

Watford have not scored in either of their games since Roy Hodgson took charge, but he won't be too bothered about that right now. His first priority was shutting the back door because they were conceding far too many before he arrived.

There won't be many goals about in this game either and, because it's Brighton, it's going to be a draw, isn't it? That's what the Seagulls do.

Jeremy's prediction: 1-1

Find out how Lawro and Jeremy think the rest of the weekend's fixtures will go

Christian Eriksen is currently out on the pitch saying hello to the Brentford fans. He gets a mighty roar too. There can't be a fan who isn't pleased to at least see him on a football pitch again.

Southampton

Southampton's Kyle Walker-Peters, speaking to MOTD: "A really good result. What's even more impressive [with the late save from Fraser Forster], he parries it away from danger. Sometimes you need your keeper to save you and he did.

"At the moment we are in a really good position in the table. We want to finish higher than last season.

"I'm just happy being on the pitch playing in a variety of positions - left- back, right-back, No 10."