EPL: Brighton spoil Watford manager Hodgson's first game at home

Watford's new manager Roy Hodgson a first home Premier League game to forget on Saturday, scoring two unanswered goals to leave his side stuck in the relegation zone. Neal Maupay gave the Seagulls the lead shortly before the end of an otherwise quiet first half, spinning round to his left as he hoisted a long ball from Tariq Lamptey into the far corner beyond the reach of Watford keeper Ben Foster.

Watford's top scorer Emmanuel Dennis came within a whisker of equalising shortly after the hour mark when he collected a half-clearance on the wing, cut inside past Brighton's defenders and smashed a shot off the bar from 10 metres out. Instead, Adam Webster doubled the lead for Graham Potter's men in the 82nd minute from close range, firing in a loose ball after Watford were unable to clear from a corner kick.

Watford have now lost their last six home games in the league, matching their longest losing run at Vicarage Road since 1990. They sit 19th in the table with 15 points from 23 games.

Brighton, who have lost only once away from home all season, are ninth on 33 points.