Match ends, Fulham 0, Watford 5.
FulhamFulham0WatfordWatford5
Troy Deeney reignited Watford's promotion bid with a hat-trick as the Hornets swept aside 10-man Fulham.
Watford had lost their previous four matches to slip from top of the Championship to seventh.
But Slavisa Jokanovic's side dominated at Craven Cottage, with Almen Abdi scoring twice.
Fulham were always second best and after goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli was sent off 20 minutes in, it was a case of damage limitation.
Kit Symons' side had been searching for a fifth win from their last six home games.
But it never looked on the cards after Abdi opened the scoring with a free kick and Bettinelli was then dismissed for bringing down Matej Vydra as the Czech striker rounded him.
Deeney slotted the resultant spot kick past substitute keeper Gabor Kiraly - the Watford skipper's first goal in six matches - and the frontman struck again before the break when he latched on to Gianni Munari's header in the box.
Abdi scored a superb goal after the break - his powerful, curling drive from 25 yards flying into the top corner - before Deeney completed his hat-trick deep in stoppage time, racing clear to beat Kiraly.
Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic: "After a bad November we have started December better. It was very close to a perfect performance after some bad results.
"We played a fantastic game. I must be happy, I expect my players and supporters go home happy."
Fulham boss Kit Symons: "There's quite a lot we can learn from that. There is a lot of hard work and a lot of improving to be done.
"We started very poorly and Watford came out all guns blazing. We gave away a bad goal and then the sending-off makes life difficult. We had a mountain to climb."
Line-ups
Fulham
Formation 4-1-2-1-2
- 40BettinelliBooked at 18mins
- 37Grimmer
- 6Bodurov
- 33Burn
- 3Stafylidis
- 8Parker
- 21Christensen
- 12FofanaSubstituted forWilliamsat 61'minutes
- 10RuizSubstituted forKiralyat 19'minutes
- 44McCormack
- 20Rodallega
Substitutes
- 1Kiraly
- 4Hutchinson
- 13Zverotic
- 14Roberts
- 25Dembele
- 27Williams
- 28Hyndman
Watford
Formation 3-5-2
- 1Gomes
- 15Cathcart
- 4Angella
- 39Bassong NguenaBooked at 77mins
- 14Paredes
- 3Munari
- 8TozserSubstituted forGuédiouraat 83'minutes
- 22Abdi
- 21AnyaSubstituted forPudilat 86'minutes
- 9Deeney
- 20VydraSubstituted forForestieriat 66'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Guédioura
- 11Forestieri
- 12Doyley
- 18Pudil
- 23Dyer
- 24Ighalo
- 30Bond
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 16,772
Match Stats
Home TeamFulhamAway TeamWatford
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home7
- Away17
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away10
- Corners
- Home5
- Away10
- Fouls
- Home5
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Fulham 0, Watford 5.
Goal!
Goal! Fulham 0, Watford 5. Troy Deeney (Watford) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Gianni Munari with a through ball.
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Attempt missed. Hugo Rodallega (Fulham) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Gabor Kiraly.
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Attempt saved. Troy Deeney (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Gianni Munari.
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Foul by Sebastien Bassong (Watford).
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George Williams (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Adlène Guédioura (Watford).
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Lasse Vigen Christensen (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Daniel Pudil replaces Ikechi Anya.
Substitution
Substitution, Watford. Adlène Guédioura replaces Daniel Tözsér.
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Foul by Ikechi Anya (Watford).
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Jack Grimmer (Fulham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Booking
Sebastien Bassong (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Sebastien Bassong (Watford).
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Jack Grimmer (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Offside, Fulham. Hugo Rodallega tries a through ball, but Ross McCormack is caught offside.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Heurelho Gomes.
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Attempt blocked. George Williams (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Konstantinos Stafylidis.
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Corner, Fulham. Conceded by Ikechi Anya.
