Burnley pick up first league win on the road, while Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores feels the heat

Burnley finally ended their winless away start to the Premier League season on a nightmare afternoon for Watford as goals from Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and James Tarkowski added salt to the home side’s wounds on their own turf.

Beleaguered Watford have now been condemned to 11 consecutive home league games without winning - for the first time in their history.

The pressure on head coach Quique Sanchez Flores looked to have eased in their last game - a win at Norwich - but this has turned the heat right back on.

Wood hooked in early in the second half, then Barnes won a late penalty that he scored after a VAR check, and Tarkowsi then added another.

With the likes of Burnley captain Ben Mee standing firm, Sean Dyche’s men managed their first away league clean sheet since January - when they did it at Watford.

Troy Deeney made his comeback for Watford after a three-month absence, coming on as a substitute shortly after they went 1-0 down, but walked into a dismal scenario.

It did not feel like it was going to end in a 3-0 scoreline at half-time when the teams had gone in scoreless.

The first period had actually been dominated by Watford but, as is so often the case, they failed to turn pressure into goals.

That lack of killer instinct is why they are mired in the relegation zone. In contrast, Burnley kept it tight then broke their opponents clinically.

Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope - a week after playing 90 minutes for England - made an important, early save with his feet to keep out Gerard Deulofeu’s low strike after James Tarkowski’s error.

Flores’s men had a shout for a penalty for handball, when there was a scramble and Andre Gray struck the ball from close range into Mee, but a VAR check ruled it out.

Watford were not helped when defender Craig Dawson - who had reportedly felt ill during the warm-up - suffered a second head clash and was substituted.

Deulofeu almost found a breakthrough in first-half added time as he charged forward and won a free-kick in a dangerous area after being fouled by Tarkowski. The Spaniard took the kick but his effort was pushed wide by Pope, diving to his left.

Flores’s men started the second period well, winning a succession of corners, but Burnley stung them in the 53rd minute by scoring from their first shot on target.

Wood hooked the ball in, inside the six-yard box, from Dwight McNeil’s delivery.

That should have been the cue for a strong Watford response but instead Burnley appeared to grow in ambition.

Jeff Hendrick had a chance to make it 2-0, after breezing forward, but goalkeeper Ben Foster denied him.

There was another scare for Watford when Pope’s long kick led to Jay Rodriguez striking the ball on to the bar.

The killer blow then arrived in the 80th minute when VAR awarded the penalty that Barnes struck in. The referee missed it initially - but the video decided that Jose Holebas had caught Barnes.

Tarkowski then made matters worse for Watford when he scored at the second attempt after being initially denied by Foster.