It's a late chance for Hughes, who can't get the ball round - and then Diouf pumps it downfield for Adam who only has the keeper to beat - and he sidesteps Gomes only to miss his shot from twenty yards out off the post! And that's all she wrote - Stoke have won at Vicarage Road!
90' +5
J. Allen gets yellow.
T. Deeney gets yellow.
Yellow card Joe Allen
It's all blown up at Vicarage Road, as Deeney and Allen scrap with each other on the right edge of the Stoke box. Both get yellow - and the former is lucky not to see red after appearing to gouge the latter.
90' +2
A hideous pile-up of attackers and defenders in the Stoke box eventually sees Butland come up with the ball once more - as Pieters lies on the ground, apparently with cramp.
90' +1
Stoke survive the first test of injury time, as Butland hooks his arms around Gray's ehader and denies Deeney a crack at the ball.
90'
Five added minutes are on the way for Watford to find a goal as a cry goes up for a handball against Adam, not given by the referee.
89'
Watford spirit themselves downfield and Doucoure lobs a cross into the box for Deeney - but the Hornets are called for offside.
88'
C. Adam enters the game and replaces X. Shaqiri.
As if to calm things down, Mark Hughes takes off Shaqiri and brings on Charlie Adam.
87'
M. Diouf gets yellow.
A. Doucouré gets yellow.
A bit of fisticuffs boil over on the wing as Diouf tries to delay Doucoure taking a free-kick. The two square up and players from both sides pile in - with Silva hovering near the edge.
And Doucoure sees yellow for his response too.
85'
X. Shaqiri gets yellow.
And Shaqiri is now booked for dissent too after saying some questionable things to the referee.
84'
That could have been the game for Stoke! Shaqiri feeds a beautiful cross in from the left for Beharino who has only the keeper to beat - but he pushes it wide on the right. Watford could have been buried there, despite their dominance.
Minute
Description
83'
Gray goes close again! The substitute gets a powerful header on the edge of the box on the right flank - but he steers it too wide to the left and Butland ferries it out to that side.
82'
Stoke earn a relieving throw-in on halfway - but Watford once again cut in, via Hughes, who whips it downfield in assault again.
80'
W. Hughes enters the game and replaces A. Carrillo.
Another change for the Hornets, as Carrillo makes way for Will Hughes.
And this time, it's Deeney who can't make the contact he wants , spearing the ball wide to the right and letting Stoke off the hook once more.
79'
Watford get a corner now as Richarlison forces Zouma out on the left flank - which they duly turn in for Doucoure, whose effort is blocked and tipped out by Butland. Second corner.
78'
S. Berahino enters the game and replaces Ramadan Sobhi.
A change for Stoke now as Sobhi - who has had a quiet afternoon - is replaced by Saido Berahino.
76'
Richarlison gets yellow.
Diouf is the latest Stoke man to put his body on the line of a Richariison shot - and the Watford man replies by fouling him. Free-kick to Stoke in their own half again - and a booking for the Hornets forward.
75'
The Watford captain again ghosts through two defenders and puts a cross in for Gray - but Butland reads it well and collects with ease.
74'
Zouma tips away Gray's header, but Watford bundle it back into the Stoke box - and only the lunging foot of Allen is able to stop a clear-cut shot from Cleverley.
71'
Zouma and Richarlison tussle on the left edge of the Stoke box, before the latter earns a throw - but the Potters throw all they can at the attack and earn a throw on the other side for Wimmer.
69'
Shawcross goes down in the Stoke box as he clears, caught by Gray - and the latter is furious at conceding a free-kick, remonstrating with everyone on the pitch within a ten yard radius.
67'
Gray makes a half-touch and volley after a Holebas pass on the right edge of the box - but it sail well off target. In the dugout, Marco Silva looks pensive and frustrated.
66'
Butland clears the first effort of a Britos cross with another punch - and Richarlison that curls his latest attempt wide to the left.
65'
It's been nearly all Watford in this second half and as Diouf concedes a free-kick just to the left of the Stoke box, you get a sense that the Potters are cracking across the back more and more easily. The pressure seems to be telling for the Hornets.
63'
What a punch from Butland! The Stoke keeper roars off his line and absolutely poleaxes Cleverley's cross away from Richarlison, with a mean right hook. If football dries up for him, he could always forge a second sporting career with that kind of technique.
62'
E. Choupo-Moting gets yellow.
And now a booking for Choupo-Moting as he concedes a free-kick twenty-five yards away from the Stoke goal - and then throws the ball away in frustration,
60'
Allen goes close! The Stoke man gets a Shaqiri back heel into the box and puts a left footer through the legs of two Watford defenders - but it skips just wide of the posts to the right.
58'
A. Gray enters the game and replaces É. Capoue.
The first change of the game now, as Watford take off Capoue and bring on Andre Gray.
57'
Kiko Femenía gets yellow.
Well that was strange. Femenía is booked instead - presumeably for chatting back to the referee about the Shaqiri incident.
Shawcross and Allen combine in defence to deny Capoue's half-hearted crack on goal - and then Shaqiri appears to push Carrillo off the ball.
56'
So close for Richarlison! He comes in for a second crack after a Holebas shot takes a deflection off Butland on the right edge of the box, leaving a wide, exposed left side - but he leathers it into the side netting instead at an awkward angle.
55'
Cleverley makes a connection with a finely timed through ball and whips it into the box for Deeney - but it beats all to Butland's hands.
53'
Zouma clips it to Diouf who tears off down the right for the first Stoke attack proper since the break - but he can't control it and Holebas picks up a loose touch to return with interest.
51'
Once more, it's all one way for Watford in the opening minutes of the half, as they push it around their midfield. Femenia breaks down the right and curls a beautiful pass into the box searching for Deeney - but Shawcross flies in to slide his body around the ball and put it clear of the danger for Butland.
49'
Britos and Zouma clash in mid-air with no malice challenging for a ball and both need a moment after coming back to earth somewhat woozy.
48'
Corner for Watford now though, after Deeney saw Shawcross bundle his attempt from a flat pass out on the right edge of the box. Holebas takes and Pieters is there once more, dealing with the danger.
47'
Capoue goes down under a challenge from Pieters as he looks to pick out a pass on the right and is disgruntled when a throw-in to Stoke is given instead.
46'
And we're back underway at Vicarage Road as Watford set off in pursuit of the points once more against this gutsy Stoke side. The earn an early free-kick, taken by Richarlison forty-yards out on the right - but his cross only finds Shawcross who heads it clear.
45' +2
And Deeney can't catch that long ball from Cleverley either, that skips dead down the right flank as Shawcross holds him off. That's the last play of the first half as the whistle goes!
45' +1
Deeney and Shawcross come together challenging for a Watford cross into the Stoke box - and the Hornets man is deemed to have fouled the Potters defender. Free kick for Butland to pump downfield.
45'
Two additional minutes are on their way.
44'
Diouf tears onto a Shaqiri through ball but it's a touch too heavy from the latter and runs dead for a goal kick.
42'
Little in the way of chances after that short glut there - and Watford are gradually starting to break past Joe Allen's neat defence in midfield for Stoke. Richarlison scuffs a ball out when running onto it though - and the Potters breathe easy.
40'
And down the other end, Deeney is pinged by the flag again as this time, he makes contact with a Holebas cross, instead putting it wide of goal to the left. Just as well for Butland - the keeper wildly misread it and was way out of place.
39'
Close for Stoke! Diouf spirits the ball unopposed downfield on the right in broken play and puts a wonderful square pass into the box for Choupo-Moting - but his backhell is scuffed and wasted.
37'
Richarlison hits the side of the net! The Watford man was offside from Britos's header regardless, but the Hornets once more showcasing a threat inb the air in the box.
35'
A third through the game and Stoke have imposed themselves further on this game, even if they still can only muster half as much of the ball as Watford. In one-on-one tussles though, the Potters are winning eighty-percent of their own, compared to only sixty-percent by the Hornets.
33'
Watford bring it out and then slot it into the box for Cleverley - but Butland rises above everyone to claim, leaping like a salmon and snapping up the ball.
31'
Zouma tracks a Cleverley ball back to Richarlison - but his attempt to come up trumps sees him concede a corner.
29'
A stoppage in play now for Diouf and Holebas to recieve treatmant after the two came together in mid-air challenging for a high ball.
27'
Another close shave for Stoke, as Watford pile into the box seeking a Cleverley cross - but it beats them all and Britos gets the last touch, conceding the goal kick.
25'
Close for Deeney! Holebas finds space on the right and curls a lovely cross into the box for the striker - but he misses with his attempted right-footed volley entirely and the ball skips past him for a goal kick.
24'
Down the other end, Stoke break down their right edge and Allen looks to slip a pass across to the box but his cross to Shaqiri leaves the forward stumbling and Watford clean up.
22'
Richarlison makes a great break onto a through ball down the left and lofts it into the box for Doucoure - but his attempted back-heel finds only Wimmer.
20'
There's a spring in the step of the Potters now going forward, and their back three looks sturdier too, as Shawcross deals with a weak cross in from Cleverley. Whether they can prevent Watford - so far the better side still - from storming them again remains to be seen.
18'
Watford look stunned and can you blame them? With their first attempt, very much against the trajectory of the game, Stoke take the lead with a fabulous goal. The Hornets earn a corner and chance themselves - but Doucoure's header is well wide to the right.
16'
D. Fletcher has scored a goal for Stoke City! Assist by X. Shaqiri.
What a beauty of a volley from Darren Fletcher! The Stoke man hangs back at the edge of the box, and catches Shaqiri's rght-side corner with a right-footed strike of his own that threads itself between four defenders and into the bottom right corner of the goal. Sensational.
15'
Corner against the run of play for Stoke now as Diouf's attempted cross is leathered into Capoue and flies out.
13'
Diouf concedes a clumsy foul after he catches Richarlison with a lunging left-footer whilst chasing the same ball down the left flank. Free kick to Watford in their own half.
11'
It's dominant, if not truly inspiring, from the hosts so far - after the first ten minutes, they have 71% control of the ball compared with Stoke's 29%. On the touchline, Mark Hughes is in energetic form as he barks orders.
9'
Choupo-Moting goes hunting the mistake downfield as he chases a loose Watford ball in their back right corner - but Britos ferries it away with a lob downfield for a throw.
7'
So far, so good for the Hornets as they buzz around the Stoke midfield and defence, frustrating their back three. They give away a sloppy free-kick as Carrillo catches Wimmer though - and Stoke finally earn some ball.
5'
Cleverley whips the cross in but Zouma guides it away. Stoke try to counter downfield again - but Shaqiri floats ahead of the defence and is pinged for offside.
3'
All one way traffic for Watford so far as they play it across their midfield and then into the box again for Femenia - who cuts back out to the right wing before being fouled. Free kick to the hosts, about twetny-five yards out..
1'
And we are underway at Watford! The Hornets are playing right to left in yellow and black - the Potters are clad in white and blue. Cleverley pushes it out to the left wing in a swift motion that finds Capoue - but his cross into the box finds only Shawcross who whomps it away hurriedly.
Good afternoon and welcome to live coverage of week 10 of the Premier League as high-flying Watford host a Stoke City side desperate to find form on the road. The Hornets, under Marco Silva, have turned around last year's near-relegation campaign into a Europe-challenging season so far – but can they keep up the hunt against a Potters side winless away from home? Kick-off is coming up shortly.
The hosts are without a win in three against Stoke historically, but prior to that were unbeaten in six, with four wins and two draws. The men from Vicarage Road have enjoyed one of the finest starts to a top-flight campaign ever, with just two losses in nine, against table-toppers Manchester City and reigning champions Chelsea.
As for the Potters, it's their worst start to a Premier League campaign bar one; their eight points in nine games this season only exceeds the seven they scored in the same timeframe during their inaugural season in English football's upper echelon, during 2008/09. Victory today would be their second best consecutive win streak against Premier League opposition – behind only Blackburn, who they beat five times in a row between 2010 and 2012.
Stoke will have to defend from all over the pitch this afternoon – ten different Watford players have netted in the league this year, a number matched only by the aforementioned Manchester City. The Hornets are also packing the seventh best ratio of quality chances in attack this season; but conversely, they have allowed opposition the same chances more than any other Premier League team.
Both sides come into today's game on the back of losses last weekend too; Watford went down 4-2 at Stamford Bridge to Chelsea in a six-goal thriller, whilst Stoke's much improved performance from their loss to Manchester City was not enough to overturn a first half two-goal deficit to Bounrmeouth, losing 1-2 at the bet365 Stadium. Both will hope to return to winning ways – and for Potters boss Mark Hughes, three points will help to relieve the pressure from irate fans over form.
The teams are out Vicarage Road and a minute's silence is observed ahead of next month.
On a statistical level, it's rather hard to say Stoke deserve their lead - but such was the magnificence of Darren Fletcher's goal, it's hard to begrudge them it. Tenacious at best and occasionally sloppy, they've generally been the lesser of two sides - but Watford's failure to convert chances into goals means Stoke have a lead that will please Mark Hughes to no end. Half-time at Vicarage Road, it's Watford 0-1 Stoke City.
Mark Hughes looks like a man for whom the clouds have just parted, punching the air as Watford players fall to the ground. Marco Silva on the other hand is very unhappy - remonstrating loudly with the referee as Stoke players applaud their fans joyously. The fact of the matter is this in the end; Darren Fletcher's wonderstrike in the first half was just something the Hornets could not overcome, no matter how many chances they had. The Potters have hung on with a tenacity that earns them a vital three points - and could that be vital over the coming weeks? Full-time at Vicarage Road, it finishes Watford 0-1 Stoke City.
Some quick stats to close out; Watford had 70% posession to Stoke's 30% and 12 chances to their opponent's four on goal. Yet thanks to Jack Butland's brilliant afternoon in goal, some superb defending from Shawcross and Allen and a never-say-die attitude across the back, the Potters head off home to face Leicester next week with the wind in their sails. As for the Hornets, they drop to seventh with Liverpool's victory today - and could yet drop further with Newcastle and Burnley yet to play. With crisis club Everton next on the agenda, Silva will be hoping they can get back to winning ways - and avoid three losses on the bounce. Until then though, thank you and have a good night!
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