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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Karl Matchett

Burnley vs Watford prediction: How will Premier League fixture play out tonight?

Burnley host relegation-threatened Watford on Thursday afternoon.

Sean Dyche’s side have secured their Premier League safety but have still endured a bumpy road since the season’s resumption. A chastening 5-0 defeat by Manchester City highlighted the club’s troubled contract situation with a number of players left out. Since then, reports have emerged over an alleged breakdown in relationship between the head coach and chairman Mike Garlick.

Watford’s resurgence under Nigel Pearson after a tumultuous season has left their survival in their own hands. However, the Hornets are currently just one point clear of the relegation zone after Craig Dawson’s stunning stoppage-time bicycle kick rescued a draw against Leicester City last weekend. Follow the match live below:

FULL TIME
FULL TIME
Burnley 1-0 Watford

Game over and Burnley take a hard-fought three points thanks to one clinical moment. Both teams had efforts cleared off the line, but it's up to 11th for the Clarets and Watford stay 16th, one point above the drop zone.
90+5' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

​Final seconds, all or nothing time for Watford. And looks rather like it'll be 'nothing', as a free-kick fails to even reach the Burnley box.
90+3' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

​Dawson reaches a corner to head goalward, but it's soft and easy for Pope to claim. Looks like he'll be renewing acquaintances with Alisson atop the Golden Gloves charts.
90' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

Big chance for Masina as he meets a corner unmarked at the far post, but he plants his effort over the bar.

Five minutes added on.
88' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

​Vydra is played through and runs one-on-one, but has to check back inside onto his left foot to get a shot away and it's scuffed a little at Foster in the end. Watford running out of time...though they did score far later than this to take a point against Leicester, in fairness.
SUBS
84' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

Pieters sends over a good cross from the left, but Masina defends it well at the far post. Dwight McNeil has pushed forward to play off Vydra.

​WAT subs: Chalobah on for Hughes, Andre Gray on for Deeney.
SUBS
80' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

​Into the final ten minutes we go. Villa, West Ham and Bournemouth all desperately hoping that Burnley can hold out. Doucoure takes a free-kick and shoots about 30 yards over.

Burnley sub: Rodriguez off, Erik Pieters on
76' - Burnley 1-0 Watford

Now the goalscorer is down and needing a bit of attention on an injury. He carries on, then Taylor and Sarr collide on the run and both need treatment too.
GOAL!
GOAL! - Burnley 1-0 Watford

​72' - A little bit of quality and Burnley have the lead. McNeil checks out to the left, crosses early toward the near post and Jay Rodriguez stoops to head in a fine finish.
YELLOW CARD
70' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​A Burnley attack! Not seen one of those this half. It looks promising initially, but Brownhill lofts a cross over everybody to halt his team's momentum.
McNeil takes down Welbeck on the turn and he goes into the book.
66' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​So close! First real chance of the half and it should be a goal. A corner is headed by Deeney toward goal and it's McNeil on the line this time to knee it to safety - then Will Hughes puts everything behind his shot on the rebound and sends it 40 rows back into the stand behind the goal.
Drinks break.
62' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​Pope completely drops the ball after initially catching a corner, but Cathcart only blasts it straight at the keeper. Big let-off.

Moments later Deeney plays in Welbeck in on goal, but he takes an eternity to line up the shot and Tarkowski makes a great recovery tackle.
58' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​A quick glance at the Burnley bench doesn't suggest there's an awful lot of proven quality to change things up. Watford might just be sensing they can pull off a really important win tonight.
54' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​Watford have started the half in more positive fashion, but nothing to report yet in terms of chances. Doucoure passes to Sarr down the right wing, but Tarkowski is there to cut out the low cross.
50' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

​Will Hughes cuts infield and lines up a shot, but wafts it vaguely wide from 20 yards or so. Poor effort considering the time he had.
47' - Burnley 0-0 Watford

Rodriguez thinks he's in but the offside flag is up. Watford trying to get the ball forward quicker at the start of this half.
SUBS
Second half: We are back underway.
Watford make a couple of changes at the break.
Cathcart and Doucoure are on for Cleverley and Kabasele.
HALF TIME
Half time
Burnley 0-0 Watford
One off the post and one off the line in the space of five seconds for the home side, but precious little apart from that at either end.
44' - Burnley 0-0 Watford
The final minutes of the half now. It has been lacking in quality since Burnley had that flurry of chances around the 20-minute mark.
40' - Burnley 0-0 Watford
Sarr wins a free-kick near the touchline. Cleverley's delivery is won by Dawson and Pope drops the ball on Welbeck's head - the goalkeeper is lucky to get a free-kick.

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