Watford and West Ham United played out a 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road, with 19-year-old Amin Nabizada scoring his second goal in three appearances. The result leaves West Ham without a win in their first three Championship matches, intensifying pressure on manager Nuno Espírito Santo.
Nabizada's breakout continues
Nabizada, an English-born Afghan international, opened the scoring in the 19th minute. He received the ball on the left side of West Ham's penalty area, used a stepover to create space, and curled a shot over goalkeeper Mads Hermansen into the far top corner. The goal was his second in three league games, and he has started every match this season after never having started a senior game before this campaign.
Watford manager Alessio Dionisi has been forced to rely on a thin squad, with recent training sessions adjusted to account for a lack of first-team players. The bench included two goalkeepers and only one defender, a clear signal to the club's recruitment team as the transfer window nears its close.
West Ham's equaliser and growing concerns
West Ham equalised eight minutes after Nabizada's opener, though the goal owed much to fortune. Watford defender Kevin Keben attempted to shield the ball over his own goalline, but Valentín Castellanos dispossessed him and poked the ball across goal, where it deflected off Mattie Pollock and into the net.
West Ham, relegated from the Premier League and having broken the Championship transfer record with the £22m signing of Arne Engels, have drawn with Burnley and lost to Charlton Athletic in their other league fixtures. The club plays its home games at the 68,000-seater London Stadium, and expectations were that they would dominate the second tier.
Boos from the travelling supporters were brief at full-time, but chants of "you're getting sacked in the morning" directed at Nuno were unambiguous. Nuno had earlier suggested the £22m investment in Engels was with a view to Premier League football, leaving little room for a slow start.
Watford's resilience and late chances
Before the match, Dionisi said it would take hard work, good luck, and West Ham playing "so and so" for his team to win, admitting it would be "very difficult". His players came close, with Iker Bravo shooting over the crossbar from a rapid break in the 82nd minute when he had time to pick his spot.
West Ham managed only one shot on target in the entire match. Jarrod Bowen, a 22-cap England international who was in contention for a World Cup squad place, exerted increasing influence as Watford dropped deeper, but the visitors could not find a winner.
Watford's point leaves them with four points from three games, while West Ham have two. The Championship season continues with both sides facing further tests, with West Ham's next match set to be scrutinised given the mounting pressure on their manager.
