Watford 0 West Brom 0: Hosts left frustrated after dominant display

Watford missed the chance to secure their first Premier League win since May 2007 as they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Brom.

Quique Sanchez Flores’ side dominated their first game at Vicarage Road this season, but were made to rue a host of missed chances, Odion Ighalo wasting their best openings.

The Nigerian striker – along with his captain Troy Deeney – posed a real threat in the opening 45 minutes, but Watford’s neat build-up play lacked the finishing touch.

West Brom flattered to deceive in the opening hour, although the introduction of record signing Salomon Rondon gave them a glimmer of hope.

The Venezuela international saw his first effort in English football fly over the crossbar – a rare highlight for the visitors as they clung onto their first point of the campaign.

For Watford it was a second successive draw, but Flores will have been left frustrated that they were unable to turn their dominance into all three points.

The 2-2 draw with Everton on the opening weekend clearly provided a boost to Watford’s confidence as they quickly settled into their rhythm and the hosts could have taken the lead inside three minutes.

Ighalo – the only change from the match at Goodison Park – linked up neatly with Deeney 25 yards from goal, but his ambitious long-range effort was easily held by Boaz Myhill.

A frustrated Tony Pulis – who made three changes from the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City – finally saw his team pose problems for the Watford defence as the half hour approached, Saido Berahino meeting Rickie Lambert’s knock-down only to see his header float over the crossbar.

It was a rare attack for West Brom, though, and it was Watford who finished the half strongly, with Allan Nyom, Jose Manuel Jurado and Ighalo all wasting good openings before the break.

Half-time failed to prompt an improvement in West Brom’s fortunes as the home side resumed control of the match after the interval, Ighalo again stinging the palms of Myhill with a 20-yard effort early on.

Pulis introduced Rondon just after the hour in an attempt to spark the visitors into life and it almost paid dividends as he raced clear two minutes after coming on.

After working a shooting chance on the edge of the penalty area, the former Zenit man blazed his left-footed effort well over Heurelho Gomes’ bar.

Having soaked up more Watford pressure, Albion should have won the game with 10 minutes to play as Berahino met Gareth McAuley’s header, but the striker inexplicably headed wide of the target.