Sean Dyche used to call Watford home. Having played and managed at Vicarage Road as recently as five years ago he might have had this fixture on his old patch lined up as a cure for Burnley’s travelling troubles.
The Clarets — in top-four form at Turf Moor — have been rotten on the road with just one point won so far.
But any hopes of Burnley changing that trend away at Dyche’s old club evaporated inside six minutes yesterday.
That was when Jeff Hendrick lunged in, shin-high, on Jose Holebas.