Watford boss Tom Cleverley praised his team for showing "a good version of themselves" in their 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Manchester City.
Cleverley was unhappy with his defence when the Hornets lost 4-1 at Norwich City in the Championship on Saturday.
But a team showing nine changes, with 36-year-old former West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna making his debut, avoided being overwhelmed by the reigning Premier League champions.
"The number one objective was to show some resilience. It has to be more difficult to break us down as a team," Cleverley told BBC Three Counties Radio.