João Pedro scored his third goal in three games to set Watford on the way to a 3-1 win against Blackburn that lifted them to third in the Championship table.
The 19-year-old Brazilian turned in a Kiko Femenía cross with a first-time finish before Tom Cleverley’s header doubled the lead. Ben Brereton’s fine strike reduced the arrears before the half-hour but Rovers, who had more possession and shots than the hosts, saw their luck run out after the break when Darragh Lenihan put through his own goal and Adam Armstrong saw a penalty saved by the excellent Ben Foster.
Rovers had put Harvey Elliott, the 17-year-old loan signing from Liverpool, straight into their starting lineup but it was Pedro who stole the headlines on the back of his winning goals against Luton and Derby.
The win moved Watford up to third but their manager, Vladimir Ivic, made it clear there was no point getting too excited. “We can be satisfied with three points but we know that we have to improve a lot of things, like when we have possession,” he said.
“We have to learn to win because when you are relegated from the Premier League to the Championship you have a different goal. It is a good start from six games but the Championship is long. We are waiting for injured players to come back and help us.”
Harry Wilson denied his former club Bournemouth the chance to go second by securing a 1-1 draw for Cardiff. The winger, who spent last season on loan with the Cherries, finished just after the hour to snatch a point.
Bournemouth had taken a 35th-minute lead in south Wales when Dominic Solanke turned in Jack Stacey’s low cross. Junior Stanislas rattled the crossbar with a free-kick and Solanke headed a good chance wide on a frustrating night for the visitors.
“You saw two really good teams and a point was fair,” the Cardiff manager, Neil Harris, said. “It was toe-to-toe in the second half particularly. Credit to my players for coming back.”
Bournemouth’s manager, Jason Tindall, said: “I’m disappointed we have come away with only a point because I felt we deserved all three. We should really have scored three or four goals.”
Ivan Toney scored his sixth and seventh goals in just four appearances as Brentford won 2-1 at Sheffield Wednesday. The summer signing from Peterborough, bought to replace Ollie Watkins, struck either side of Callum Paterson’s goal.
Barnsley’s wait for a win goes on after they were held 2-2 by 10-man Stoke. The Tykes led twice through Elliot Simoes and Dominik Frieser, but twice Stoke hit back with goals from Tyrese Campbell and Tommy Smith, after an error from keeper Jack Walton. Nathan Collins saw red on the hour for a foul on Frieser.
A penalty apiece for Daniel Johnson and Scott Sinclair gave Preston a 2-0 win at QPR.
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