Aston Villa Paper View (h)

Sorensen's saves deny Watford their first win

Watford's programme for this match compared their team to astronauts who had 'finished orbiting, made their way through the atmosphere and were going to touch down any moment now'. Well, as any Nasa scientist could have told them, space is a strange place where any expedition requires some luck if it is to be successful.

If Watford do not enjoy some soon, the fear must be that they are going to crash and burn spectacularly, re-entering Planet Championship. The Watford manager, Adrian Boothroyd, has made much already this season about how they have not had much rub of the green and will be feeling similarly aggrieved following a second half they dominated and during which only the excellence of Thomas Sorensen, a keeper many Villa fans would like to see Martin O'Neill replace, denied them. The Sunday Observer

Watford frustrated by Sorensen saves

That first Premiership victory since promotion continues to elude Watford. Their domination of a high-octane second half last night ought to have broken the spell, but they found it impossible to beat Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, whose agility and reflexes were mainly responsible for preserving rejuvenated Aston Villa's early-season unbeaten record.

Three times in an 11-minute period, Sorensen defied Watford with exceptional saves after the introduction of substitute Hameur Bouazza enlivened and refined the home side's attacking play. Even so, this point lifts the Hertfordshire club off the bottom of the table and above Blackburn and Sheffield United on goal difference.

If this spirited performance was not quite the ''backlash", manager Aidy Boothroyd had warned some opponents were going to catch "sooner rather than later", it was powerful enough to suggest that Watford will not stop climbing the table now. The Sunday Telegraph

Boothroyd still confident as Watford show spirit

Watford are still seeking their first Premiership victory since promotion and their estimable manager Aidy Boothroyd, it seems, could not be happier.

Having seen his men earn only their second point of the campaign with a second-half display that all but broke Villa's resistance through sheer willpower, Boothroyd maintained that his side were set for a successful return to the top flight - and due a change of luck. An opening day defeat through a penalty that should never have been, and the more recent last-minute defeat at Bolton have contributed to Boothroyd's sense that fortune has yet to favour his spirited and hard-working team. But he remains confident.

"I'm not changing anything," he said. "You judge us now, but the time for that is after 38 games. I know we will score goals. We have got the players who will do that." On this occasion the latter challenge proved too great for either side as Ben Foster and Thomas Sorensen excelled for hosts and visitors respectively. The Sunday Independent