Watford FC 1-0 Crawley Town
Updated
Watford FC won: Watford FC 1-0 Crawley Town in the EFL Cup (Round 1) on Sat, 8 Aug 2026 at Vicarage Road, Watford. Watford FC goals: Marc Bola 90'+9. Expected goals: 4.35-0.74. Possession: 61-39. Player of the match: Marc Bola (8.6).
Match report
Watford FC beat Crawley Town 1-0
Watford FC edged Crawley Town 1-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday 8 August in EFL Cup.
Marc Bola put Watford FC ahead on 90+9' (1-0).
Marc Bola's 90+9' strike proved decisive.
Watford FC had 61% of the ball, shots were 36-9 (11-3 on target) and expected goals finished 4.35-0.74. Watford FC were the better side on chances, too.
Marc Bola (Watford) was player of the match with an 8.6 rating.
Attendance: 6,907. Referee: Harry Wager.
Match stats
| Watford FC | Crawley Town | |
|---|---|---|
| Ball possession | 61 | 39 |
| Expected goals (xG) | 4.35 | 0.74 |
| Total shots | 36 | 9 |
| Shots on target | 11 | 3 |
| Touches in opposition box | 61 | 13 |
| Big chances | 7 | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 7 | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 392 (84%) | 223 (76%) |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 3 |
| Corners | 12 | 1 |
| Total shots | 36 | 9 |
| Shots off target | 12 | 3 |
| Shots on target | 11 | 3 |
| Blocked shots | 13 | 3 |
| Hit woodwork | 1 | 0 |
| Shots inside box | 25 | 7 |
Lineups
Watford FC (4-2-3-1): Federico Ravaglia, Omar Traoré, Matthew Pollock, Kévin Keben, Marc Bola, Edoardo Bove, Hector Kyprianou, Kwadwo Baah, Iker Bravo, Othmane Maamma, Luca Kjerrumgaard
Crawley Town (4-2-3-1): Vito Mannone, Kellan Gordon, Akinwale Joseph Odimayo, Charlie Barker, Ade Adeyemo, Jude Arthurs, Klaudio Krasniqi, Malcolm Ebiowei, Louie Watson, Stephen Duke-McKenna, Gianmarco Di Biase
Key events
- 24' · Yellow card · Edoardo Bove (Watford FC)
- 46' · Substitution · Amin Nabizada for Kwadwo Baah (Watford FC)
- 56' · Substitution · Pemi Aderoju for Gianmarco Di Biase (Crawley Town)
- 62' · Yellow card · Charlie Barker (Crawley Town)
- 63' · Yellow card · Iker Bravo (Watford FC)
- 64' · Substitution · Osman Kamara for Malcolm Ebiowei (Crawley Town)
- 67' · Yellow card · Kellan Gordon (Crawley Town)
- 68' · Substitution · Edo Kayembe for Luca Kjerrumgaard (Watford FC)
- 68' · Substitution · Mamadou Doumbia for Edoardo Bove (Watford FC)
- 69' · Substitution · Martín Payero for Iker Bravo (Watford FC)
- 76' · Substitution · Pele Arganese-McDermott for Akinwale Joseph Odimayo (Crawley Town)
- 76' · Substitution · Jonny Russell for Kellan Gordon (Crawley Town)
- 76' · Substitution · Omari Mrisho for Ade Adeyemo (Crawley Town)
- 77' · Substitution · Rocco Vata for Othmane Maamma (Watford FC)
- 90'+7 · Yellow card · Pemi Aderoju (Crawley Town)
- 90'+9 · Goal · Marc Bola (Watford FC)
All-time head-to-head
Questions
Who won Watford FC vs Crawley Town?
Watford FC won, 1-0 (EFL Cup) on Sat, 8 Aug 2026.
When and where is Watford FC vs Crawley Town?
Sat, 8 Aug 2026, 14:00 UTC at Vicarage Road, Watford, EFL Cup.