Vakoun Bayo netted a brace as Watford scored four second-half goals to earn a comprehensive 5-1 Championship comeback victory at Preston.
Valerien Ismael’s side came from behind before eventually running riot during what was a superb second-half performance.
It proved a perfect response after they had picked up just a single point from their two previous games.
Preston, meanwhile, continue to stutter and following a brilliant start to their Championship campaign, they have now lost four of their last six and were booed off at the end.
Watford made a bright start at sunny Deepdale. After an early corner-kick was not cleared by a hesitant Preston defence, Ismael Kone should have done better when he scooped over the top from 10 yards.
North End replied by going mightily close to an early opener themselves, defender Jordan Storey rising superbly to meet skipper Alan Browne’s cross, but his thumping header was brilliantly saved by Ben Hamer.
The Watford goalkeeper then did even better when he produced a breathtaking double save to keep out Brad Potts.
It had been an end-to-end opening spell and after 20 minutes the visitors ought to have struck.
Bayo charged through and rounded goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, only for Jack Whatmough to produce a heroic goal-line clearance just as the Watford man was preparing to celebrate.
Back came Ryan Lowe’s men and Hamer had to be alert again to keep out Liam Millar’s thumping effort.
Preston scored a super little goal after 27 minutes to break the deadlock. Will Keane grabbed it, courtesy of a cheeky back-heel flicked finish as he met Millar’s low cross.
Watford evened it up with another impressive goal three minutes before the break. Wesley Hoedt whipped in a super cross for Bayo, who dived in to thump home a bullet header at the far post.
Incredibly, Watford turned the scoreline on its head just 17 seconds after the restart.
Matheus Martins charged on to Ismael Kone’s through-ball before tucking the ball smartly past a stunned Woodman.
Seven minutes later it was 3-1, when Edo Kayembe took Tom Dele-Bishiru’s pass before drilling home brilliantly from almost 30 yards.
North End and their fans had been silenced, while boss Lowe saw fit to make a quadruple change.
That clearly did not work, however, as Bayo converted Kayembe’s pass to make it four, before Kone smashed home a fifth from 15 yards with still 13 minutes left on the clock.
That was the cue for a large proportion of the fans in the home enclosures to up and leave their seats, while the Watford supporters rejoiced behind their goal as Ismael’s team had been ruthlessly clinical.
San Jose Earthquakes v Los Angeles FC: Hosts have 'nothing to lose' at Levi's Stadium
Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo expects the struggling San Jose Earthquakes to play with "nothing to lose" when the sides face off at Levi's Stadium on Saturday.
The Earthquakes have the worst record in MLS this year, taking just four points from their first 10 games to sit bottom of the Western Conference.
The New England Revolution also have four points at the foot of the East, but they have played one match fewer.
Los Angeles, by contrast, sit fifth in the West after sealing a last-gasp 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers last time out, and Cherundolo believes his team enter Saturday's game in a good spot.
"They're a very dangerous team, especially in the situation they're in," Cherundolo said of San Jose.
"I expect to see a team who play with nothing to lose, they'll be aggressive, invest a lot into it and definitely want to win their home game.
"That'll make it difficult for us, but we're also in a decent moment and have the tools to be dangerous as well."
Saturday's game will be played at Levi's Stadium – home to the NFL's San Francisco 49ers – as part of the 'Quakes' 50th-anniversary celebrations, and coach Luchi Gonzalez is looking forward seeing his team in action at the 68,500-capacity venue.
"It's going to be beautiful to us no matter what," Gonzalez said.
"The players love this field, they love the stadium, they love this locker room and they love the environment that we know we're going to have on Saturday.
"We want to show respect to it, we want to honour it with our heart, with our intensity and energy to perform and bring our best on Saturday."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
San Jose Earthquakes – Jeremy Ebobisse
Ebobisse has scored six goals against LAFC in regular-season play. The only opponent he has scored more against is the LA Galaxy (10 goals).
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga has scored a result-changing goal in stoppage time in consecutive matches, netting a 95th-minute equaliser against the New York Red Bulls on April 20 then scoring the winning goal one minute into added time against Portland last week.
Could last season's Golden Boot winner be set for another decisive contribution?
MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW
Los Angeles' 3-2 win over Portland last week took them to 14 points from six matches on their own turf this year (four wins, two draws), a league-high tally.
However, they have only taken one point on the road, recording one draw and three defeats. Only the New England Revolution, with zero, have earned fewer points away from home.
Given LAFC's Jekyll and Hyde performances, it's difficult to back them for an away win. However, San Jose are just the seventh team in MLS history to accumulate four points or fewer through 10 games of a season, so it may not be a surprise to see the points shared in a cagey draw.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
San Jose Earthquakes – 34.1%
Los Angeles FC – 37.8%
Draw 28.1%
Girona to give '200 per cent' against Barcelona in possible Champions League clincher
Barcelona will be favourites when they visit Girona on Saturday, but Michel says the hosts will give everything in a game which could see them confirm Champions League qualification.
Girona, third in LaLiga with 71 points, are two behind fellow Catalan side Barcelona, who they beat 4-2 in December's return fixture.
"For our fans, tomorrow is a historic match," Michel told reporters on Friday.
"In this match the motivation is top for everyone. Another challenge is to beat Barca for the first time at Montilivi.
"Barca are favourites in this match, but we are playing at home in front of our fans. We will give 200 per cent because it's the only way to win."
Girona, 13 points ahead of fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, are looking to ensure a top-four finish and secure qualification for the Champions League this weekend.
Athletic go to Getafe on Friday, so a defeat for Ernesto Valverde's team will confirm Girona's place in the top four before they take to the field.
"We want to win tomorrow to reach the Champions League. It's about making Girona grow and achieving worldwide recognition for our club and our project," Michel said.
"We always have more objectives like overtaking Real Madrid as the top-scoring team. We only have two goals between us.
"What I want is to be protagonists in a league where Madrid have lost only one game."
Xavi: Barcelona are out for revenge against Girona
Barcelona take on Girona in the Catalan derby this weekend and will be out to avenge their defeat from earlier this season as both sides battle for second place in LaLiga, says Xavi.
Girona won 4-2 in Barcelona when the teams met in December, which put Michel's side top of the standings.
Although Real Madrid now look set to win the title and Barca have moved into second, Xavi still wants payback against their neighbours in this away clash.
"There is no challenge with Michel, but there is a challenge of revenge for the first half of the season," Barca boss Xavi said at his pre-match press conference.
"They were very forceful, we didn't adjust well, we didn't defend well in the box. It's not a personal challenge but as a team."
Girona, the season's surprise package, come into Saturday's home game on the back of two wins, and a victory would see them leapfrog Barca and move into second place as they look to secure Champions League football for the first time.
"A vital match. Their confidence is through the roof," Xavi said.
"We have to congratulate them, their season is magnificent, at an extraordinary level, Champions League level.
"We were bad in defending their team in the home game, but these are situations that we have analysed."
Girona have a 13-point advantage over Athletic Bilbao who are fifth, and their Champions League place will already be safe by the time they face Barcelona if Bilbao lose at Getafe on Friday.
"It's not going to change much, they'll go out to win, they want to be second and there is a lot more at stake," Xavi said.
"Their mentality will not change even if Athletic fails. We're up against a team that has done a lot of good things to get to where it is. They'll be second if they deserve it.
"It is a source of pride for Catalan football that Girona are in the Champions League and have also been candidates to win the title."
Barcelona, meanwhile, can keep their slim title hopes mathematically alive with a victory, although the coach spoke only of the importance of finishing second, while refusing to speak of the future.
Last week, Xavi reversed his decision to leave the club at the end of the season, but he is concentrating on the present, and that also goes for the future of players such as Robert Lewandowski.
"We value Robert's presence in the team very much and we will decide on his future at the end of the season," Xavi said.
"This is not the time to talk about futures, we are playing for second place."
Real Madrid, who host Cadiz on Saturday, are top with 84 points and have five games remaining. Barcelona have 73 and Girona are on 71 points.
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