Middlesbrough vs Watford
Ref: A. HerczegRiverside Stadium, Middlesbrough · 34,988 cap
Match recap
Middlesbrough beat Watford 5–1 in their Championship fixture. Whittaker, Strelec, Whittaker, Conway, and Conway scored for Middlesbrough; Abankwah replied for Watford. Expected-goals data put the chance balance at 2.30 for Middlesbrough versus 0.85 for Watford. Middlesbrough sit 5th in the Championship table while Watford are 16th.
First Half
⚽
Whittaker
⚽
Strelec
Assist: Whittaker
Second Half
⇄
Bangura
48'
⚽
Abankwah
Assist: Keben
⚽
Whittaker
62'
⇄
Ngakia
62'
⇄
Bove
63'
⇄
Mendy
63'
⇄
Kjerrumgaard
⇄
Whittaker
⇄
Hansen
⇄
Malanda
74'
Abankwah
Yellow Card
⚽
Conway
Penalty
82'
⇄
Bola
⇄
Sarmiento
Morris
Yellow Card
85'
Louza
Yellow Card
⚽
Conway
Assist: Strelec
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Coventry | 46 | 28 | 11 | 7 | +52 | 95 |
| 4 |  Southampton | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | +26 | 80 |
| 5 |  Middlesbrough | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | +25 | 80 |
| 6 |  Hull City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | +4 | 73 |
| 15 |  QPR | 46 | 16 | 10 | 20 | -12 | 58 |
| 16 |  Watford | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | -12 | 57 |
| 17 |  Stoke City | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | -5 | 55 |
As of 23 May 2026
Last 5: ←oldestMatch Statistics
MiddlesbroughWatford
13Won
Statistical edge
13–2
battles won across 16 metrics
Expected Goals (xG)
2.30VS0.85
Attack5 · 1 won
20
Shots
12
9
Shots on target
3
9
Shots in the box
6
11
Shots outside box
6
5
Shots off goal
6
6
Corners
3
Possession & Passing4 · 0 won
56%
Possession
44%
543
Total passes
437
482
Accurate passes
370
89%
Pass accuracy
85%
Discipline3 · 0 won
8
Fouls
10
1
Yellow cards
2
0
Offsides
4
Goalkeeping & Defence1 · 1 won
2
Goalkeeper saves
4
6
Blocked shots
3
-1.30
Goals prevented
-1.30
Middlesbrough
4-2-3-1
Watford
3-5-2Middlesbrough
4-2-3-1Starting XI
- 2C. BrittainD
- 11M. WhittakerM
- 12L. AylingD
- 13D. StrelecF
- 14A. GilbertM
- 18A. MorrisM
- 24A. BanguraD
- 27S. HansenM
- 29A. MalandaD
- 31S. BrynnG
- 45J. SarmientoM
Substitutes
- 3M. TargettD
- 6D. FryD
- 9T. ConwayF
- 16A. BrowneM
- 20K. SèneF
- 22S. SilveraF
- 23Leo CastledineM
- 25G. EdmundsonD
- 32J. WildsmithG
Watford
3-5-2Starting XI
- 1E. SelvikG
- 2J. NgakiaM
- 4K. KebenD
- 6M. PollockD
- 9L. KjerrumgaardF
- 10I. LouzaM
- 15E. BoveF
- 16M. BolaM
- 23N. MendyM
- 25J. AbankwahD
- 39E. KayembeM
Substitutes
- 3S. GoglichidzeD
- 7T. InceM
- 8G. ChakvetadzeM
- 12N. BaxterG
- 20M. DoumbiaF
- 34K. BaahF
- 42O. MaammaF
- 43J. GrievesF
- 66N. IrankundaF
Middlesbrough
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Whittaker | M | 63 | 9.9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| David Strelec | F | 90 | 7.2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0/2 |
| Luke Ayling(C) | D | 90 | 7.2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| Alexander Gilbert | M | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/2 |
| Callum Brittain | D | 90 | 6.9 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1/1 |
| Alex Bangura | D | 45 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/2 |
| Adilson Malanda | D | 64 | 6.9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Aidan Morris | M | 90 | 6.6 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1/2 |
| Jeremy Sarmiento | M | 83 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0/2 |
| Solomon Brynn | G | 90 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sontje Hansen | M | 64 | 6.2 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 0/2 |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Mamadou Kaly Sene | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Alan Browne | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Joe Wildsmith | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| George Edmundson | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tommy Conway | F | 27 | 8.9 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 |
| Matt Targett | D | 45 | 7.3 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — |
| Dael Fry | D | 26 | 6.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Samuel Silvera | F | 14 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Leo Castledine | M | 26 | 6.3 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
Watford
| Player | Pos | Min | Rating | G | A | Shots | SoT | Key Passes | Dribbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edo Kayembe | M | 90 | 7.0 | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1/3 |
| James Abankwah | D | 90 | 6.9 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| Imrân Louza(C) | M | 90 | 6.7 | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Luca Kjerrumgaard | F | 63 | 6.3 | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0/1 |
| Edoardo Bove | F | 62 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0/1 |
| Jeremy Ngakia | M | 62 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Marc Bola | M | 82 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1/1 |
| Nampalys Mendy | M | 63 | 6.2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Matthew Pollock | D | 90 | 6.0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kévin Keben Biakolo | D | 90 | 5.6 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — |
| Egil Selvik | G | 90 | 5.6 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Substitutes | |||||||||
| Giorgi Chakvetadze | M | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nathan Baxter | G | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kwadwo Baah | F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Saba Goglichidze | D | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jack Grieves | F | 27 | 6.7 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Mamadou Doumbia | F | 28 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
| Tom Ince | M | 8 | 6.5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Othmane Maamma | F | 28 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | 1/1 |
| Nestory Irankunda | F | 27 | 6.3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |