Watford boss Nigel Pearson praised two goal Troy Deeney after their 3-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

The Hornets achieved the result despite the dismissal of Adrian Mariappa.

Pearson said of Deeney: “He's an important player for us and he brings qualities to the side that we need. He loves the pressure, he loves to be able to make a fight of game and he's always a handful to play against. He's still not at his best but the fact he's been able to play the number of games that he has, contribute and score three goals in the last week I think bodes really well for him.

“He's a player that can occupy opponents really well, he's somebody who will ignite the fans and he's a focal point and he's also our captain, so all things together mean he's a very important player for us but he has a role to play like everybody else."

Pearson continued: “There's always going to be important performances in any victory and he's played his part today. He took a penalty under pressure, scored the first goal and played a really strong role for the team but there's been a lot of other good performances out there today and I think Troy would be the first to congratulate his team-mates on their contribution as well."