Watford FC: Tom Cleverley has right to feel let down by 4/10 individual in Preston loss - View | OneFootball

Watford boss Tom Cleverley will likely feel disappointed by Edo Kayembe's poor display against Preston North End

Watford's poor form away from home continued on Wednesday night, as a 3-0 defeat to Preston North End marked the third consecutive defeat the Hornets have suffered on their travels in the Championship.

Hornets boss Tom Cleverley is currently overseeing a 2024/25 campaign which could turn out to be his first full season in management, and his side sit eighth in the Championship table after eight games.

Promising victories at Vicarage Road such as a 3-0 triumph over Stoke City back in August, and a 2-1 win over league leaders Sunderland in late September demonstrate the sort of positive performances the Hertfordshire outfit are capable of.

But the Hornets have not won away from home since a dramatic 3-2 victory at Millwall on the opening day of the campaign, and unless Cleverley can address his side's form on the road, a genuine play-off push looks beyond their capabilities.

The Watford boss will be unhappy with the manner of his team's 3-0 loss at Deepdale, while he may be particularly unsatisfied with the performance of attacking midfielder Edo Kayembe.

Cleverley must be unhappy with Kayembe's midweek performance

The 26-year-old has had a decent start to the campaign overall with three goals in seven Championship appearances, including a brace against Stoke.

But on Wednesday night against Preston, Kayembe was well below par before being substituted off in the 83rd minute, by which time the damage had already been done.

FotMob gave the DR Congo a rating of just 4.6/10 for his poor performance on Wednesday night, while his statistics don't make a pleasant reading for Hornets fans.

As per FotMob, Kayembe failed to create a chance against the Lilywhites at Deepdale, while he was also at fault at the other end of the pitch, making an error which led to a goal for the hosts.

Shockingly, the former Anderlecht man also created just 0.01 expected assists, and he also failed to have a single shot as his side fell to a resounding defeat.

Furthermore, Kayembe did not manage to produce a single accurate cross, having made three attempts, and he was also dispossessed on two occasions.

Cleverley has named the 26-year-old in three of his last four starting lineups, while the Hornets have suffered two defeats in their last three Championship games.

The Hornets boss will likely be looking to shuffle his pack for Saturday's encounter with fellow top-eight side Middlesbrough, who have won two consecutive matches.

Following a poor performance at Deepdale on Wednesday, Kayembe could be one of the first names Cleverley looks to drop from his starting 11 as he searches for a win over Boro.

Despite their woes on the road of late, the Vicarage Road faithful should still be feeling confident that their side can produce the goods over Michael Carrick's men this weekend, as the Hornets have won three of their last four Championship outings on home turf, while also boasting an unbeaten record in Hertfordshire.

But Boro travel reasonably well with two wins out of four away from home so far this campaign, so Cleverley's men will have to be at their best to overcome Carrick and co.

An inconsistent Hornets side will be desperately wanting a victory on Saturday, in order to head into their visit to bitter rivals Luton, which takes place after the international break, with momentum behind them.

In order to find a win on the weekend, Cleverley is likely to make changes to his starting lineup, which could lead to Kayembe being benched courtesy of his unsatisfactory Deepdale exploits.