Burnley manager Sean Dyche said it had “been an emotional week” after his side dealt a blow to Watford’s Premier League survival hopes.
The Clarets, who have had injury and player contract problems, were thrashed by Manchester City on Monday, with media reports questioning Dyche’s future at the club.
To compound matters a banner reading ‘White Lives Matter Burnley’ was towed by an aeroplane over Etihad Stadium during their matchagainst City.
“Over seven and a half years we have built a culture and environment that behind it has a strong mentality. We bounced back after the other night,” Dyche said.
“I am still here. I have had this before, still working with the players. It has been an emotional week. Someone wrote the first time in seven years I had questioned the board, I think that’s pretty good.”
Burnley are now up to 11th in the table after Jay Rodriguez scored the decisive goal, with a glancing header from Dwight McNeil’s cross.
The Hornets, who had hoped to use a game in hand to pull clear of their rivals at the bottom of the table, remain 16th, a point above the relegation zone.
While the Clarets enjoyed the better of the early stages, with Matej Vydra hitting the post and Rodriguez twice going close to scoring, Watford will consider themselves unfortunate not to have gained a point.
Danny Welbeck was tackled when well placed to score, while Troy Deeney’s powerful header from a corner was cleared off the Burnley line by McNeil.
Prior to kick-off Burnley displayed a fan led video in support of Black Lives Matter with a players from both sides also taking a knee in support of the movement.
