Watford put on a really entertaining show on the road today, battling back for a 2–2 draw at Preston North End. It was a solid start for Edward Still in his first game in charge, thanks in large part to some big plays from Othmane Maamma and Imrân Louza.
Preston seemed to be cruising early on at Deepdale after Lewis Dobbin opened the scoring in the 19th minute, feeding off the home crowd’s energy.
But Watford looked like a different team after the break. Maamma leveled things up in the 55th minute with a really composed finish, capping off a slick team move that showed exactly why he’s such a handful for defenders.
Just two minutes later, Watford completely flipped the script. An own goal by Odel Offiah put the visitors in front showing just how much fight this Hornets side has in them.
MAAMMA HAS US LEVEL 👊 pic.twitter.com/qZvpd5rsQs
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) February 14, 2026
Watford Draws with Preston Thanks to Maamma and Louza
Midfielder Imrân Louza, who’s been the creative heartbeat of the team all season, was the architect behind the comeback. He set up Maamma’s equalizer with a perfectly weighted through-ball that carved the Preston defense wide open and totally shifted the momentum of the game.
Even after falling behind, Preston refused to just roll over. Milutin Osmajic came off the bench and kept his cool to make it 2–2 in the 70th minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the box to make sure his side walked away with a point.
It was a wild, end-to-end game with both teams hunting for a winner late on, but neither could find that final breakthrough.
For Watford, after being stuck in a real rut lately, this draw feels like a solid step in the right direction. The Hornets hadn’t picked up a league win in six tries, so grabbing a point in their first match under a new coach might be the spark they need to start climbing back up the Championship table.
Preston stay level on points with Watford but keep a slight edge thanks to goal difference.
