Scott gives Clarets a winter warmer
before half-time when the Hornets pressed the selfdestruct button. As the ball ran loose into the path of Steven Defour, Zeegelaar launched himself with both feet off the ground at the Belgian.
With Defour writhing in agony, referee Probert calmly waved away Watford’s predictable pleas and produced the red card.
Cue an angry Silva remonstrating with fourth official Andre Marriner – and a similar animated conversation followed in the earshot of Probert as they both made their way to the tunnel at the interval.
Silva insisted: “It was a harsh, harsh decision. I went to speak to the referee but he didn’t want to speak. I don’t know why. For me my player’s two feet weren’t off the ground when he made the challenge.”
A few minutes later Silva had extra cause for his bulging veins when Watford conceded after dominating much of the opening half with measured passing and fluid movement.
They were sliced open when Johann Berg Gudmundsson crossed from the right, Jeff Hendrick allowed the ball to run for Arfield who neatly set himself up to fire low past Heurelho Gomes. Arfield was starting his first game in seven after being asked to fill the big boots of Republic of Ireland international Robbie Brady – out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche said: “It was a great finish, a really calm one. It is hard when you are not playing regularly.
“I thought it was a definite sending off. I thought that at the time.”
Watford were left rueing not only Zeegelaar’s rush of blood but earlier missed chances by the ever-dangerous Richarlison and Daryl Janmaat, while keeper Nick Pope did well to smother Abdoulaye Doucoure’s low thudding effort which came through a sea of legs.
But never mind can you do it on a wet Wednesday in Stoke, what about on a snowy ice cold afternoon in Burnley – with 10 men?
Burnley thought they had made it 2-0 through substitute Ashley Barnes but his effort was disallowed after wandering marginally offside.
Gomes also had to make brilliant saves to twice deny Gudmundsson as Burnley found they had heads for heights, having now already collected 28 points and going level with Spurs and Arsenal.
Dyche added: “I’m really pleased although we have to work hard for everything. We know there’s still plenty of work to do but from a fans’ point of view it’s fantastic for them to look at the league table.
“I think we’re now moving on from looking to accumulate 40 points. We have to try to move on season by season.”