Birmingham 0 Watford 1 Deeney (pen) 85

WATFORD captain Troy Deeney celebrated his 500th league appearance by scoring the only goal, from the spot, against his hometown club.

And manager Vladimir Ivic hailed Deeney as a ‘second coach’. ‘Troy is an important player for us and we know he is the guy who is a winner,’ said Ivic. ‘His mentality is positive.’

Birmingham head coach Aitor Karanka didn’t shy away from his affection for Deeney, either. ‘Ever since I’ve been here, I’ve loved him,’ he said.