Watford’s eighth away victory of the season on Saturday ensured they regained their status as the Championship’s top away side and kept them on track for at least one club record this season.

The win at Nottingham Forest took the Hornets’ points tally on the road to 26 for the campaign, two more than Hull City and three clear of leaders Cardiff City.

The number of away points gained, the same as Premier Division leaders Manchester United, is the joint sixth best in the four senior English divisions – Doncaster Rovers lead the way with 33 – but no team can match the goals tally of Gianfranco Zola’s men on the road.

Matej Vydra’s fifth brace from as many league starts and Troy Deeney’s first-half finish means the Hornets have now scored 32 goals away this season – the highest in all four divisions – and keeps them firmly on course for a Football League club record.

Watford’s best scoring season on the road since becoming a Football League side in 1920/21 was the 1977/78 campaign when Graham Taylor’s Division Four title-winning side hit the back of the net 41 times. But with nine away matches still to play, starting with Bristol City tomorrow night, Zola’s side will shatter that record if they maintain their current average of almost 2.3 goals per away game.

Fans also need to go back to that season to find the last time the Hornets had scored more goals after 28 league games. The Hornets currently have 56 - equalling their total from the whole of last season - compared to 60 in 1977/78 when they went on to finish the season with a total of 85.

The Hornets’ current points tally of 49 is their highest after 28 matches since 2000/01 and, encouragingly, is more than on the two previous occasions they were promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. In both 1998/99 and 2005/06, Watford had 46 points on the board after playing 28 games.