Watford defender Younes Kaboul thinks two penalty decisions proved the difference as the Hornets were downed 3-1 by Arsenal at Vicarage Road yesterday.

The new signing, who made his debut in the defeat, felt his side were unfairly penalised when referee Kevin Friend awarded the Gunners an eighth-minute spot kick after a foul by Nordin Amrabat on Alexis Sanchez.

TV replays would later vindicate the official's decision - but the Frenchman had more of a point in relation to an incident later in the game, when a free kick appeared to strike an Arsenal arm inside the box, but Friend ignored appeals from Watford's players for a penalty of their own.

The Hornets had shown plenty of endeavour after pulling a goal back 12 minutes into the second period, and Kaboul believes they may have got something from the game had the decision gone their way.

"At 3-1 we could have had the penalty and if we scored it would’ve been game on," he said. "I’m disappointed with that but we could have done better sometimes as well. We can’t do anything now, though.

"We put in a shift on the pitch; today the first half was bad, but after the break we had that reaction and if we had the penalty and scored a second it might have been a different game."

The defender, with 167 Premier League appearances already under his belt, did concede Watford had been sloppy in allowing one Arsenal goal to become three in the final minutes before the break.

"When we concede two more goals in the first half, it’s not acceptable," He said. "But we scored a goal in the second half and could have had a penalty too which was not whistled.

"When the whistle went for the penalty - which was not a penalty - you have to move on and get back into the game.

"[Was it a penalty?] No, not at all."