Watford's attitude has been questioned at times this season - but number one Heurelho Gomes felt it proved the difference in their deserved victory over Sunderland yesterday.

Both sides gave their all but the Hornets' quality eventually told through Miguel Britos' second-half header to give Watford only their third league win of 2017.

The pressure has ramped up on the Golden Boys in recent weeks, thanks largely to a run of three defeats from their last four games prior to Saturday, and Gomes admitted the strain had seeped into the dressing room ahead of yesterday's clash.

He said: "We have a quality group, and better than last season, but we are not consistent this year and when we are on a bad run, of course there will be pressure and we feel it.

"Some of us do more than others, but the responsibility is the same for everyone.

"The most important thing, except the result, was that we gave everything, and we did.

"Our results haven't been too good, and to play a game like this is also not ideal at the moment - because they needed a result and I believe we did as well.

"There are a few games we’ve played where we felt like we should have done better, but the feeling was good today and the lads gave everything to get a good result."

Gomes denied the performance, so chalk-and-cheese from their dismal defeat at Crystal Palace a fortnight ago, had been for Hornets boss Walter Mazzarri, who has become an increasingly divisive figure as the Hornets slipped down the table in recent weeks.

He said: "We did it for everyone today, not just the manager, but we had to do it for the club and fans first and foremost.

"The people see the work, and of course everybody was under pressure, not only the manager, to produce a good result. We have to take responsibility for our performances as well, and we did today."