Watford’s hopes of Premier League survival suffered a potentially terminal blow after they crashed to a 3-0 defeat at home to Leeds United with a club record-equalling ninth successive loss at Vicarage Road.

Not since the dreadful 1971-72 season have the Hornets suffered such a sequence of results in their own back yard, but as so often been the case this season those in yellow and black were the architects of their own downfall.

Watford had been enjoying a good spell, going close to taking the lead through an Imran Louza free-kick, when Samir failed to clear his lines and Raphinha was the grateful recipient midway through the first half.

That was poor but the second goal, coming 17 minutes from the end when the Hornets had dominated much of the second half and had spurned a good chance to get level through Ismaila Sarr, was a defensive disaster as Hassane Kamara and Samir contrived to serve up the second goal for Rodrigo.

Jack Harrison applied the gloss with a well-struck third as Watford slumped to their 21st defeat of the season, more than they suffered in the entirety of their last campaign in the top-flight.

With a full-fit squad to choose from, Roy Hodgson named an unchanged side from the one that performed well in last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool.

Leeds came into the game off the back of a three-game unbeaten run following the 1-1 draw at home to Southampton and Jesse March made just the one change, with Robin Koch replacing Adam Forshaw in midfield.

Watford’s survival hopes took a blow before kick-off after Everton beat Manchester United 1-0 to leave the Hornets six points from safety.

The match started at a good tempo, with both sides looking to get on the front foot and each having the opportunity to probe their opposing defences in the opening minutes.

Ben Foster was the first goalkeeper to be called into action with a routine stop to deal with a flicked header from Daniel James, but Luke Ayling would have been disappointed not to test the Hornets stopper with a header from a Stuart Dallas corner in the tenth minute which he put over.

Leeds were starting to get in the ascendency in terms of possession, but Watford were given a chance to test Illan Meslier when Juraj Kucka latched onto a stray past and burst forward, only to be tripped by Mateusz Klich 25 yards out. And it almost resulted in the opening goal as Louza got the free-kick up and over the wall but put it narrowly wide of Meslier’s left-hand post.

Watford were to go close again from a set-piece, again after Kucka had been fouled, this time near the left edge of the 18-yard box. This time the free-kick was taken by Cucho Hernandez, who whipped in a right-footed delivery which Meslier got enough of a glove on to divert the ball behind.

Watford now had the upper hand but they contributed to their own downfall in the 22nd minute when the visitors struck.

Hasasane Kamara first mishit an attempted clearance but the Hornets should still have dealt with it when James hooked the ball back towards the 18-yard box. However, Samir again failed to clear, Kucka was beaten to the loose ball and Raphinha didn’t need a second invitation, lashing a first-time left-footed sot beyond Foster inside his near post to put the visitors in front.

Watford’s energy had been largely good prior to that setback, although Sarr was flattering to deceive more often that not when the hosts needed him to be seeking to impose himself on the contest.

The Hornets suffered another blow seven minutes before the interval when Hernandez was forced off with an injury and was replaced by Emmanuel Dennis.

Watford thought they were in two minutes before the interval when Dennis put Sarr through one-on-one with Meslier on the left angle of the area, but the Senegal man looked offside when the ball was played and the flag duly went up after he had been denied by the keeper.

A free-kick and a corner gave the hosts some late hope of getting back on terms before the interval, but Meslier dealt with both as Leeds took a one-goal lead into the interval.

Watford needed a good start to the second period and it almost arrived inside two minutes when Kiko Femenia whipped a corner from the left beneath Meslier’s crossbar; the Leeds keeper just able to punch it off the head of Moussa Sissoko, although the ball was adjudged to have come off the Watford captain.

The Hornets weren’t wanting for a lack of effort, but their play was lacking pattern, made all the more frustrating because Leeds were not playing particularly well either.

Louza, who looked the player most capable of picking a pass in the Hornets midfield, was the first player to be booked in the 57th minute for sliding through Raphinha.

A minute later March made his first change, with Kalvin Phillips replacing Klich, but moments later Watford spurned a fine chance to equalise.

Joao Pedro did well to win the ball back on the left side of midfield and immediately hit a cross-field pass which put Sarr in the clear, but instead of taking a touch he chose to hit a shot first time and put it high and wide with only Meslier to beat.

Watford were building up a head of steam though; Pedro giving the ball away with a stray pass but showing an appetite for the fight to chase back and regain possession.

Kucka snatched a left-footed shot wide after being picked out by Dennis before Leeds made their second change, with Sam Greenwood replacing James.

Foster had been a spectator for much of the second half, but he had to go to ground in the 68th minute to repel a snap-shot from Phillips.

Hodgson made his second change in the 72nd minute, Edo Kayembe coming on for the hard-working and battling Kucka, which allowed Louza to move further forward.

A minute later Watford were 2-0 down though, courtesy of a goal which was a defensive horror show.

Instead of knocking the ball out of play, Kamara tried to lay it inside to Samir, his touch was dreadful and the grateful Rodrigo knocked the ball past the stranded Foster to tap it into an unguarded net.

After Sissoko had been booked for chopping down Phillips, both sides made their final change as Joshua King replaced Pedro, while Crysencio Summerville came on for Raphinha.

The Hornets’ heads were down though, and with five minutes left Harrison made it 3-0, arrowing a left-footed shot across Foster and into the far corner after the visitors had been able to pass the ball through midfield with ease.

Leeds fans were celebrating taking a big step towards Premier League survival at the end, the majority of the Hornets’ support had long since headed for the exit.

Watford: Foster; Femenia, Kabasele, Samir, Kamara; Sissoko, Louza, Kucka (Kayembe 72); Sarr, Pedro (King 81), Hernandez (Dennis 38). Subs not used: Bachmann, Cleverley, Masina, Cathcart, Kalu, Sierralta.

Leeds United: Meslier; Ayling, Llorente, Cooper, Dallas; Klich (Phillips 58), Koch; Raphinha (Summerville 82), Rodrigo, Harrison; James (Greenwood 67). Subs not used: Klaesson, Struijk, Gelhardt, Hjelde, Cresswell, Kenneh.

Bookings: Louza for a foul on Raphinha (57); Sissoko for a foul on Greenwood (80).

Referee: Andre Marriner.