The pre-game optimism brought about by the return of Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro disappeared evaporated amid a poor defensive display as Watford saw their unbeaten start to the league season end as Queens Park Rangers claimed a 3-2 victory at Vicarage Road.

While Rangers’ opening goal owed much to a fortunate deflection, their second and third efforts were the result of superior movement and ball control capitalising on their opponents being out of position and dragged out of shape in both midfield and across a backline which never looked comfortable throughout.

Ken Sema and Pedro did get on the scoresheet for the Hornets, who also hit the woodwork and had a late goal disallowed for offside, but the reason they were beaten in the league for the first time this season was down to their own deficiencies.

The visitors took the lead with a large slice of luck when an Ilias Chair shot took a big deflection off Francisco Sierralta to send it past Daniel Bachmann.

The hosts were not behind for too long though, Sema calmly finishing after a Pedro pass had enabled the Swedish international to create an opportunity for himself.

But it was the visitors who struck next when Chris Willock capitalised on a well-worked attacking break which opened up the home side.

The Hornets trailed at the break but were level within five minutes of the restart asPedro made the most of a mix-up in the visitors’ defensive ranks following good work by substitute Yaser Asprilla.

The hope among the Vicarage Road faithful was that their side would be able to kick on from that point but more woeful defending allowed substitute Albert Adomah to put the visitors ahead for a third time.

Edo Kayembe thought he’d levelled for a third time in the closing stages with a fabulous strike from outside the area, but the goal was ruled out by an offside flag.

The Hornets had been given a big boost before kick-off with both Sarr and Pedro fit to start as Rob Edwards made three changes from the last league outing, the goalless draw at Preston North End. Mario Gaspar also came into the starting XI, with the Hornets boss moving to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Craig Cathcart, Asprilla and Vakoun Bayo dropped to a bench that also featured new loan signing Kortney Hause.

Rangers were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Rotherham United in their last league outing and boss Michael Beale made just one change, with Andre Dozzell coming in for Tyler Roberts.

The Hornets started brightly, looking to make full use of the width of the pitch, but neither side was able to create an opportunity until the 15th minute when Pedro was bodychecked off the ball outside the left of the penalty area.

The Brazilian took the free-kick himself, this was headed behind for a corner from which Hassane Kamara’s inswinging delivery to the near post was headed away to Kayembe, who checked back inside before trying a left-footed curler which goalkeeper Seny Dieng held.

Rangers weren’t too far away with their first effort in the 17th minute when a deep cross from the left was met by Stefan Johansen with a right-footed volley and he struck it wide of Bachmann’s right-hand post.

Fortune was on the Hoops’ side a minute later though, when Johansen played the ball into Chair and he struck a right-footed shot from fully 25 yards which took a wicked deflection off Sierralta and Bachmann wasn’t able to scramble back across his line quickly enough to prevent the ball from going inside his left-hand post to give the visitors the lead.

The Austrian international was able to deal with another deflected effort moments later before the Hornets set about trying to get back on terms.

Rey Manaj had his first opportunity when he was released down the inside-right channel and hit a rising drive which Dieng parried up in his air, with Rangers able to get enough bodies back to prevent their hosts from turning in the rebound.

Gaspar was the next to try his luck when he met a Kamara cross from the left with a left-footed volley from the edge of the 18-yard box but he was unable to keep the strike down.

With their next opportunity though, the Hornets did pull level.

A fine pass from Pedro picked out Sema on the edge of the area and he did well to knock the ball into space to the right of the six-yard box where he calmly side-footed a finish back across Dieng to level.

Having got back on terms though, Watford were forced into an early challenge in the 31st minute when Manaj went off injured and he was replaced by Asprilla.

A defensive interception prevented the substitute from receiving a Pedro pass on the edge of the Rangers box two minutes later, but from this Watford were exposed and fell behind for a second time.

Hamza Choudhury was unable to get back and regain possession in midfield, Dozzell worked the ball out to the right where Chair slipped in the overlapping Ethan Laird, who cut the ball back for Willock to fire emphatically past Bachmann and make it 2-1.

Pedro received the first yellow card in the 39th minute for pulling back Willock but a minute later the Brazilian was inches away from equalising with a visionary effort.

It came when Dieng, under pressure from Asprilla outside of his area, tried to head clear but he only succeeded in finding Pedro, who tried an improvised lob which bounced over the stranded keeper but up and over via the crossbar.

Johansen levelled up the card count in the last minute of normal time in the first half for a late challenge on Sarr, but five minutes of added time afforded the hosts hope of getting back on terms before the break.

A great chance was wasted in the third minute of stoppage time when Sarr got away from at least three opponents as he surged in field before picking out Sema advancing forward on the left, but the scorer was unable to pick out the unmarked Pedro in front of goal.

The home side had an opportunity within a minute of the restart when Pedro played the ball to Sema, but his pass to Kamara was just a little too heavy, forcing the left-back a bit wider than he would have hoped, with his left-foot effort held by Dieng.

But it didn’t take Watford to get back level for a second time.

The combination of Choudhury and Kayembe dispossessed Rangers in midfield, allowing Asprilla to break forward before he sought to release Pedro in the area. Rob Dickie, under pressure from the Brazilian, won the ball but only succeeded in taking it away from Dieng before the defender went to ground, claiming a free-kick that wasn’t forthcoming, leaving the grateful Pedro to fire into the unguarded net to make it 2-2.

Watford’s next opportunity came when Asprilla fired over from just outside the 18-yard box after Sema and Kamara had combined down the left, the visitors making their first change shortly after when Albert Adomah replaced Lyndon Dykes.

It was the Rangers replacement who forced Bachmann into a good save with a snap-shot on the turn following a corner mid-way through the second half.

But the substitute was to get on the scoresheet soon after, firing high past Bachmann after the Hornets had been caught out at the back when Gaspar, who had a poor afternoon, was caught out of position by a clipped pass forward to Chair down the left which dragged Sierralta out of position as he sought to go across and deal the danger. The Hoops were able to get the ball across, with Adomah the beneficiary with Watford short of numbers in the middle.

The Hornets had Bachmann to thank for not conceding a fourth in the 74th minute when more awful defending allowed Adomah to put Chair through one-on-one but the Watford keeper came out on top.

Edwards brought on Bayo for Gaspar with nine minutes remaining, a change which saw Sema drop to left-back and Kamara move over to the right.

Watford thought they had levelled for a third time in spectacular fashion with five minutes when Kayembe crashed home a superb left-footed half-volley from the 20 yards after a Pedro cross from the left had broken to the midfielder, but the celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag, although it was by no means clear who was meant to be offside.

Watford tried to push for a late equaliser in what remained of stoppage time, but Rangers saw the job through to inflict a first defeat of the season on the Hornets and leave plenty of questions ahead of Tuesday’s home game with Middlesbrough.

Watford: Bachmann; Gasapar (Bayo 81), Sierralta, Kabasele, Kamara; Choudhury, Kayembe; Sarr, Joao Pedro, Sema; Manaj (Asprilla 31). Subs not used: Hamer, Cathcart, Gosling, Hause, Hungbo.

QPR: Dieng; Laird, Dickie, Dunne, Paal; Field, Johansen (Masterson 87); Dozzell, Chair (Armstrong 80), Willock (Kakay 87); Dykes (Aadomah 61). Subs not used: Archer, Bonne, Shodipo.

Referee: Keith Stroud.