Watford are the worst first-half team in the top four divisions of English football.

The Hornets have led just twice at the break in their 36 Championship fixtures so far this season, putting them bottom of the 92-strong pile below Premier League Sheffield United and League One side Carlisle United, who have each led three times.

Incredibly, Watford have been drawing at the end of the first half in 23 of their 36 league games, comfortably the highest number of any team in the four English leagues.

Preston, with 20 deadlocks at half-time, are the only side to come close to Watford’s 23, although Everton have been level at the break in 16 of 27 Premier League games, so their percentage is close to that of the Hornets.

It’s no surprise that league leaders Leicester City (20) have been ahead at the end of the first 45 minutes more times than any other Championship team.

Ipswich are the Championship’s top first-half scorers with 37, although League Two Notts County have managed 38 in two fewer games.

The two games that Watford have been leading at half-time were on the opening day, when they were 4-0 up over QPR in the first 45 minutes, and the 5-0 win over Rotherham at Vicarage Road on November 11 when they were leading 2-0 at the interval.

That means the Hornets have not been ahead at half-time in a home league game in 2024 - they have played for 13 ½ hours in front of their own fans in league games since last leading at half-time.

Nor have they managed to be ahead after 45 minutes in any of their 18 away Championship fixtures so far.

They have won six times on the road this season: 1-0 at Swansea (0-0 at half-time); 2-1 at Hull (1-1 at half-time); 5-1 at Preston (1-1 at half-time); 2-1 at Blackburn (1-0 down at half-time); 2-1 at QPR (0-0 at half-time); and 1-0 at Rotherham (0-0 at half-time).

In a table of second-half performances, Watford sit ninth in the Championship, ‘winning’ 13 of their 36 games, drawing 14 and losing the other nine.

Watford have been leading for just 15% of the 36 Championship games so far – only bottom club Rotherham have led for less (13%).

Converting that into time, it means they have been ahead for 468 of the 3,240 minutes played so far this season.

To put it another way, Watford have played 54 hours of Championship football so far this season, and have been leading for less than eight of them.

Being level is the Hornets’ speciality: their 36 league fixtures so far have been tied for 58% of their duration, the highest figure in the Championship.

Leaders Leicester have been ahead for 51% of the games they have played so far, meaning Foxes fans have enjoyed seeing their team in front for more than 27 hours so far this season.