Hello and welcome to our live blog coverage of Sunderland vs Watford from the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats got straight back to winning ways against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night and Tony Mowbray is looking for another positive performance against Valiern Ismael's side.
The Hornets have suffered back-to-back-defeats to Leeds United and Middlesbrough and Sunderland are favourites to inflict another setback to their promotion hopes tonight.
Mowbray has more injury concerns to deal with tonight as he revealed an unnamed 'key' player would be absent. Sunderland have still got a number of other players sidelined, including midfielders Pierre Ekwah and Bradley Dack who are not likely to return until after the international break.
We've got all the latest from the Stadium of Light right here, with team news, match analysis, ratings and reaction.
Tony Mowbray reaction
Tony Mowbray reacts after Sunderland's win against Watford - and he singled out goalscorers Huggins and Ba for special praise.
Match report
Sunderland tighten their grip on fourth place after seeing off ten-man Watford.
FT. Sunderland 2-0 Watford
And that's that.
Far from a vintage performance, but Sunderland did enough against a very poor Watford side.
Goals either side of half-time from Huggins and Ba made it back-to-back wins for Mowbray's men, who tightened their grip on fourth place
74mins Booking
Sunderland coach Mike Dodds booked - obviously for something he said while on the bench
71mins Huge chance!
Hoedt presents the ball to Aouchiche, he runs in on goal with only Bachmann to beat, he tries to slot his finish under the keeper who gets just enough on it to take the pace off the ball and Porteous gets back to clear off the line
62mins Sunderland 2-0 Watford. GGGGGOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!!!!
Sunderland double their lead!
Ba sees a cross deflect off a defender out for a corner, and Sunderland keep the pressure on from the set piece with the ball worked out to Burstow on the right side of the box.
He crosses to the far post for Bellingham who heads back across goal, and Ba is there in front of the right-hand post to head in from close range
59mins Chance!
Roberts clips the free-kick into the box, Ballard rises to meet it but his header goes just over the bar
⏱ And we are back under way!
Sunderland kick off, attacking the North Stand in the second half
HT ratings
Patterson 6
Huggins 7
O'Nien 6
Ballard 7
Hume 6
Neil 6
Bellingham 6
Ba 6
Roberts 7
Clarke 6
Burstow 6
HT. Sunderland 1-0 Watford
Not the greatest of first halves, to be honest, but Sunderland have just about shaded it and are in front.
Huggins' brilliant solo goal is the difference at the break, but other than that there has been precious little quality on show in either penalty area.
Sunderland have given the ball away too cheaply at times.
Loads of room for improvement in the second half
43mins Sunderland 1-0 Watford. GGGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!!
What a goal from Niall Huggins - his first for the the club.
The ball is played to him out on the right, he cuts inside Chakvetaddze, skates past Hoedt and smashes a right-foot drive past Bachmann and into the left side of the net off the underside of the bar
30mins Save!
Clarke races forward down the left, plays the ball inside for Bellingham who sets himself for a shot but his low effort is saved and held by Bachmann low to his left. First meaningful effort on goal from either side
19mins
Sunderland keeping the pressure on, winning three corners in quick succession but they are unable to take advantage
6mins Applause for Bradley Lowery
Applause all around the ground for Sunderland fan Bradley Lowery, who passed away aged six in 2017. Comes in the wake of the unsavoury episode at Hillsborough on Friday
