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This page shows the ELO score history of the selected club - mapping their best and worst sides of all time, and their most unlikely victories and defeats based on their ELO score.

Inspired by ClubELO.com, the ELO rating system is a method of calculating and comparing the relative strengths of teams in competition. For every match played, the ELO scores of the two teams are considered, and adjusted for other factors (such as home advantage), to calculate the likelihood of the match result. When the actual result of the game is known, the ELO score is adjusted accordingly, comparing the expected outcome of the game with the actual outcome - so a victory over Manchester United will be worth more points than one over Supermarine. The resulting ELO score can be used to compare the strengths of teams over time, and to project future results based on the current form of all teams.

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WATFORD
score history | best teams | worst teams | significant victories | significant defeats | bogey teams

 

A historical overview of Watford's ELO scores.

 

A list of the top 15 Watford sides in history, based on their ELO score.

  Year Date Recorded ELO Score  
  2019 Sunday, April 7, 2019 4073.62  
  1987 Saturday, March 21, 1987 4062.46  
  1986 Saturday, April 5, 1986 4049.91  
  2015 Saturday, December 26, 2015 4043.63  
  2016 Saturday, January 9, 2016 4033.21  
  1984 Tuesday, March 20, 1984 4028.72  
  2020 Saturday, January 18, 2020 4022.35  
  1983 Sunday, February 6, 1983 4019.89  
  2018 Sunday, September 2, 2018 4019.41  
  1985 Saturday, September 28, 1985 4019.04  
  2017 Saturday, November 25, 2017 4010.38  
  2021 Saturday, November 20, 2021 4008.72  
  1982 Saturday, November 27, 1982 3996.19  
  2022 Saturday, January 1, 2022 3966.70  
  2007 Monday, October 29, 2007 3955.20  
 
 

A list of the worst 15 Watford sides in history, based on their ELO score.

  Year Date Recorded ELO Score  
  1903 Monday, April 27, 1903 3419.56  
  1975 Friday, December 26, 1975 3440.90  
  1976 Saturday, January 3, 1976 3446.02  
  1951 Thursday, September 6, 1951 3453.93  
  1902 Saturday, December 27, 1902 3458.40  
  1952 Wednesday, April 23, 1952 3464.19  
  1959 Friday, March 27, 1959 3465.42  
  1901 Saturday, February 9, 1901 3476.59  
  1900 Saturday, December 8, 1900 3481.35  
  1956 Saturday, February 18, 1956 3484.83  
  1927 Saturday, December 3, 1927 3484.87  
  1948 Saturday, February 14, 1948 3487.19  
  1949 Saturday, April 2, 1949 3489.67  
  1958 Wednesday, September 17, 1958 3496.08  
  1957 Saturday, February 23, 1957 3498.49  
 
 

A listing of the 20 most significant victories in Watford's history, based on the ELO points difference between the two teams.

  Match Diff. Win/Draw
Exp %
Score ELO Score Change
  Watford (3986) vs. Liverpool (4409)
  Saturday, February 29, 2020
-383.5 9.9% 3-0 +31.5 
  Watford (3561) vs. Birmingham City (3946)
  Saturday, January 9, 1960
-281.9 16.5% 2-1 +16.7 
  Watford (3778) vs. Liverpool (4117)
  Saturday, February 21, 1970
-232.4 20.8% 1-0 +15.8 
  Watford (3951) vs. Chelsea (4250)
  Monday, February 5, 2018
-260.3 18.3% 4-1 +28.6 
  Watford (3861) vs. Chelsea (4153)
  Saturday, September 18, 1999
-224.4 21.6% 1-0 +15.7 
  Watford (4003) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (4290)
  Sunday, September 2, 2018
-245.5 19.6% 2-1 +16.1 
  Arsenal (4241) vs. Watford (3959)
  Tuesday, January 31, 2017
-318.1 13.8% 1-2 +17.2 
  Manchester United (4020) vs. Watford (3743)
  Wednesday, October 4, 1978
-381.7 10.0% 1-2 +18.0 
  Watford (3805) vs. Nottingham Forest (4081)
  Tuesday, October 28, 1980
-176.8 26.5% 4-1 +25.7 
  Watford (3512) vs. Tottenham Hotspur (3782)
  Saturday, October 6, 1900
-139.8 30.9% 2-1 +13.8 
  Brighton and Hove Albion (3751) vs. Watford (3485)
  Saturday, February 25, 1956
-373.3 10.4% 2-3 +17.9 
  Preston North End (3856) vs. Watford (3597)
  Wednesday, January 11, 1950
-353.5 11.6% 0-1 +17.7 
  Watford (3557) vs. Southampton (3809)
  Saturday, February 10, 1906
-123.5 32.9% 4-1 +23.5 
  Watford (3607) vs. Swindon Town (3857)
  Saturday, October 14, 1911
-124.9 32.8% 2-0 +20.2 
  Watford (3780) vs. Southampton (4027)
  Tuesday, September 2, 1980
-147.2 30.0% 7-1 +29.8 
  Wolverhampton Wanderers (3971) vs. Watford (3724)
  Saturday, February 16, 1980
-349.6 11.8% 0-3 +30.9 
  Plymouth Argyle (3780) vs. Watford (3535)
  Saturday, February 25, 1928
-374.1 10.4% 0-1 +17.9 
  Watford (3984) vs. Arsenal (4228)
  Saturday, October 14, 2017
-205.4 23.5% 2-1 +15.3 
  Watford (3524) vs. Brighton and Hove Albion (3768)
  Tuesday, August 21, 1956
-135.8 31.4% 2-1 +13.7 
  Watford (3608) vs. Preston North End (3845)
  Saturday, January 12, 1929
-107.9 35.0% 1-0 +13.0 
 
 

A listing of the 20 most significant defeats in Watford's history, based on the ELO points difference between the two teams.

  Match Diff. Win/Draw
Exp %
Score ELO Score Change
  Ipswich Town (3175) vs. Watford (3688)
  Saturday, November 28, 1936
+380.7 89.9% 2-1 -18.0 
  Newport County (3495) vs. Watford (3974)
  Tuesday, September 22, 2020
+438.7 92.6% 3-1 -13.9 
  Tranmere Rovers (3537) vs. Watford (4013)
  Thursday, January 23, 2020
+436.4 92.5% 2-1 -9.2 
  Nuneaton Borough (3199) vs. Watford (3619)
  Saturday, November 21, 1953
+314.7 86.0% 3-0 -30.1 
  Bedford Town (3156) vs. Watford (3549)
  Saturday, December 10, 1955
+285.8 83.8% 3-2 -16.8 
  Leytonstone (3168) vs. Watford (3547)
  Saturday, December 4, 1948
+280.3 83.4% 2-1 -16.7 
  Watford (3848) vs. Bradford City (3498)
  Tuesday, August 28, 2012
+393.0 90.6% 1-2 -9.1 
  Northwich Victoria (3229) vs. Watford (3560)
  Saturday, January 8, 1977
+227.1 78.7% 3-2 -15.7 
  Watford (3982) vs. Gillingham (3655)
  Tuesday, August 23, 2016
+362.9 89.0% 1-2 -8.9 
  Cardiff City (3635) vs. Watford (3923)
  Tuesday, October 9, 1984
+194.7 75.4% 1-0 -15.1 
  Cambridge United (3494) vs. Watford (3773)
  Tuesday, August 11, 1998
+211.9 77.2% 1-0 -7.7 
  Watford (3874) vs. Notts County (3607)
  Tuesday, September 26, 2000
+334.2 87.3% 0-2 -13.1 
  Watford (3544) vs. Walthamstow Avenue (3284)
  Wednesday, December 10, 1952
+360.0 88.8% 1-2 -17.8 
  Cardiff City (3666) vs. Watford (3915)
  Saturday, April 3, 1982
+150.3 70.4% 2-0 -21.1 
  Merthyr Town (3556) vs. Watford (3804)
  Saturday, October 9, 1920
+131.5 68.1% 2-0 -20.4 
  Watford (3532) vs. Crewe Alexandra (3289)
  Saturday, September 6, 1958
+348.3 88.1% 0-1 -17.6 
  Cardiff City (3466) vs. Watford (3706)
  Saturday, March 2, 1935
+108.6 65.1% 2-1 -13.0 
  Bolton Wanderers (3643) vs. Watford (3883)
  Tuesday, September 19, 1989
+162.0 71.8% 2-1 -14.4 
  Millwall (3733) vs. Watford (3966)
  Sunday, January 29, 2017
+198.0 75.8% 1-0 -7.6 
  Southend United (3671) vs. Watford (3904)
  Tuesday, August 28, 2007
+184.2 74.3% 2-0 -11.1 
 
   

The twenty teams that Watford are most successful against, based on the average ELO points won in games against them (minimum ten games played).

  Team Games Avg. Score
+/-
  AFC Wimbledon 19 +3.16 
  Bristol Rovers 117 +2.88 
  Oldham Athletic 39 +2.77 
  Oxford United 38 +2.75 
  Rotherham United 31 +2.65 
  Leyton 13 +2.59 
  Arsenal 34 +2.49 
  Birmingham City 51 +2.31 
  Scunthorpe United 24 +2.29 
  Crewe Alexandra 30 +2.02 
  Workington 14 +2.02 
  Tranmere Rovers 32 +1.82 
  Southport 16 +1.77 
  Grimsby Town 50 +1.75 
  Middlesbrough 43 +1.73 
  Leeds United 28 +1.62 
  Northampton Town 113 +1.58 
  Darlington 1883 15 +1.49 
  Merthyr Town 27 +1.46 
  Sheffield Wednesday 51 +1.34 

The twenty teams that Watford are least successful against, based on the average ELO points won in games against them (minimum ten games played).

  Team Games Avg. Score
+/-
  Aberdare Town 12 -3.67 
  Huddersfield Town 36 -3.19 
  Aldershot Town 52 -2.24 
  Everton 33 -2.11 
  Peterborough United 33 -2.10 
  Manchester City 32 -1.97 
  West Bromwich Albion 44 -1.94 
  Leicester City 73 -1.89 
  Hull City 47 -1.85 
  Queens Park Rangers 149 -1.79 
  Stockport County 22 -1.75 
  Bradford Park Avenue 11 -1.69 
  Mansfield Town 24 -1.67 
  York City 17 -1.61 
  Shrewsbury Town 51 -1.60 
  Cambridge United 19 -1.51 
  Carlisle United 20 -1.47 
  Colchester United 42 -1.42 
  West Ham United 78 -1.40 
  Hartlepool United 14 -1.36