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And that's all folks!
Post-match comments: Ivic
"We won the game, am i satisfied? I know we can play much better, work on it day by day.It's a good three points but football is the future, not the past and the game is finished now so we need to look forward to the next game.
It was a very nice goal, a very nice moment - a player works hard and when a player works for the team these things happen.
We need to be careful and protect them - the young guys are the future of football and I like the work with them. They want to improve day by day.
Post-match comments: Tom Cleverley
"We've worked so hard the last two weeks. We deserved it. We're well drilled and we don't concede many chances at all... we can still be a little bit more ruthless but we deserved.It's nice to play a run of games, it's been a while and i'm enjoying the responsibility of setting an example for the young players.
Pedro has that quality. We didn't use him enough first half... great strike and worthy of man of the match."
Key man
The young Brazilian didn't have much service tonight but finished clinically and in style to score the winner! Pedro showed maturity and class throughout the evening and was the difference between the two sides.
Coming up
Quality shone through
It was only Watford's third goal of the season but it was one waiting for and worthy of winning any football match.
Full-time
Pedro lit up Pride Park with a spectacular effort from 18 yards with just 15 minutes left on the clock.
That's it!
Deja vu?
Rooney sets himself, stands over the ball and sends a tantalising effort inches over the bar.
Foster was helpless and Cocu looks on in despair as Rooney is unable to come to his aid once more.
Is this the end of Philip Cocu as Derby Manager?
Free-kick
Did I speak too soon?
Wilmot collects a yellow card with a foul on Lawrence and Rooney has a free-kick centre of goal, 25 yards out.
92'
Watford look comfortable.
Added time
Derby pile men forward but Watford have a goal-kick as the injured fourth official shows four minutes added time.
90'
Hosts are desperate for one more chance, one more opportunity!
Substitution
88'
The Rams appeal for handball but it struck his shoulder.
Corner!
Derby have two minutes plus added time to find an equaliser and have a corner!
Substitutions
Goalscorer, Pedro is replaced by Murray and Whittaker replaces Buchanan for the hosts.
83'
To be fair, if I had scored a goal like that, I would retire...
Chance!
The game has gone end-to-end as Quina nearly puts Watford further ahead after dancing his way into the box. Unfortunately he can't sort his feet out and slices his effort wide from 12 yards.
So close!
Brilliant from Rooney as Derby go straight up the other end and dissect Kabasele and Wilmot in the Watford defence.
Rooney is furious at himself as he slides the ball wide one-on-one with Foster on the edge of the box.
The game is alive!
Brilliant from Pedro
Out of nothing, Watford are ahead.
Pedro receives the ball on the edge of the box, covered by two defenders.
Pedro takes one touch to get the ball out of his feet, another to set himself as the defenders back off and the third sees him curl the ball passed Marshall from 18 yards into the top-right corner.
Magic.
Goal!
Watford lead!
Shot!
I feel spoiled! Two shots in a minute.
Chalobah shoots from 35 yards and tries to get the ball swerving but Marshall isn't worried as it sails over the bar.
Shot!
Lawrence takes on Cathcart and strikes a fierce shot from distance but straight at Foster.
72'
Substitution
Corner!
Watford work the ball wide and Davis gets on the end of a Watford cross to send it wide for a Watford corner.
70'
Spaces are starting to open up.
69'
Shot!
Jason Knight goes for power over accuracy from 25 yards and his wild swipe sails well-wide of Foster's goal.
Substitution
The first change of the night for the Rams as Lawrence replaces Holmes.
62'
Lawrence is about to be introduced into the game as Cocu looks to spark his side into life.
Handball!
Watford aggrieved as Evans deflects a Chalobah shot wide with his hands.
A blatant handball that prevents a goal but without VAR in the Championship, the score-line remains goalless.
Evans is a lucky man.58'
Important touch for the Rams!
Free-kick!
Huge opportunity for Watford here as Sema rolls Evans on the edge of the Derby box and gets fouled in the process.
Evans received the first yellow card of the evening.
54'
51'
Pedro tries to beat the offside trap but fails.
He then performs a delightful flick passed Marshall for the sake of it. I don't blame him, I would do the same if it was my first sight of goal all night.
49'
48'
Substitute (kind of)
Drama at Pride Park!
Here we go!
Let's hope it is more entertaining that the first half.
Tea break
We will have the second half LIVE on VAVEL coming up in the next five minutes.
Half-time
After a sloppy pass from Watford Captain, Tom Cleverley, the Rams countered and found Holmes on the edge of the Watford box.
Unmarked, 18 yards out and with time, Holmes snatched at the chance as the ball sailed comfortably over the bar.
Added time
There is no added time at the end of the first half and the Referee blows his whistle to end the first stanza.
Trying his luck
Cleverley looks to make up for his earlier mistake with a speculative effort from 30 yards. However, the efforts is nowhere near to troubling the score-line.
42'
Watford need a wake-up call at half-time.
Chance!
And we nearly have that spark!
Cleverley's loose pass enables Derby to counter and Holmes is free on the edge of the box but fires his effort well over the back.
A huge chance for the Rams!
40'
Chance!
Brilliant from Femenia, who turns the hosts inside out before the ball is crossed into Pedro. Fortunately for Derby, Davis is alert to the threat and diverts the ball out for a corner.
35'
34'
A pretty dour first 30 minutes for the neutral but we battle on!
30'
On brand with the game, it strikes into the first man and goes out for a throw-in.
29'
Don't worry, you haven't missed anything.
Defences of both sides have been on top and no real chances for either side.
25'
A Watford head gets there first and Ben Foster is relieved to catch the loose ball.
24'
Derby on top at the moment.
23'
22'
Corner
Derby go up the other end and Buchanan does well to win a corner for the hosts.
A shot!
On the volley, the Watford wing-back tries his luck and skies it high into the stands.
The first shot of the game!
Free-kick
We have some action!
Femenia is fouled on the edge of the Derby box and Watford have an opportunity on the right of the Derby box but from a tight angle.
16'
14'
Even Stevens
Both defences standing strong so far with no real glimpses on goal for either set of forwards.
Shaky moments
Couple of shaky moments at both ends as each side require a helping-hand from their goalkeepers after loose passes from their centre-backs.
Scrappy opening
Both sides struggling to retain possession early on here as it changes hands frequently in the opening exchanges.
Formations
2'
Early Free-kick
Kick-off
Both sides are out!
Kick-off moments away
Kick-off is now only a couple of minutes away!
Recap
Whilst Derby County are in 20th with just one win to their name, having conceded eight goals to Watford's one.
Finishing warm-ups
Under 30 minutes to go.
Both sides will be desperate for a victory but for very different reasons.
Watford will be chasing promotion this season whilst the Rams are still finding their feet near the foot of the Championship table.
Warm-ups
The man in the middle!
This will be his fourth game of the season, having handed out eight yellow cards and no reds thus far.
Four changes for visitors
Team News
Just one change for the hosts as Max Bird replaces Kamil Jozwiak from the side that beat Norwich City last time out.
Team News: Derby County
Subs: Roos, Wisdom, Forsyth, Te Wierik, Lawrence, Whittaker, Hector-Ingram
Team News: Watford FC
Subs: Bachmann, Cathcart, Stevenson, Garner, Phillips, Hungbo, Murray
Hornets have arrived
Conditions
Kick-off is now only 90 minutes away.
What to expect?
Between them, both sides have only scored four goals so expect a cagey affair with a low scoreline.
Wayne Rooney
Away day blues
Could they break the curse tonight?
Expecting Goals tonight
Recap on Watford absences
Jordan Ibe still missing
The former Cherry has not played a competitive game in over a year after falling out of favour with his former club.
Team News: Derby County
“Tom Lawrence is the closest to being involved in the first team again. He is very close. He feels good and has put in a lot of physical work, which is why he does not need a lot of time with the team training.
“Martyn Waghorn is training but he will need time after eight weeks out, but he looks good and it is great to have him back in the training sessions.”
Pre-game press conference
“At the moment we have João Pedro and Glenn Murray. We know João Pedro is playing as a starter for the first time and we need to have patience with young players. I am not satisfied that we have scored two goals in four games, we could have scored more goals.
“If you have more experienced players, a striker with games in the Championship, I’m sure we score two or three goals more. But I’m happy to work with young players and work with these guys because they show me day by day they want to be here, they show me their quality.”
Transfer news: Derby County
Transfer window closes
The owners will be happy to have kept much of their Premier League squad together as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Transfer news!
The Hornets paid a club-record £40m to sign him from Rennes in 2019 and value the striker at over £50m.
Kick-off closing in
Transfer News!
Reports coming out of Pride Park that he has signed a one-year deal with the Rams.
The striker will be in line to start against Watford tomorrow, having been in training with Derby already.
The next 24 hours
Whether it is breaking transfer news, pre-match comments or team news, we will have it for you.
How to watch
Back-drop
It will, of course, be played without fans, but VAVEL hope to make up for that will play-by-play updates so please stick with us for what should be an enthralling game of football.
Head-to-Head
Friday night's game should be equally competitive.
Form
At the other end of the table, the Rams are languishing in 20th, with only one victory to their name - the 87th minute winner by Rooney away to Norwich City two weeks ago. Defeat could move them into the relegation zone and spell the end of Cocu's reign in charge.
Team News: Watford
Troy Deeney is unlikely to travel due to transfer speculation, however Watford may be buoyed by the return of Etienne Capoue and Will Hughes to the starting line-up.
Otherwise, the Hornets can expect Nathanial Chalobah and Tom Cleverley to continue in midfield, with Joao Pedro upfront.
Team News: Derby County
Goalkeeper David Marshall (Scotland), winger Kamil Jozwiak (Poland) and midfielder Jason Knight (Republic of Ireland) were all in Nations' League action only 48 hours before the Rams are back in Championship action.
Marshall and Knight have started all four of Derby's league fixtures this season while Jozwiak has started the last three following his move from Lech Poznan.
Transfer News: Watford FC
With Liverpool, Manchester United and Crystal Palace all showing interest in forward, Ismaila Sarr, the deal could go down to the wire.
The Watford Observer understands the Eagles made contact with Sarr's representatives as early as the beginning of August but Palace have failed to make a concrete offer thus far.
Transfer News: Derby County
The 34-year-old is a free agent and has trained with the Rams, who have been searching for a striker in this current window, to join Wayne Rooney, Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn.
Calm after the storm
Kick-off time
Welcome back!
We will have all the team news, interviews and stats you could ever wish for ahead of the weekend as Derby County welcome Watford under the floodlights of Pride Park.

It wasn't always fun or easy, but we persevered and were duly rewarded with a very special goal from Pedro.
VAVEL will have more analysis and interviews throughout the evening.