Take a look at the statistics and you would think Watford probably hadn't had the best start to the season.

Less than four in 10 of the Hornets' shots have been on target - down considerably on last season - and they create almost exactly the same number of chances as they did per game under Walter Mazzarri.

Defensively, Marco Silva's Watford block, clear and intercept pretty much exactly as regularly as they did under the dour Italian, too.

But the fact that the Hornets sit fourth under their new charismatic head coach rather than the lowly 17th which would wield the axe on Mazzarri says more about what the statistics cannot track.

This Watford team are more clinical in attack than Mazzarri's laboured approach - just look at Southampton or Swansea away, two games when the Hornets left with three points despite creating only a few chances.

It is only now becoming apparent how many goalscorers there are in this team - Richarlison, Andre Gray, Troy Deeney (when on the field), Stefano Okaka, Etienne Capoue, Miguel Britos and Daryl Janmaat have all shared the 13 goals so far.

Some of those might be far more prolific than others in general, but there is a greater point to be made.

That point stands for the Hornets' defence, too. According to Opta, Silva's side are yet to concede a goal from a 'defensive error' (not including zonal marking from corners, fortunately), with Spurs the only other side to do so.

This would suggest that at both ends of the pitch, the Hornets are focused and determined to make the best of what they've got, despite some unremarkable statistics for possession, passing and chance creation.

And that would certainly marry up with how it looks on the pitch - with the Hornets made of sterner stuff than we have seen for quite some time.