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LONDON. — Watford captain Troy Deeney has denied reports of a fight in the Hornets’ dressing room during half-time in Friday’s 1-3 defeat to West Ham.

The Hornets sacked Nigel Pearson on Sunday and are one place and three points above the relegation zone before hosting Manchester City today.

“The gaffer didn’t put his hands on anybody, he was just frustrated and had a firm talking to us,” Deeney said.

“No-one was fighting, no-one was punched. There were no hands thrown.”

Deeney, 32, who joined Watford from Walsall in 2020, admitted he was not expecting the decision to sack Pearson — Watford’s third permanent manager of the campaign after Javi Gracia and Quique Sanchez Flores. “You get to a point in football where you are not surprised any more, but I would say this one surprised me and took me back a bit,” the striker said.

Hayden Mullins and head of goalkeeping Graham Stack will take charge of Watford against City and Deeney denied he will have any involvement in team selection.

“Troy will not be picking teams because I have read that as well,” Deeney said. — BBC Sport.