Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace: Premier League Boxing Day - as it happened

Full time: Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

Sam Allardyce's first game in charge of Crystal Palace ends with a well-earned point as Watford are kept at bay. Yohan Cabaye gave the visitors the lead but Christian Benteke's missed penalty inspired a Watford revival. Troy Deeney came off the bench to thrash home a second half spot kick-off as Walter Mazzarri's side improved in the second half.

Well that is all we have time for on this live text. We have live coverage of the six 3pm kick-offs here, so join us there us to keep abreast of the afternoon matches. Until then, goodbye.

Into stoppage time at Vicarage Road where Watford and Crystal Palace remain deadlocked. The host are much the better side but they look like being frustrated. Sam Allardyce will be grateful of a point after a woeful second half display.

Wilfried Zaha booked for diving as he looked for a penalty after contact with Britos. Mark Clattenburg gets it spot on, as replays show the winger went to ground far too easily.

Palace are offering nothing as an attacking threat right now and Watford are having things all their own way. Ighalo tests Hennessey with a tame header but the pressure is continuing to come from the home side.

Only one winner at this stage, with all the momentum with Watford. Palace have conceded more late goals in the top flight than any other team - including in that rollercoaster game against Swansea.

Goal: Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace (Troy Deeney)

Mark Clattenburg awards a second spot kick as Delaney tugs back Britos from a corner. Deeney goes for power from the spot and hammers home his 100th Watford goal with 19 minutes remaining.

Penalty to Watford

Adlene Guedioura leads Watford's fightback in the second half.

Watford go direct and when Hennessey and Delaney hesitates, Ighalo runs onto the ball but shoots wide, towards the near post. Better from the hosts.

Jason Puncheon gets free of Kaboul, who has been a rabbit in headlights at times today, but his cross is overhit and Benteke can't make contact. Watford have improved to a degree in the final third, but Palace still the more threatening.

Underway in the second half at Vicarage Road. Can Watford improve sufficiently and make Palace rue that penalty miss?

Half time: Watford 0-1 Crystal Palace

Not a bad half all-in-all on this Boxing Day in the Premier League. Palace lead through Yohan Cabaye but they should be further ahead, but Heurelho Gomes kept out Christian Benteke's penalty. Watford have been pretty shoddy in all but they have gradually improved after losing Janmaat and Behrami in the opening 15 minutes.

Heurelho Gomes saves Benteke's spot-kick in the first half.

Benteke's afternoon takes another turn as he picks up a yellow card for a foul on Britos. Not an ideal Boxing Day for the former Liverpool man.

Christian Benteke fails again from the spot.

Crystal Palace celebrate taking the lead but they will be ruing not going two ahead.

Drama at Vicarage Road. Gomes hacks down Benteke and Palace have a penalty. But the spot-kick specialist excels again as Gomes springs to his left and keeps out the effort from the Belgian. Can that reinvigorate the Hornets?

Penalty to Crystal Palace

Goal: Watford 0-1 Crystal Palace (Yohan Cabaye)

It has been a torrid start for Watford and they fall behind, to the surprise of no-one. Andros Townsend does brilliantly to wriggle away from three Watford defenders and he slides in Yohan Cabaye who is played onside by Younes Kaboul and fires beyond Gomes. Sam Allardyce's tenure off to the perfect start.

Not a record Watford would have liked to have matched today.

Janmaat being stretchered off in the first of two early injuries for Watford.

Watford has made a dreadful start to this game and they look set to lose a second player to injury in the opening 12 minutes. Valon Behrami pulls up after contesting with Christian Benteke for the ball, and limps away with a hamstring problem. Mazzarri is now being forced into a second change, with Troy Deeney coming on. One substitute remaining for the final 78 minutes.

Zaha is posing a real threat already for Palace and he wins a free-kick right outside the penalty area, as new man Zuniga gets the timing of tackle all wrong. Yohan Cabaye's free-kick is headed behind for a corner. All the pressure coming from the away side early on.

Wilfried Zaha's run down the right is cut short as Janmaat stretches and makes the tackle. But that will be the Dutchman's last involvement, as he hurts what looks his groin and Zuniga is being prepped on the sidelines. Mazzarri has gone with a 3-5-2 this afternoon, but he must make an immediate reshuffle.

Underway at Vicarage Road. Sam Allardyce's return to football begins.

Players out at Vicarage Road where the sun is out. It looks like a perfect day for football if truth be told, and hopefully we get a game to justify being asked to get out of bed for this lunchtime kick-off. All the updates on the way.

George Michael was born just a stone's throw from Vicarage Road, so following his death on Christmas Day the club will join in with tributes to the pop star, who passed away aged 53.

Perversely, Sam Allardyce has not lost any of his last seven matches in management. In his first and only match as manager of England, Adam Lallana's late goal ensured victory over Slovakia. But can he turnaround Palace's fortunes? The survival specialist.

Walter Mazzarri has been living in the shadows somewhat in the lead up to this game, perhaps the way he will live it after four defeats in five.

Sam Allardyce on Sky Sports: "There hasn't been much time but I have watched, listened & learned. Two early issues are player's confidence and the injuries. It's about fitting the best shape to the players we have available and looking at how that works against today's opposition. It looks like Watford have gone to a back three and are strong at set pieces so we need to do better defending them than of late.

"It is about the players stepping over the white line and taking responsibility and today for me it is about not getting beat. It is about the players stepping over the white line and taking responsibility. Today for me it is about not getting beat."

Captain Troy Deeney remains out of the Watford team. Not a decision which has gone down well among the home faithful.

So Sam Allardyce makes just two changes for his first game in charge of Crystal Palace. Andros Townsend and Mathieu Flamini come in to the team, with Joe Ledley and James McArthur missing out.

Two changes also for Watford. Guedioura and Janmaat come in for Zuniga and Deeney.

Teams are in ahead of Watford vs Crystal Palace, including Sam Allardyce's first eleven.

Sam Allardyce in place for his return to top flight football.

The game from Vicarage Road is of course the first of eight matches in the Premier League this afternoon. Chelsea face Bournemouth and West Brom travel to Arsenal before Hull take on Man City in the tea-time kick-off. Plenty to keep you away from second lashings of turkey.

Damien Delaney speaking to Sky Sports: "There has not been much time since the gaffer joined so not a lot that can be done but games come thick & fast at this time of year. Defensively we need to improve so that is what we have been working on the last couple of days, we need to be more solid as a team. When a new manager comes in you normally see a reaction so lets hope today is a good day for us and we can't wait to get going."

So how might both sides line-up in Sam Allardyce's return to football?

Watford are without Roberto Pereyra after he underwent surgery, while Sebastian Prodl and Stefano Okaka are also doubtful.

Palace may welcome back Mathieu Flamini but they are still without a host of players due to injury including James Tomkins and Bakary Sako.

When Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager in the summer, he would have envisaged a quiet Christmas. Who would have thought that five months later he would spend Boxing Day preparing for his first game in charge of a Crystal Palace side who sit just above the Premier League relegation zone. How the mighty have fallen.

Watford represent Allardyce's first opposition of his 11th managerial position, and having lost four of their last five matches they could be for the taking at Viacarage Road.

All the team news and build-up ahead of Watford vs Crystal Palace, the first of eight matches in the Premier League in Boxing Day, on the way.