Wilfried Zaha’s second goal this season was not enough as Roberto Pereyra and José Holebas condemned Crystal Palace to their second straight Premier League defeat.

Pereyra dipped inside to fire past Wayne Hennessey before Holebas inadvertently crossed the ball into the net on a wet and windy afternoon at Vicarage Road.

While Zaha becomes the Eagles’ all-time leading Premier League scorer after cutting behind the defence to help stage a comeback, it proved too late.

Palace have now picked up three points from their opening three games – from a possible nine – and sit in 11th.

Zaha has now become the club's all-time Premier League scorer with 24 goals, ahead of Chris Armstrong.

It's the first time Palace have lost at Vicarage Road since February 2009 and first defeat to Watford in more than two years.

Roy Hodgson was forced into a last-minute change as James Tomkins withdrew from the warm-ups with an injury, and therefore replaced with substitute Martin Kelly.

Joel Ward was handed his first Premier League start this season in place of the suspended Aaron Wan-Bissaka who was dismissed in the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.

Zaha was the centre of attention only 10 minutes in - being caught by Etienne Capoue before being booked himself.

The visitors could have taken an early through Christian Benteke and James McArthur, but both were thwarted by Ben Foster at close range.

Though Watford responded quickly as Roberto Pereyra was denied by a James McArthur block before Wayne Hennessey laid claim to a fierce strike.

Aside from a couple scraps with Zaha, Daryl Janmaat had one of the first-half’s best chances when he flashed a shot wide of Hennessey’s far post.

Watford began the restart as they finished the first, with Will Hughes forcing a superb stop out of Hennessey just seconds in.

But Pereyra, who was frustrated with earlier missed opportunities, stung the Eagles to take the lead on 53 minutes.

It took almost a half hour for Palace to try and test Foster, when Benteke turned Craig Cathcart and fired wide of the goal.

Palace's woes continued when Holebas' flighted cross glided into the net for his first league goal this season on 71 minutes.

Hodgson rung the changes - bringing on Alexander Sorloth and Max Meyer - but the biggest chance came at the death when Joel Ward's header narrowly missed the target.