COVENTRY, England (Interstat) — Coventry City delivered a commanding performance to open its league campaign, decisively defeating Watford 3-1 on Saturday at Coventry Building Society Arena in a match from the second-tier Championship.

The home side established a dominant lead early, netting two goals within the first seven minutes and effectively putting the game out of Watford’s reach before the visitors were forced to play a man down for the majority of the contest.

Brandon Thomas-Asante ignited the home crowd in the third minute, giving Coventry the lead with a sharp finish. The advantage was doubled just four minutes later when midfielder Jamie Allen found the net, capitalizing on the Sky Blues’ rampant start.

Watford’s hopes of a comeback were severely damaged just before halftime. In the 44th minute, defender James Abankwah was shown a straight red card, reducing the Hornets to 10 men. The dismissal compounded Watford’s frustrations, which were evident moments into first-half stoppage time when Mamadou Doumbia received a yellow card.

Coventry immediately capitalized on its numerical superiority. Before the halftime whistle, Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored the team’s third goal in the 42nd minute, solidifying a comprehensive first-half display.

The second half saw a more subdued tempo as Coventry managed the game with a comfortable lead and an extra player. The period was punctuated by a series of yellow cards, with Coventry’s Luke Woolfenden, Milan van Ewijk and Liam Kitching all being booked, along with Watford substitute Nestory Irankunda in second-half stoppage time.

Watford managed a consolation goal late in the match, but it was not enough to challenge the outcome. The final score defied the pre-match projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 1-1 draw. The result also aligned more closely with the organization’s ELO rating system, which had given Coventry City an 87.40 percent probability to win.

With the victory, Coventry City begins its Championship season with a win and no losses. Watford starts its campaign with a loss and no wins. Both teams also maintain identical records of zero wins and zero losses across all competitions for the season.