Watford fire Pearson amid tight relegation battle

Watford dismissed manager Nigel Pearson on Sunday with two matches remaining in the season and survival in the Premier League still very much in the balance.

It's the third time the club has changed coaches in 2019-20.

Hayden Mullins, a former midfielder who has coached Watford's Under-23 side since 2016, will take over on an interim basis. Graham Stack, head of academy goalkeeping, will join Mullins as his assistant.

Mullins served as caretaker manager just before Pearson was appointed in December.

The Hornets made the bold call with games against Manchester City and Mikel Arteta's resurgent Arsenal on the horizon.

Friday's 3-1 defeat to relegation rivals West Ham United left Watford just three points above the drop zone.

They've struggled for form since returning from the Premier League's three-month hiatus, recording two wins in seven matches and scoring just seven goals in that span.

But Pearson gave the club a fighting chance. After replacing Quique Sanchez Flores, the former Leicester City boss inspired his players to seven wins in 20 league matches, including massive scalps against Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and champions Liverpool.

Flores managed just one victory after succeeding Javi Gracia in September.

Pearson called Friday's loss a missed opportunity and questioned the players' resilience and ability to perform under pressure.

"We haven't done what we talked about doing, what we've worked at doing, and that is difficult," the 56-year-old told the club's website. "We have to get over it and make sure we bounce back.

"Whether that's the pressure of the situation, who knows, but now we have to find good performances in the last two games to give us chances of winning those games."

Pearson has never been relegated in his managerial career.