Christmas gifts were exchanged yesterday, but Watford handed out a few more at Vicarage Road this afternoon as Bristol City cruised to a 4-1 away win – their first since early October.

It was an error-strewn, messy effort from the Hornets, and while it’s easy to apportion blame for each goal to individual mistakes, that would also be unfair on the Robins who punished them and worked very hard to do a solid job of not allowing Watford to settle.

Having performed so well on the road in the last two weeks, today was something of a shock as this was a glance back to the sort of displays the Hornets gave at the start of the season.

It wasn’t a total surprise though: the first half at Blackburn was poor as well and drew a warning from Valerien Ismael that his players could not expect to win games if they replicated that too often.

Watford simply never got going. Passes didn’t flow, they gave the ball away far too easily and there wasn’t the confidence in their play that has been the hallmark of recent successes.

Too many of the players dipped below the levels we know they are capable of, and as a result they practically held the door open for the Robins, who stepped through with confidence.

Goal one was another failed attempt to deal with a set piece, while the second – so close to half-time – must have had a degree of miscommunication about it as there seemed no need for Wes Hoedt to slide and turn the ball into his own net.

If that second goal was a crucial moment, then so was City’s third goal. Having pulled one back so soon after half-time, to then get caught out midway inside your own half and concede within a minute is classic shooting yourself in the foot territory.

After that, Watford plugged away without ever really looking like retrieving the situation, and the fourth goal was just further salt in the wound.

There have been tests within games that Watford have risen well to recently – going two down at home to Norwich, conceding the first goal at Preston and being behind entering the final 10 minutes at Blackburn.

Now, though, they face a challenge between games. Today was, put simply, not good enough, but there is some mitigation in that it comes on the back of two excellent away performances.

However the question is can Watford cast off this afternoon and get themselves back on track in three days’ time when Stoke visit Vicarage Road?

That will be another indication of just how strong the mentality has become, how right the attitude now is and how ready Watford really are to compete at the top end.

Reacting to setbacks is every bit as indicative as a couple of memorable away wins.

Ismael had hinted after Saturday’s win at Blackburn that he would rotate players over the crowded Christmas fixture list, and so it proved as there were four changes to the team that started at Ewood Park.

In came Francisco Sierralta, Ryan Andrews, Mileta Rajovic and Yaser Asprilla, with Ryan Porteous, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Vakoun Bayo and Matheus Martins dropping to the bench.

The first half was quite tight, with City doing a very good job of preventing Watford moving the ball around as they like to.

Ismael Kone stretched to prod a ninth-minute cross from Ken Sema over the bar, and shortly after a free-kick was only cleared as far as Asprilla, but his well-struck shot was blocked close to the line.

City took until the 25th minute to register a real chance when Mehmeti cut in from the left but shot wide of the back post.

However, they took the lead three minutes as yet again Watford were undone at a set-piece. Edo Kayembe got the first ball but his header landed straight at the feet of Pring who was unmarked and had enough time to control and then fire home through a crowded six-yard box.

The goal seemed to rock Watford and they struggled to get going after that, with City snuffing out their threat relatively comfortably.

They threatened to double their lead in the 40th minute as Mehmeti ran onto a cross unmarked on the penalty spot but Sierralta rushed across to block with his body.

However, the visitors did go 2-0 up in first-half stoppage time.

Conway overlapped down the left and then sent in a low, skidding cross which Hoedt stretched to reach but poked it into his own net rather than wide.

Having had to replace the injured Jamal Lewis just before the break, Watford sent on Dele-Bashiru and Girogi Chakvetadze at half-time – and it had an instant impact.

Three minutes after the restart Kayembe drove the ball out to Asprilla on the right, he then slid a perfect pass for the accelerating Chakvetadze to run into the box and slot past O'Leary.

However, Watford were then well and truly caught out inside a minute.

The Hornets got caught playing in their own half, the ball was worked out to Mehmeti on the left and when Hamer tipped away his angled shot, Sykes was left with a simple tap-in.

Watford tried to respond again and Sema surged to the by-line and then stood up a cross which Rajovic headed towards the back post but O'Leary got across the hold.

With just under half an hour to go Rhys Healey came on for his longest appearance so far, replacing Kone.

With 20 minutes left Healey met an Asprilla cross with a header that O’Leary fumbled round the post, before Sierralta was given space in the box but sent his header from an another Asprilla centre wide of the back post.

Watford had to take risks and with eight minutes left they were caught pushing up again, and the ball was chipped over the top for Weimann, who was in acres of space. He had a touch to steady himself and then thumped a shot beyond Hamer.

Watford: Hamer; Andrews (Dele-Bashiru ht), Sierralta, Hoedt, Lewis (Martins 44); Livermore (Chakvetadze ht), Kayembe, Kone (Healey 61); Asprilla, Rajovic (Bayo 74), Sema. Subs: Bachmann, Porteous, Ince, Pollock