Valerien Ismael kicked off his Watford reign in magnificent style with a 4-0 win over a hapless QPR at Vicarage Road.

The red-hot Hornets produced a swashbuckling first-half display which saw them score all their goals inside 43 minutes as Rangers showed why many have tipped them to struggle to stay up this season under Gareth Ainsworth.

The visitors, who were without first-choice centre-backs Jimmy Dunne and Jake Clarke-Salter due to injury, handed a full senior debut to Joe Gubbins alongside recent signing Morgan Fox and both struggled to contain a rampant home side.

It took just 33 seconds for the Hornets to open the scoring when Tom Dele-Bashiru slotted past Asmir Begovic after a sublime reverse pass from the impressive Imran Louza caught out the flat-footed R’s defence.

Watford went close to adding a second when Vakoun Bayo met a James Morris cross only for Begovic to claw away his goalbound header.

And Louza doubled the hosts’ lead with a curling effort from the edge of the box in the 20th minute.

Francisco Sierralta and Ken Sema both went close to scoring as Rangers kept conceding possession and found themselves under constant pressure from the home side.

That pressure finally paid off again when Matheus Martins darted in front of Paul Smyth to nod home Sema’s corner in the 38th minute.

The lively Bayo then made it 4-0 two minutes before half-time when he fired home at the back post from a low Sierralta cross, with the Rangers defence once again in disarray.

Bayo almost added a fifth in the seven minutes of first-half stoppage time after outpacing Fox to race on to a long ball over the top, but his lob landed on the top of the net.

QPR, who were booed off by a packed away end after a chastening opening period, saw beleaguered boss Ainsworth bring on Sinclair Armstrong and Stephen Duke-McKenna for the ineffective Smyth and Charlie Kelman.

Republic of Ireland under-21 international Armstrong should have pulled one back for the Hoops when he got in behind the Watford defence, but was unable to turn the ball into the net from a tight angle in what was Rangers’ only chance of note.

Almost immediately the Hornets went close to a fifth goal when the impressive Louza hit the crossbar from distance before making way in a triple substitution from Ismael to a well-deserved standing ovation from the home crowd.

Rangers did manage to stop the bleeding in the second half as Watford were denied by two late smart saves from Begovic but they slumped to the biggest defeat in a season opener since 2012 – a campaign that saw them relegated from the Premier League.

West Brom have completed the signing of the in-demand Daryl Dike from Orlando City for an undisclosed fee.

Dike impressed for fellow Championship side Barnsley on loan last season, striking nine times in 21 appearances as Valerien Ismael's former club made it into the playoffs.

Barnsley ultimately faltered in their semi-final against beaten finalists Swansea City, but Dike has now followed Ismael to West Brom on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The 21-year-old striker also registered 11 goals for Orlando in 19 MLS outings in 2021, drawing reported interest from Premier League sides Leeds United, Newcastle United and Everton.

However, Ismael and West Brom managed to secure a deal for Dike on Saturday – subject to international clearance – for a fee believed to be around £7million.

The Baggies manager believes his new signing can fire West Brom back into the Premier League.

"I'm delighted we have completed the transfer of Dike," Ismael told West Brom's official website. "He was always our first target and priority. 

"There's a lot of teamwork that has gone into this deal. Dike has everything we need from the No.9 position. He has energy, strength – he challenges defenders – and he scores goals.

"I worked with him at Barnsley and I know him very well. He has the mentality. He is 21 and is still a young player – but he has a lot of experience.

"Now it's about preparing Dike for the Championship. It was important to us to get Dike as early as possible because we know that he had four weeks off after the MLS season.

"For sure, he needs time and the schedule for him is to work hard in the next two weeks, so he is ready to play a part against QPR [on January 15]. That is our target and now, with my staff, we will work to have a very, very good build-up – using every day – to ensure he is in top shape by that game."

West Brom currently sit fourth in the Championship, four points adrift of second-placed Fulham and eight points behind leaders Bournemouth.