Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has admitted that his team were unrecognisable in defeat to Watford but vowed that the poor level of performance will not happen again.

Goals from Troy Deeney and Almen Abdi consigned the Potters to a 2-0 loss, their first defeat in six games after they had won their last four matches in all competitions, and saw Hughes's side drop to 14th in the Premier League table.

Hughes acknowledged that the performance was not good enough and targeted a League Cup win over league champions Chelsea in midweek to get back on track.

"We were poor today and credit to Watford," Hughes told reporters. "Their two up front messed us around all day. We didn't see that coming. It was not a ­performance I ­recognise and it will not happen again.

"We have got Chelsea in the League Cup on Tuesday and it is the perfect match for us to get back on track."

The defeat came in Hughes's 100th game in charge of Stoke since he took over from Tony Pulis in May 2013.