If revenge is a dish best served cold, a snowy Turf Moor was an ideal location. Sean Dyche began a managerial career of underappreciated overachievement in charge of Watford against Burnley. Dismissed after taking Watford to 11th in the Championship, victory for his current employers against his former club means that Burnley are one point off a Champions League place. It is a league table to savour in this corner of Lancashire.

“From a fan point of view, it is fantastic to see that,” said Dyche. He is a figure who continues to defy football gravity but it was the beaten manager, the more fashionable Marco Silva, who Everton coveted while showing little interest in the Englishman.

Yet the underrated Dyche delivered Burnley’s fifth win in seven games, albeit one facilitated by Watford’s indiscipline. “Until the red card, the game is balanced,” said Silva. “It has a big, big influence.” But six minutes after Marvin Zeegelaar was sent off, Scott Arfield gave Burnley a lead they never relinquished.

Silva argued result and red card alike were “not fair”, his air of petulance contrasting with Dyche’s business-like openness. “It is clear it is harsh, harsh, harsh,” repeated the Portuguese after Zeegelaar’s fifth Watford appearance came to an abrupt end. A lunge at Steven Defour was more reckless than malicious but it was two-footed. “A definite sending off,” said Dyche. Referee Lee Probert applied the mandatory punishment and, Silva said, refused to debate the decision with him. His irritation ought to have been directed at his defender: a challenge some 70 yards from his own goal was utterly unnecessary.

Watford’s Marvin Zeegelaar fouls Steven Defour, and is promptly sent off by Lee Probert. Photograph: Conor Molloy/Action Plus via Getty Images

Burnley were swift to capitalise on Zeegelaar’s departure. Johann Berg Gudmundsson provided a low cross. The other winger, Arfield, met it, skipped past Daryl Janmaat and angled his shot beyond Heurelho Gomes. It was an illustration of Burnley’s enduring ability to turn misfortune, both theirs and that of others, to their advantage. Arfield started only because of Robbie Brady’s season-ending knee injury. In a sign of the Irishman’s importance and Burnley’s collectivism, his duties were shared around. His stand-in scored, while the influential Gudmundsson took over set-piece responsibilities and almost joined Arfield on the scoresheet with a curling free-kick. “Their keeper has made three top-class saves, two from Johann,” said Dyche.

Arfield was not the only understudy to impress. “The marvel of our squad is that we have players who can come into the team out of the blue and deliver great performances,” Dyche said. A defence stripped of the sold Michael Keane and then the stricken Tom Heaton, Ben Mee and Matthew Lowton recorded a seventh clean sheet – only Richarlison, who skied an early shot, and Abdoulaye Doucouré, who tested Pope with a drive, really threatened to score – meaning the Manchester clubs are alone in conceding fewer goals than Burnley.

Turf Moor has seen fewer goals than any other top-flight ground but Burnley’s second-half dominance ought to have yielded more. They had two goals chalked off for offside and, if disallowing Chris Wood’s tap-in was correct, Probert’s decision-making was under the microscope again when Ashley Barnes was denied. The substitute had finished smoothly after Arfield’s reverse pass, aimed for Wood, was deflected into his path by two Watford defenders. “A confusing moment,” said Dyche. “Pick the bones out of that one.” And five years on, pick the bones out of Watford’s decision to sack Dyche.