Miguel Britos was Watford's second red card victim of the season last weekend

Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has defended his team's poor disciplinary record this season.

The Hornets are level with West Ham at the top of the Premier League's 'bad boys' table with both sides having piled up 33 yellow cards and two reds through 13 games.

But Mazzarri hinted that his side is not being treated equally by referees after they were reduced to 10 men when Miguel Britos was sent off in the 1-0 defeat by Stoke last Sunday.

"I don't want to speak about referees, but if you keep making me notice these situations, I have to, and I want to defend my team," Mazzarri said.

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"If a referee makes decisions during the game which for the same foul is a yellow card for one team, and not for the other, this is something that makes us very angry, and this is why we were very, very angry after the last game.

Watford 0-1 Stoke Watford 0-1 Stoke

"I want to make something clear. The referee is just like us. He is like another human being and he can make mistakes like everyone.

"But it is very important that the decisions he takes have to be the same. It has to be clear. If he takes one outcome for one team, then it has to be the same for the other."

One issue Mazzarri is keen to stamp out is dissent, with nine of Watford's bookings having been issued for talking back at officials, and that starts with Saturday's game against West Brom at The Hawthorns.

"I have told my players that even if they are right they have to stop protesting," he added.

"My team is not dirty and not committing fouls. It is a team that wants to play football. That is what we are doing so I want to avoid getting yellow cards for protesting."

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