Watford spent the last three of the nine seasons in the Premier League, 2015/16 to 2017/18, and the six before that outside it. They played City six times in the league and lost all six: 2–0 and 2–1 in 2015/16, 2–0 and 5–0 in 2016/17, 6–0 and 3–1 in 2017/18. Watford scored twice and conceded 20. The heaviest was the 6–0 at home in September 2017.
No points taken off City means none come off. Take City out and Watford keep every point they won: 45, 40 and 41.
So every move is City’s place and nothing more. Thirteenth becomes 12th in 2015/16, 17th becomes 16th in 2016/17, and 14th becomes 13th in 2017/18. No climb beyond the free place, the one every club below City gets. No change of fate. And no deals with City in the nine seasons, so there is no City money to take out either.