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Watford moved into the Premier League’s top four at the expense of Chelsea, following yesterday’s spirited 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Vicarage Road Stadium in Hertfordshire.
It was a tight opening, with players on both sides perhaps appearing to suffer the effects of the recent international break, and there were few real openings to speak of.
In the opening half-an-hour, a flurry of half chances was created, with Richarlison prominent for the home side several times.
In the 18th minute, the Brazilian sent Abdoulaye Doucouré free, although his cross was headed over by Roberto Pereyra.
Six minutes later, he was close to connecting with a cross at the far post, as Watford seemingly tried getting the ball into the box from positions out wide on the flanks.
The Gunners had Héctor Bellerín to thank in the 28th minute as he produced a superb sliding tackle, after Richarlison had beaten Laurent Koscielny with ease, and was heading towards goal.
However, Arsène Wenger’s men were close to going into the lead in the 29th minute as Mohamed Elneny’s rasping drive sailed a yard over the bar, with Heurelho Gomes struggling to cover the strike.
With opportunities hard to come by, Per Mertesacker proved the unlikely hero as Arsenal hit the front from a corner.
Granit Xhaka whipped in a delicious delivery and the big German held off the diminutive Tom Cleverley to thump home a header in the 39th minute.
It should have been 2-0 moments later, as first Xhaka saw his powerful strike pushed away by Gomes, before the resulting second ball was played towards the penalty spot and Bellerín’s first-time shot went just wide.
After the interval, Richarlison cut inside Bellerín, but his right-footed strike from the left side of the big box was neither a cross nor a shot, and curled well wide of Petr Cech’s goal.
The visitors nearly made it 2-0 when Mesut Özil, who had come on for the injured Danny Welbeck, played a lovely through-ball to Alex Iwobi, who saw his strike brilliantly tipped around the post by the Hornets’ number one.
There was more drama as Richarlison again burst into the area and was adjudged to have been brought down by Bellerín, though contact seemed minimal.
Troy Deeney calmly struck home the equaliser in the 71st minute.
Marco Silva’s men had the momentum and were inches from taking all three points in the closing stages, when the excellent Richarlison set up substitute Étienne Capoue, who saw his deflected strike hit the post and Cech comprehensively beaten.
Deep into stoppage time the relentless pressure paid dividends as, after a scramble in the box, Cleverley powered home a strike which handed Watford all three points.
Yesterday’s Premier League results:
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
Burnley 1-1 West Ham United
Crystal Palace 2-1 Chelsea
Manchester City 7-2 Stoke City
Swansea City 2-0 Huddersfield Town
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Bournemouth
Watford 2-1 Arsenal
Today’s fixtures:
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton
Southampton v Newcastle United – TEAMtalk Media
