In a game that proved out to be unexpectedly thrilling and more dramatic than anybody else expected, Manchester United grabbed a last-ditch winner to deny Watford any points on a sunny yet chilly day at Vicarage Road.
Memphis Depay, who was deployed up top amidst a striker crisis with the likes of Anthony Martial, Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson all deemed unfit, scored in the 11th minute, with an exquisite and neat finish from close range.
Watford enjoyed spells of pressure in the second half and were rewarded for it after Marcos Rojo brought down Odion Ighalo in the box, to hand Watford and deserved and a much-needed penalty. Troy Deeney converted the spot kick with no problem at all, rifling the ball past David de Gea.
United began piling forward once again late in the game and Chris Smalling was denied superbly to Heurelho Gomes, yielding United a corner. Minutes later as Gomes parried Jesse Lingard’s effort from inside the box, the rebound fell to Bastian Schweinsteiger, who placed the ball towards the goal as it found the back of the net, with the help of Troy Deeney’s supposed clearance.
United had commenced the game with a 4-2-3-1 formation, much like Watford, with Ander Herrera behind Memphis and the Spaniard was flanked by Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata. For Watford, the duo of Etienne Capoue and former Wigan FA Cup winner Ben Watson in the deeper midfield held the key.
United started the game brightly, overrunning the midfield duo clearly and catching them by surprise. The 4-2-3-1 formation was disguised into a more narrow 4-2-2-2 formation, which slotted Lingard alongside Memphis and Mata with Herrera slightly deeper, allowing the full backs to maraud forward.
Watford had a clear approach in mind – break at the counter and score. United have been vulnerable to counter-attacks since last season and if a team defends solidly, catching United on the break isn’t too tough. But much to the surprise of most, Watford looked twitchy at the back and lost the ball in the midfield more than they have in any other game this season.
But the trio of Troy Deeney, Aymen Abdi and Odion Ighalo pressed very well up top, creating troubles in the United defense, as the build-up to attacks looked slightly laboured. The space in the midfield was limited and the midfield battles carried an impact on the game, as a whole.
The Watford pressing improved as Marcos Rojo, who had a poor game, came on for Ander Herrera, forcing United to revert to a 3-5-2 formation. Rojo struggled to play the ball out of the defense regularly and was hassled and harried easily by the Watford duo of Ighalo and Deeney. The gaps between the three centre-halves allowed Watford to press easily and put more pressure on the back three.
Deeney had two opportunities to put his side level, but his efforts went straight at David de Gea. In the second half, the Spaniard made two impressive saves to deny the Hornets an equaliser as they pushed forward with purpose, every time they got the ball.
United struggled to get hold of the ball as the game progressed, especially in the second half as Etienne Capoue took control of the midfield battles and started imposing himself more and more in the game. Marcos Rojo’s struggles came to the fore after the Argentine brought down Ighalo in the box with an avoidable challenge from behind.
Watford jumped on the opportunity to equalise as Troy Deeney smashed the ball past De Gea, who was only a spectator to the strong shot.
It was after conceding that the Watford midfield lost control of the game. The imposing presence of Capoue and the technically minded approach of Ben Watson lost spark. They got caught napping as United piled numbers forward after conceding, dropping too deep in their half as United came forward and ended up conceding.
The physicality in the Watford midfield often nullified Juan Mata’s effectiveness and United were forced into playing snappy short passes together. But the game goes to prove that football is the most unpredictable game in the world. Watford, who had conceded only four goals at home this season, looked nervous in front of a United attack that lacked the players they so badly needed.
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