Manchester United vs. Watford: Score, Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Manchester United left it until late to go level on points with neighbours Manchester City after beating Watford 1-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday night. Juan Mata's free-kick inside the final 10 minutes saw off the Hornets and has applied the pressure to the Citizens, who now only hold fourth spot on goal difference.
United's reshuffled lineup included yet another young prospect, 18-year-old Timothy Fosu-Mensah. He was joined by Marcos Rojo at the back, via the club:
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Watford once again relied on the Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney double act up front while also packing midfield with Ben Watson and Etienne Capoue, via the Hornets:
It was the visitors who threatened early, with Watson whipping in a couple of testing set pieces that had Fosu-Mensah and Co. scrambling at the back. Watford centre-back Miguel Britos was posing a considerable threat in the United box.
The Red Devils' nerves in defence were obvious when Daley Blind's errant pass nearly put danger man Ighalo through. Fosu-Mensah then needed to rise to the occasion to keep Deeney under control.
His desperate tackles soon got him put into the referee's book after a clumsy foul on Capoue.
But Morgan Schneiderlin made sure United posed a threat of their own with a sweetly struck volley that deserved to hit the back of the net.
Yet, it was an all-too-rare foray forward from the home side in the first half, and Watford were soon back on the front foot. A Deeney flick sent Ighalo away, but the usually prolific Nigerian wasted a great chance.
The miss summed up the visitors' problem. They ought to have taken full advantage of their early control, as United's own attacking efforts continued to go stale.
In particular, the hosts weren't getting much out wide. Both Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial were struggling to exert any influence and stretch Watford's well-drilled back four.
At the other end, goalkeeper David De Gea needed to make a smart stop to deny Ighalo on the eve of half-time.
Depay and Marcus Rashford grew into the game a little more after the break, but it was still Watford posing the greater threat, as Capoue grazed the bar with a long-range drive.
But Watford's inability to take their chances was always likely to come back and haunt them. United applied more pressure late on, and their succession of set pieces eventually told.
It was Mata who made the difference. His curled free-kick was one of the lone moments of quality United managed all night, but it proved decisive.
Post-Match Recation
Afterwards, Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores naturally rued the chances his side missed, but also expressed satisfaction at the way his players performed:
Red Devils manager Louis van Gaal expressed a similar sentiment regarding his team's fighting spirit to United TV:
Meanwhile, match-winner Mata played up the significance of this result:
Van Gaal has been under a ton of pressure, but he's now guided his team to four straight wins in all competitions. The back-to-back successes in the league stand out, though, giving United real hope of returning to Europe's premier club tournament next season.
