Arsenal vs. Watford: Score and Reaction from 2017 Premier League Match
Arsenal suffered a crushing blow in the Premier League title race as they lost 2-1 to Watford at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Younes Kaboul and Troy Deeney gave Watford a two-goal lead within 14 minutes to stun the Gunners. Alex Iwobi struck back in the second half, but Arsenal failed to find the equaliser in the pulsating finale.
Granit Xhaka was suspended for Arsenal, giving Francis Coquelin a start in midfield next to Aaron Ramsey.
AC Milan forward M'Baye Niang made his Watford debut—the 22-year-old is on loan with the Hornets following a temporary switch from the Serie A giants.
Arsene Wenger's team were on the back foot from the opening moments of the match, and they were duly punished as the visitors silenced the crowd with two quick goals.
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Kaboul grabbed the first after a huge deflection in the box. The centre-back fired the ball towards goal with a long-range free-kick, and the shot cannoned off Ramsey to fly past goalkeeper Petr Cech after just 10 minutes.
It was 2-0 four minutes later as Deeney found the net to the rapturous delight of the travelling contingent.
Etienne Capoue sprinted past the labouring Ramsey to find himself faced with Cech. The 'keeper managed to stop the Frenchman's effort, but the ball broke to Deeney, who ruthlessly finished.
Wenger appeared stunned in the stands—the 67-year-old is suspended from the touchline after a recent Football Association ban for misconduct. On the pitch, the Gunners appeared tired and hollow and were second best in a match they were expected to dominate.
Here's a look at Arsenal's defensive frailties:
James Olley of the London Evening Standard gave his damning verdict:
Journalist and Arsenal fan Piers Morgan was aggrieved by what he was witnessing:
Arsenal were unable to find ammunition from their sporadic attacking, and they went in at the half-time break second best in many positions.
The Gunners could easily have been further down, but the dominance of Cech kept his team within touch.
Arsenal's official Twitter feed hailed the world-class stopper shortly before half-time:
WhoScored.com shared the vital statistics at the break, displaying Arsenal's advantage in possession. But Watford had nine shots compared to the Gunners three, although none were on target:
Theo Walcott replaced Olivier Giroud after the restart for the second half, and the Gunners awoke, attacking the visitors with pace and guile.
The England international fired across the box with a rasping shot, but onrushing attackers couldn't make contact to deflect the ball on target.
The flow of the match had completely changed in the blink of an eye, and the Gunners appeared motivated and ready to flip the score on its head with irrepressible attacking.
Alexis Sanchez claimed for a penalty in the box as he burst through, but his disappointment at the lack of a decision soon turned to joy when Iwobi found the back of the net shortly before the hour mark.
The young attacker latched on to Sanchez's looping cross and forced the ball over the line, earning Arsenal a deserved path back into the game.
Football writer Michael Cox called the action:
Watford's backs were to the wall in the final 30 minutes, and goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes was constantly tested as Arsenal advanced with menace.
The Hornets couldn't retain the ball as they sat progressively deeper, and they tempted the hosts to play the game through the heart of midfield.
Sanchez and Iwobi were Arsenal's main hope for an equaliser, and Watford were panicking as the Gunners pair sliced through the defence.
The Chilean superstar was in inspired form in the closing stages, doing everything in his power to earn his team a result.
Lucas Perez rose off the bench to add firepower, and the attacker watched his shot crash off the woodwork as Watford pushed their luck.
A frantic final few minutes saw the Gunners desperately hunt the equaliser, but Gomes was well protected by his retreating defenders.
The Gunners failed to find the equaliser as the match concluded, and the Watford bench celebrated a famous win as they spilled on to the pitch.
Post-Match Reaction
Wenger was critical of his team after the match and admitted Arsenal did not execute their plan against a motivated opponent, per the club's official Twitter feed:
The Gunners slip to third in the league table after Tottenham Hotspur's goalless draw against Sunderland elevated them into second on goal difference.
.png?w=600 "New NBA Mock Draft 📝")
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")
