Gerard Deulofeu Leads Watford Past Wolves, into FA Cup Final vs. Manchester City

Gerard Deulofeu came off the bench to score a brilliant brace to send Watford into the 2019 FA Cup final. Deulofeu's prolific cameo brought the Hornets back from two goals down to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 after extra time at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.  

Goals from Matt Doherty and Raul Jimenez put Wolves into a commanding lead, before Deulofeu scored a superb chip to reduce the deficit. Troy Deeney equalised from the penalty spot deep into normal time after drawing a foul from Leander Dendoncker.

Deulofeu continued to conjure magic in extra time, slotting the winner past John Ruddy after a brilliant solo run.

The goal means the Hornets will now face Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday, 18 May.

Abdoulaye Doucoure Isn't Ready for Champions League Stage

Abdoulaye Doucoure needs to think again if he believes he's ready for the UEFA Champions League. Watford's midfield powerhouse hasn't been shy in expressing his desire to play on Europe's biggest stage in the near future.

Reaching that level demands two things of the 26-year-old. Namely, consistency and bossing the big games.

The latter is something Doucoure struggled to do at Wembley. He appeared off the pace, unable to get a foothold in possession and overwhelmed when tracking runners.

Aside from being culpable for the opening goal, Doucoure couldn't impose himself when Watford had the ball. The Hornets have come to rely on his technique, vision and driving runs from deep.

Sadly, the beefy No. 16 showcased precious little of any of these attributes. Granted, space was at a premium in the middle thanks to Wolves' excellent trio of Joao Moutinho, Dendoncker and Ruben Neves.

Yet using the quality of the opposition to excuse a poor performance isn't the mark of an elite player. Doucoure would expect to face greater talent if he was performing for a Champions League club.

On this evidence, he might struggle with the step up.

Diogo Jota Ready for Move to Top 6 Club

A queue should already be forming among the Premier League's top clubs to get bids in for Diogo Jota once this summer's transfer window opens. None of the big names in England's top flight will find a more dynamic wide forward than Wolves' 22-year-old budding star.

He's combining a ruthless scoring touch with an eye for creating goals. The latter quality unlocked the Watford defence when Jota's inch-perfect chip landed on Doherty's head in the 36th minute.

Many raved about Kevin De Bruyne's cross for Gabriel Jesus' goal when Manchester City beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 in Saturday's semi-final. However, Jota's was the technically superior delivery.

As well as the assist, Jota ran Watford ragged at Wembley. His relentless energy, pace and varied range of movement stretched the Hornets' two banks of four beyond breaking point.

Tracking Jota was Watford's main headache, as he took up a host of threatening positions. He ghosted from the left flank into the pockets behind centre-forward Jimenez. Jota also ran beyond Jimenez, allowing the Mexico international to peel onto the right and drag central defenders out of position.

Watford's success has been built on a rock-solid back four and a combative midfield quartet. Yet the defensive shape became disjointed following Jota and Jimenez, while midfield enforcers like Doucoure were passive when faced with Jota's direct speed.

A typically straight-ahead run saw the forward win the free-kick Wolves eventually played to Jimenez to score the game's second goal.

It was no coincidence Wolves ran out of ideas in extra time, after Jota had made way for Ivan Cavaleiro late on.

Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Jota's talents aren't under the radar any more. It's time for City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur to make Wolves offers they can't refuse.

What's Next?

Wolves return to Premier League duty with a trip to Southampton on Saturday. Watford won't be in action until Monday, 15 April when the Hornets host Arsenal at Vicarage Road.