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David De Gea Howler Hands Watford Shock Win vs. Manchester United
December 22, 2019
Manchester United were stunned in the Premier League on Sunday, after they suffered a shock 2-0 loss to bottom club Watford at Vicarage Road.
The visitors were unable to settle in the opening period, although they did create the best chance of the half; Jesse Lingard fired over the bar when he played through on goal.
In the second half, two goals in three minutes set the game alight. Ismaila Sarr benefitted from some ropey handling from United goalkeeper David De Gea to break the deadlock, before Troy Deeney smashed home a penalty; Sarr was brought down after a poor challenge from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Before the game, the following statistic from Match of the Day summed up what a fractured season it's been for the Hornets:
United were not able to capitalise on that instability in the initial exchanges, as a scrappy game broke out.
It was clear the Red Devils had the superior quality in the final third, although the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Daniel James struggled to create any major opportunities.
Lingard should have given them the lead after 33 minutes nevertheless, as he was played through on goal by Martial. The forward lofted the ball aimlessly over the bar, though, showcasing the kind of profligacy that's resulted in no Premier League goals for him since December 2018.
At half-time, Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic summed up what was a half to forget for United, who were unable to make their extra quality count:
After the break, the game was ignited by two costly errors from Red Devils players, with De Gea the first to blunder.
Somehow, the Spaniard let Sarr's weak shot slip through his hands and into the back of the net:
Per Squawka Football, these types of mistakes have been coming around frequently for the United stopper:
Within three minutes, the Red Devils found themselves two goals down, with Wan-Bissaka the man to make a poor choice on this occasion.
The young defender went to ground in the area, tripping Sarr and giving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. From the spot, Deeney hammered his shot down the middle and suddenly United had a mountain to climb.
In an attempt to get back into the game, United brought Paul Pogba off the bench for his first appearance since September. However, there was no major improvement in the Red Devils' performance.
Bleacher Report's Dean Jones offered a critical assessment of the players in the United squad:
In the latter stages, the expected onslaught from the visitors didn't materialise, and it was Watford who looked the most likely to grab the next goal. Gerard Deulofeu, in particular, was causing big issues for the away side.
The win for Watford doesn't lift them off the bottom of the table, but they are now level on points with Norwich City in 19th. United remain in eighth.
What's Next?
The Red Devils will be back on home soil on Boxing Day, when they take on Newcastle United. Watford will visit high-flying Sheffield United on the same day.