WATFORD, England (REUTERS) - Watford held on nervously to repel a late comeback and beat Cardiff City 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday (Dec 15), leaving the struggling Welsh visitors still searching for a first away win this season.
Spanish forward Gerard Deulofeu, who replaced Isaac Success in the Watford starting lineup, slipped past two Cardiff defenders in the box before drilling a finish past goalkeeper Neil Etheridge to give the hosts an early lead.
With momentum firmly on their side, Watford created further chances through Roberto Pereyra but Etheridge kept the away side in the contest with two spectacular saves just before halftime.
Watford returned from the break with no signs of complacency as Deulofeu’s perfectly weighted pass found full back Jose Holebas, who curled a superb effort into the top corner to make it 2-0.
Portuguese midfielder Domingos Quina then netted his first Premier League goal from the edge of the box as Watford edged closer to a convincing victory at Vicarage Road.
But Cardiff roared back into the match when forward Junior Hoilett fired a curling effort past goalkeeper Ben Foster.
The Welsh side could sniff an unlikely draw when Bobby Reid scored to make it 3-2 in the 82nd minute but Watford held their nerve to record a first league success in seven matches.
DESEERVED WINÂ
“The last games we have played well, but today we deserved the win, it is important for the players and supporters,†said Watford boss Javi Gracia.Â
“All of them deserve the victory.â€Â
The Hornets had more than 70 per cent possession and took 17 shots, showing glimpses of the attacking fluidity which earned them four straight league wins at the start of the campaign.
But Gracia expects his mid-table team, who now have 24 points, to shut the door on their opponents, having controlled the majority of the game.
“We dominated the first 70 minutes, we created a lot of chances and we could have got a better victory today,†he added.
“The last part of the game I think was a good lesson for us to know how we have to manage the game.â€Â
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said his players must cut out their mistakes as they slipped to 16th stuck on 14 points.
“We set ourselves up to be difficult to break down and I can not legislate for individual errors,†he said.
“We cannot keep playing like this every week and losing, we need to get results away from home.â€
Nathan Ake Strikes Late To Sink Nine-Man Tottenham Hotspur Updated: 04 May 2019 19:54 IST Nathan Ake's last-gasp winner condemned Spurs to a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.
Ake strikes late to sink nine-man Tottenham Hotspur
Europa League semi-finals confirmed: Arsenal vs Valencia, Chelsea vs Eintracht Frankfurt Arsenal vs Valencia; But Arsenal coach Unai Emery knows he must field his strongest XI if he wants
Mourinho says 'United is the past' but will coach again LONDON • Jose Mourinho, sacked as manager of Manchester United on Tuesday, has confirmed that he would return to management. He also insisted that his United career was a closed chapter in his first remarks since his removal.
Manchester United news: Jose Mourinho was living in the past
Europa League: 10-man Arsenal slump to heavy loss as Chelsea earn big home win and there was another surprise in Spain where Slavia Prague held five-time Europa League champions Sevilla to a 2
Europa League: Chelsea too strong for Kiev, Arsenal slump at
History made as women to referee men's AFC Cup clash Japanese referee Yoshimi Yamashita and assistants Makoto Bozono and Naomi Teshirogi will officiate the AFC Cup match between Myanmar's
History made as women to referee men's AFC Cup clash - The
Football: Klopp confirms Firmino fitness for Champions League final Roberto Firmino trained in Madrid on Friday and is fit after missing Liverpool's last three games, manager Jurgen Klopp said
Tottenham vs Liverpool: Roberto Firmino passed fit for
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina insists that his side must set a positive tone for next season by finishing the current campaign with wins over the big teams.
Kent Eriksen Cycles Seatposts
After Vincent Kompany's decision to join boyhood club Anderlecht as player-manager, we reflect on his best moments at Manchester City. Vincent Kompany said he had "lived the dream" as he
Vincent Kompany after FA Cup win: Man City are best team in
Eden Hazard marked his 100th cap with an early goal to set Belgium on their way to a comfortable 2-0 away win over Cyprus in their Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday.
Hazard marks milestone with early goal to help Belgium win
MADRID (AFP) - Mauricio Pochettino will wait until the last minute to decide whether Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is fit enough to face Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday
Tottenham team news: Mauricio Pochettino to make final call
(Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino says his players are "still in a dream" after reaching the Champions League semi-finals in dramatic fashion but expects his side to be ready for Saturday's crucial Premier League clash against Manchester City. Spurs lost 4-3 in a
Spurs 'still in a dream' after Man City win, says Pochettino
The UEFA Champions League trophy is unveiled in Madrid on May 29, 2019 ahead of the final football match between Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur on June 1. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP) Madrid will deploy an unprecedented number of police and security personnel for Saturday's all-English Champions League final, and use a drone for the first
Madrid plans 'robust' security for all-English Champions
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar