Watford stun Arsenal with dramatic stoppage-time winner
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ByEurosport
Updated 14/10/2017 at 19:07 GMT
Premier League, Vicarage Road - Watford 2 (Deeney pen 71', Cleverley 90') Arsenal 1 (Mertesacker 39')
Tom Cleverley celebrates with his Watford team-mates after scoring the winner against Arsenal
Image credit: Reuters
Watford stunned Arsenal with a dramatic stoppage-time winner from Tom Cleverley in a miserable evening for Arsene Wenger's side.
Per Mertesacker, starting his first game of the season, gave Arsenal a positive start to the match as he headed in from a corner in the 39th minute.
Mesut Ozil came off the bench after the restart to replace the injured Danny Welbeck and the Germany international had the perfect opportunity to double Arsenal’s advantage when he was played through behind the Watford defence, but had his shot well blocked by Heurelho Gomes.
And only a minute later, referee Neil Swarbrick awarded a controversial penalty to the hosts when Richarlison went down easily under the challenge of Hector Bellerin. Troy Deeney finished coolly from the spot for his first goal in 14 league games and suddenly Watford had their tails up.
The winner came deep into stoppage time when Cleverley popped up to score his first goal in Watford colours in seven years as the hosts claimed a stunning late victory – their first of the season at Vicarage Road.
The win sees Watford leapfrog Arsenal and Chelsea and go fourth behind only Manchester City, United and Tottenham.
TALKING POINT
Arsenal pay the penalty. The Gunners had battled their way into the lead and were heading for their first win on the road this season, until the referee awarded the hosts a dubious penalty with only 20 minutes to play. There appeared to be minimal contact from Bellerin and Richarlison went down easily. From there, the momentum swung the way of Watford and, as you know, the hosts grabbed a dramatic late winner. Wenger will claim the decision has cost his side three points, but his side had more than enough chances to settle the contest. The result may well prove extremely devastating to Arsenal’s top-four hopes come the end of the season.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Richarlison (Watford) - Controversy aside, the Brazilian was Watford's most creative player. His lightening pace, quick feet and directness frightened Arsenal's defence every time he ran at them.
KEY MOMENTS
39’ - GOAL! Mertesacker gives Arsenal the lead! On his first start in 18 months, it is the veteran who heads the Gunners in front! He out-jumps his marker Cleverly, and applies the finish. It is Mertesacker's first goal in almost four years!
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Per Mertesacker celebrates
Image credit: Getty Images
43’ - ARSENAL GO CLOSE - TWICE! Gomes makes a good save to deny Xhaka from the edge of the penalty area. The move is kept alive as the visitors work the ball back into the penalty area and Bellerin sees his first-time shot drifting just wide!
69’ - CHANCE! Ozil times his run perfectly to break Watford's offside trap, but he cannot find a way past Gomes who makes himself big to make the block.
70’ - PENALTY TO WATFORD! Richarlison goes down inside the box under a challenge from Bellerin, and Neil Swarbrick immediately points to the spot! It looked soft...
71’ - GOAL! Watford are level. Deeney steps up... and smashes the ball beyond the reach of Cech! It is the captain's first goal in 14 league games!
90’+2 GOAL! Cleverley smashes home the winner for Watford! Unbelievable scenes at Vicarage Road! Cleverley scores his first goal in Watford colours in SEVEN years, and what a time to get it. The ball falls kindly to the former Manchester United man after an almighty scramble, and he makes no mistake as he powers home Watford's second.
PLAYER RATINGS
Watford: Gomes 7, Kabasele 6, Mariappa 6, Britos 6, Femenía 7, Doucoure 7, Cleverley 7, Holebas 7, Pereyra 6, Gray 5, Richarlison 7. Subs: Capoue 6, Carrillo 6, Deeney 7.
Arsenal: Cech 6, Koscielny 6, Mertesacker 7, Monreal 6, Bellerin 7, Elneny 5, Xhaka 6, Kolasinac 6, Iwobi 5, Welbeck 6, Lacazette 6. Subs: Holding N/A, Ozil 7, Giroud 6.
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Watford's Troy Deeney celebrates scoring their first goal with team-mates against Arsenal
Image credit: Reuters
KEY STATS
- Arsenal have lost to a 90+ minute winner in the Premier League for the first time since January 2012 (Bobby Zamora for Fulham).
- Petr Cech has failed to save any of the 12 penalties he has faced with Arsenal in all competitions.
- Arsenal have conceded 11 goals from the penalty spot since the start of last season; four more than any other current PL side.
- Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Arsenal have scored more headed goals in the Premier League than any other team.
- Per Mertesacker scored his first Premier League goal in 1400 days, since netting against Man City in December 2013.
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