Generous Watford gift it to Gunners ARSENAL ENJOY PARTY
DON’T be fooled by the closeness of the scoreline.
It is hard to imagine how Watford could have been any more neighbourly if they had brought Arsenal’s players a half-time cup of tea.
That is something of a worry for manager Roy Hodgson.
These clubs’ training grounds sit next to each other in what is effectively a lay-by off the M25, and Arsenal’s sporting director Edu is looking at seeing if the two can help each other out more.
Well, Watford’s defence seemed to start the process from about 16 seconds in, when their early “goal” was disallowed for offside.
They seemed to set about giving Arsenal as much space as they needed to fulfil their aims and take another stride towards Champions League football.
Arsenal had to wait just five minutes to take the lead. Bukayo Saka burst to the goalline far too easily and pulled the ball back. Martin Odegaard stretched out a toe to get the ball under control.
There was nobody near to challenge him and he picked his spot to score. In fairness to Watford, they are neighbours who bring something more to the party than a warm bottle of Blue Nun.
Cucho Hernandez’s crowd-pleasing over-head kick from Kiko Femenia’s cross real party piece with which to level the scores.
But, on the halfhour, Saka helped himself to the ball off the foot of Tom Cleverley just outside the area, played it quickly into the danger area, where Alexandre Lacazette – so often the pivot of a lot of Arsenal’s most enterprising play – rolled the ball neatly back into the path of ther England forward with the bottom of his heel, and Saka swept it into the net for his ninth goal of the season.
Shortly after half-time, the Gunners took advantage of Watford’s hospitality again.
Inevitably, Odegaard and Lacazette were in the midst of the choreographed triangles before Gabriel Martinelli applied the final touch as Watford defenders stood back.
Moussa Sissoko unexpectedly appeared at the Arsenal back door to score a late second and spark a few unseemly squabbles as the game ran down and tensions began to strain.
But there was never too much ill-feeling and it was handshakes and smiles on the final whistle.
Arsenal had what they wanted. Watford, meanwhile, need to become a good deal less generous if they want to remain with them in the Premier League.
WATFORD (4-3-3): Foster 6; Femenia 6, Cathcart 6, Samir 5, Kamara 6; Sissoko 7, Louza 6 (Kayembe 64, 6), Cleverley 6 (Kalu 89); Hernandez 7, Dennis 6, Pedro 6. Goals: Hernandez 11, Sissoko 87. ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale 6; Soares 6, White 7, Gabriel 6, Tierney 6; Xhaka 6, Partey 7; Martinelli 7 (Pepe 73), Odegaard 8 (Holding 90), Saka 8; Lacazette 8 (Nketiah 80). Goals: Odegaard 5, Saka 30, Martinelli 52.