Tottenham v Watford: match preview
7 HRS AGO - Tottenham could not have handpicked the next fixture after the shock 3-0 defeat at Brighton any Expand
7 HRS AGO - Tottenham could not have handpicked the next fixture after the shock 3-0 defeat at Brighton any better than to have a visit from Watford. Having also been announced as the latest subject of an Amazon fly-on-the-wall documentary for next summer, the US broadcaster will be fully expectant of filming a more joyful episode than it has managed of late, with Spurs winning three in their last 11 games in all competitions. Quique Sánchez Flores has said he is calm despite the current predicament, Watford have four league goals to their name and a goal difference of minus 16. “We are probably at 30 or 35%. We need to improve in many things if we want to be more competitive,” he said. “We are working really hard during the week.” Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon are back in full training for Spurs, who will be without Hugo Loris until the new year. Mark TallentireSaturday 3pm Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
07/10/2019 - City need De Bruyne fit, Connolly is a rising star at Brighton and Everton’s Silva should beware Expand
07/10/2019 - City need De Bruyne fit, Connolly is a rising star at Brighton and Everton’s Silva should beware the international breakThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best imagesUnai Emery, in his programme notes for the game against Bournemouth, spoke about the importance of balance and how he wants his side to be “competitive both defensively and offensively”. That is excellent in theory but it needs to be put into practice and yet again on Sunday there was little evidence of that. Arsenal won but they did not play well and the most glaring issue is the lack of an obvious plan. Are Arsenal meant to press aggressively, and if so why did that part of their game drop off so alarmingly? Are they meant to dominate possession, and if so why do their midfielders appear to spend more time running than playing passes? It is confusing and while injuries are an issue for Emery, particularly in regards to his first‑choice full-backs, it is fair to expect that after more than a year in charge his vision Collapse
Watford v Sheffield United: match preview
04/10/2019 - Sheffield United might be inclined to quip that Watford were the future once, as Chris Wilder’s Expand
04/10/2019 - Sheffield United might be inclined to quip that Watford were the future once, as Chris Wilder’s overperformers prepare to face Quique Sánchez Flores’s underperformers, a side who were so buoyantly overachieving this time last year. The Blades ran Liverpool mightily close last week and might be looking forward to the space a leaky Watford might offer them at Vicarage Road. This is certainly a fixture they will be looking to win, and will be boosted by the return up front of Billy Sharp from his three-game ban, though Wilder may opt for the same XI that impressed against Liverpool. Will Hughes, Roberto Pereyra and Andre Gray could be in contention to start for Watford, who could do with the bite of the still-injured Troy Deeney. Tom DaviesSaturday 3pm Continue reading... Collapse
The Dozen: Wilder's wince and Jay's odd socks – Premier League photo highlights
29/09/2019 - Our picture editors choose their favourite images from the weekend’s actionView the Dozen archive Expand
29/09/2019 - Our picture editors choose their favourite images from the weekend’s actionView the Dozen archive Continue reading... Collapse
Football quiz: absolute hammerings
24/09/2019 - Watford were on the wrong side of an 8-0 drubbing from Manchester City on Saturday, but it could Expand
24/09/2019 - Watford were on the wrong side of an 8-0 drubbing from Manchester City on Saturday, but it could have been worseArchie Thompson broke the record for the most goals scored in an international match when Australia beat American Samoa 31-0 in a World Cup qualifier in 2001. How many did he score?7101316Manchester City’s 8-0 win over Watford on Saturday fell one goal short of the biggest victory in Premier League history, set by Manchester United in 1995 when they beat Ipswich 9-0. Andy Cole scored five goals that day, becoming the first player to do so in a Premier League match. Which of these strikers has not matched Cole's achievement of scoring five goals in a Premier League game?Alan Shearer Dimitar Berbatov Thierry HenrySergio Agüero Jermain Defoe Apart from the scoreline, what was peculiar about AS Adema’s 149-0 thrashing of SO l’Emyrne in the last game of Madagascar’s league championship in October 2002?All of AS Adema’s starting XI scoredNo AS Adema player scored a goalThe game Collapse
Guardiola and Sánchez Flores react to Manchester City's 8-0 demolition of Watford – video
21/09/2019 - Pep Guardiola and Quique Sánchez Flores spoke after Manchester City thumped Watford 8-0 in the Expand
21/09/2019 - Pep Guardiola and Quique Sánchez Flores spoke after Manchester City thumped Watford 8-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Guardiola was happy with his team’s scintillating display, with City’s first five goals coming inside the first 18 minutes. The Manchester club did not take their foot off the gas in the second half, with Bernardo Silva scoring two of the three goals after the break to complete his hat-trick. A deflated Sánchez Flores apologised to the Watford fans for his side’s dismal performance. Manchester City hit eight past Watford as Bernardo Silva scores hat-trick Continue reading... Collapse
Watford give us 11,158 reasons to believe bogey teams do exist | Barry Glendenning
20/09/2019 - Every side has a team they just can’t beat – and the winless Hornets haven’t toppled City since Expand
20/09/2019 - Every side has a team they just can’t beat – and the winless Hornets haven’t toppled City since Thatcher was PMIs there really such a thing as a football bogey team? Opponents whom fans of a particular club dread to see their team face because they seem inexplicably incapable of registering a win? Although it may be some time before the next Tyne-Wear derby, Newcastle supporters could be forgiven for being baffled by their side’s curious recent inability to beat Sunderland, their bitter rivals in the north-east. Newcastle are on a run of nine games without victory against a team that generally didn’t take much beating even before their ignominious slide into League One. Between April 2013 and October 2015, Sunderland beat Newcastle six times in as many games. Related: Watford look like their old selves now Quique Sánchez Flores is back | Nick Ames Related: John Stones out for at least a month to deepen Manchester City injury crisis Continue reading... Collapse
The Dozen: Guardiola's grief and David Luiz's lunge – the best Premier League pictures
15/09/2019 - Our picture editors choose their favourite images from the weekend’s matches Continue reading...
Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened
15/09/2019 - Roberto Pereyra’s late penalty completed a rousing Watford comeback in a breathless match full of Expand
15/09/2019 - Roberto Pereyra’s late penalty completed a rousing Watford comeback in a breathless match full of brilliant attacking and laughable defending 6.44pm BST That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with Dave Hytner’s report on a thrilling match. Night! Related: Roberto Pereyra completes comeback to earn Watford draw against Arsenal 6.36pm BST Post-match chatTom Cleverley 6.25pm BST It’s hard to know where to start with that match. Arsenal led 2-0 at half-time after two lovely goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But Watford were relentless in the second half, and got back in the game through Tom Cleverley after some laughable defending from Arsenal. Roberto Pereyra’s late penalty brought them level, and both teams had chances to win it. It was pulsating entertainment. 6.23pm BST Peep peep! A fine, uplifting game ends with honours even. Quique Sanchez Flores is back; so are Watford. They were wonderful. 6.21pm BST 90+2 min: Vital save from Leno! Doucoure almost scored the winner after Collapse
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Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
1 DAY AGO - A crunch clash at Old Trafford, Palace tackle vulnerable champions and could West Ham do for Marco Expand
1 DAY AGO - A crunch clash at Old Trafford, Palace tackle vulnerable champions and could West Ham do for Marco Silva?Top scorers: latest leaders in Europe’s top five leaguesThe last time Liverpool visited Old Trafford, they met a United side struggling with injuries – even before three players were forced off during the first half. But, though Liverpool were three points clear at the top, they played as though the goalless draw they eventually achieved was an acceptable result. In the event, Manchester City pipped them to the title by a point, and though that required a phenomenal run of 14 straight wins, had Liverpool embraced the pressure and played with their usual intensity in that game they would now be champions of England, not into their 30th season without a league title. On Sunday, Liverpool will arrive able to wear and excuse any slip-up: they are eight points clear at the top, while United, who are not quite as abhorrently awful as they’ve looked recently, will have some key players Collapse
The Dozen: the weekend’s best Premier League photos
06/10/2019 - Referees, bicycle kicks and ‘giving it back’ in this week’s roundup of the best top-flight Expand
06/10/2019 - Referees, bicycle kicks and ‘giving it back’ in this week’s roundup of the best top-flight picturesView the Dozen archive Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
03/10/2019 - Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield, Spurs give opponents too much space and Bournemouth have Expand
03/10/2019 - Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield, Spurs give opponents too much space and Bournemouth have Arsenal in their sightsBrendan Rodgers returns to Anfield on Saturday, sensing an opportunity to end his former club’s perfect Premier League start. Last season, a much less adventurous Leicester side got a point at Liverpool, triggering a costly spell of self-doubt for Jürgen Klopp’s title chasers. There has been virtually no sign of weakness from the Reds in the league this term, but Salzburg’s dramatic Champions League fightback may have shown Rodgers the way forward. Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold made surging infield runs against Salzburg, a tactic that helped Liverpool race into a three-goal lead as Robertson scored. As the game changed, the hosts were left exposed in wide areas as their opponents poured forward. Leicester will be a threat on the counter and have plenty of pace and craft on the flanks, not least through their own full-back pairing of Ben Chilwell and Collapse
Matt Doherty leads Wolves to vital victory against winless Watford
28/09/2019 - Wolverhampton Wanderers finally claimed their first victory of the season to put an end to their Expand
28/09/2019 - Wolverhampton Wanderers finally claimed their first victory of the season to put an end to their stuttering start. Watford, however, have very real concerns. Easily dispatched by their hosts, they remain stuck to the foot of the Premier League table with just two points from seven games.A first half tap-in from Matt Doherty was followed by a second-half own goal from Daryl Janmaat and the game could not really have panned out much better for Nuno Espírito Santo. There were several impressive performers, with Willy Boly and Adama Traoré among the best of them, but the calm way they went about securing this rare success will have pleased the Wolves manager the most. Related: Luka Milivojevic and Andros Townsend score as Crystal Palace beat Norwich Related: Chris Wood strikes for Burnley to deny a frustrating Aston Villa Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
23/09/2019 - Solskjær’s diplomacy masks United problems, De Bruyne in the ascendancy and Xhaka’s poor form Expand
23/09/2019 - Solskjær’s diplomacy masks United problems, De Bruyne in the ascendancy and Xhaka’s poor form gives Emery a tough choiceThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best picturesUnai Emery is yet to find the right balance for his midfield but the claim of his de facto captain, Granit Xhaka, to be part of it is looking decidedly tenuous. First things first: the Switzerland international is a good player who cares tremendously and does not deserve anything like the negative reception he received upon his substitution against Aston Villa after 72 minutes. But his replacements, Lucas Torreira and the outstanding youngster Joe Willock, helped turbo-charge Arsenal’s comeback while Matteo Guendouzi played the second half like a man possessed. Xhaka, by contrast, looked hesitant and off the pace. He is nowhere near automatic selection territory on this season’s form and Emery, who has delayed formally announcing Arsenal’s next club captain, may have a tough decision to make. Nick Ames Related: VAR Collapse
Manchester City hit eight past Watford as Bernardo Silva scores treble
21/09/2019 - A rout initiated by David Silva after 52 seconds showed one way Manchester City can negotiate Expand
21/09/2019 - A rout initiated by David Silva after 52 seconds showed one way Manchester City can negotiate having Aymeric Laporte and John Stones missing because injury: simply make it 5-0 by 18 minutes in and so nullify any concerns regarding being weakened in central defence.Pep Guardiola’s men will, of course, have tougher challenges than bottom-placed Watford, who are yet to win this season. But when in this imperious mood most oppositions would struggle to contain the champions of the past two campaigns, who ended with a record league victory under the Catalan. Related: Manchester City 8-0 Watford, Everton 0-2 Sheffield United: clockwatch – live! Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
19/09/2019 - Mesut Özil remains an enigma for Unai Emery, Phil Jagielka returns to Everton and Liverpool’s 100% Expand
19/09/2019 - Mesut Özil remains an enigma for Unai Emery, Phil Jagielka returns to Everton and Liverpool’s 100% record could endStill looking for his first home win as Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard will do well to get off the mark against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. While he and his coaching staff will have scrutinised Napoli’s midweek Champions League win over Jürgen Klopp’s side looking for weaknesses, they are unlikely to have learned much they didn’t know already. Diligently maintaining your shape, getting behind Liverpool’s advancing full-backs and hoping at least one of your central defenders can perform a passable imitation of Kalidou Koulibaly is all very well in theory, but a lot easier said than done. And while the prospect of Liverpool’s preposterously-talented front three drawing blanks again seems remote, Lampard can at least take heart from the fact Liverpool only beat one of their fellow top six teams on their travels last season. BG Related: The return of the Champions League – Collapse
Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says team were ‘scared’ in second half at Watford
15/09/2019 - • Gunners let slip 2-0 half-time lead and just hung on for a draw• Xhaka adds that the side had to Expand
15/09/2019 - • Gunners let slip 2-0 half-time lead and just hung on for a draw• Xhaka adds that the side had to ‘show more character’ Granit Xhaka reignited the debate about Arsenal’s mental toughness when he said his team had been scared during the second half of the 2-2 draw at Watford.Arsenal led 2-0 at the interval – courtesy of goals by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – despite an error-strewn display. But they lost their way in the second half after a calamitous defensive mix‑up allowed Tom Cleverley to pull a goal back. Sokratis Papastathopoulos was the Arsenal player chiefly to blame, misplacing a pass when attempting to play out from the back. Related: Roberto Pereyra completes comeback to earn Watford draw against Arsenal Continue reading... Collapse
Roberto Pereyra completes comeback to earn Watford draw against Arsenal
15/09/2019 - Quique Sánchez Flores had missed all of this – the thrills, the spills and the very peculiar Expand
15/09/2019 - Quique Sánchez Flores had missed all of this – the thrills, the spills and the very peculiar madness that can turn Premier League football matches into the most gripping of spectacles.The returning Watford manager watched his team lose their grip in the first half and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang mete out the punishment with a pair of trademark finishes. The Arsenal striker now has five goals in five matches this season and his complete record at the London club bears consideration – he has 45 in 70 appearances across all competitions. Related: Watford 2-2 Arsenal: Premier League – live reaction! Related: Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson fires double to sink lacklustre Everton Continue reading... Collapse
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Premier League: 10 standout statistics from the season so far
09/10/2019 - Leicester love a tackle, Villa like a scrap, Wolves enjoy a late goal, Watford can’t finish and Expand
09/10/2019 - Leicester love a tackle, Villa like a scrap, Wolves enjoy a late goal, Watford can’t finish and Arsenal still don’t know how to defendBy Martin Laurence for WhoScoredDespite their poor run of form, Ole Gunnar Solskjær has commended the spirit of his Manchester United players. However, the numbers tell a different story. When a team is short of ideas and quality in attack, it is always a good idea to go back to the basics of defending to rebuild. But United simply do not work hard enough to regain possession. They have won fewer tackles and interceptions combined (125 tackles and 66 interception) than any other team in the division. They are not be far behind Manchester City and Liverpool in those statistics but, crucially, United are not keeping the ball as well or pressing as effectively. They have won the ball in the attacking third just 27 times compared to City’s 49 and Liverpool’s 57. Related: When Manchester United had an even worse start to the season ... in 1989 Related: Collapse
Andre Gray and Watford rue missed chances in Sheffield United stalemate
05/10/2019 - A point is a point is a point, so this match was not a complete waste of time, except perhaps for Expand
05/10/2019 - A point is a point is a point, so this match was not a complete waste of time, except perhaps for the spectators. Having said that, those who turned up at Vicarage Road can at least say they witnessed one of the misses of the season thanks to Andre Gray. Danny Welbeck and Craig Dawson also had good opportunities but were denied by Dean Henderson, but do not let those facts kid you into thinking Watford were unlucky not to claim their first win of the season. This dreadful game at least ended with a fair result.Watford’s team-sheet read like a classified ad: Desperately Seeking Solidity. Manager Quique Sánchez Flores made four changes to his lineup as he sought to repair a defence that had conceded 20 goals in their previous seven league matches, nearly three times as many as Sheffield United. Sebastian Prödl was given his first league start for 17 months and, in what could be construed either as a sign of alarm at his team’s leakiness or of respect for the visitors, Flores switched Collapse
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
30/09/2019 - Fernandinho a cause for concern, Chris Wilder’s tough love for Dean Henderson and Brendan Rodgers Expand
30/09/2019 - Fernandinho a cause for concern, Chris Wilder’s tough love for Dean Henderson and Brendan Rodgers ready for LiverpoolThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best picturesOn current form there are, at a rough count, at least three teams from the established “top six” that could benefit from the services of John McGinn. With the exception of Kevin De Bruyne it is hard to find a midfielder in better form and he certainly deserved to be on the winning side here, when Aston Villa were eventually pegged back by Burnley. “He’s been consistently good in all our performances and consistently looks like he’s going to score goals,” said McGinn’s manager, Dean Smith, after he volleyed in Villa’s second having earlier had a strike ruled out by VAR. “He’s an all-action player, gets into the opposition box, scores goals, wins free-kicks.” McGinn has an unorthodox running style but seems to cover every blade of grass while offering a constant creative threat: his rise has been quite something and the Collapse
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Watford: match preview
27/09/2019 - Scoring a late equaliser at Crystal Palace last week will have helped to convince Wolves’ players Expand
27/09/2019 - Scoring a late equaliser at Crystal Palace last week will have helped to convince Wolves’ players that they can still finish high up the table despite their lowly position at present. Then again, Watford enjoyed a rousing fightback against Arsenal two weeks ago and then were annihilated 8-0 at Manchester City, so momentum may be overrated. What is certain is that both sides will see this as a prime opportunity to claim their first league win of the season. Paul DoyleSaturday 3pm Continue reading... Collapse
The Dozen: City's blitz and Azpilicueta's false joy – the best Premier League pictures
22/09/2019 - Our picture editors choose their favourite images from the weekend’s action Continue reading...
Manchester City v Watford: match preview
20/09/2019 - The paper covering Manchester City’s cracks was torn down by Norwich but without John Stones’s Expand
20/09/2019 - The paper covering Manchester City’s cracks was torn down by Norwich but without John Stones’s slack passing they are likely to improve defensively. A strong showing in Ukraine also aids the feeling that their shock defeat was a freak aberration. Watford produced an upset of their own against Arsenal and deserved a first victory of the season in the dying embers. Quique Sánchez Flores’s positive effect was clear in his first game back in the dugout but that may not last long with Pep Guardiola seeking atonement for the Carrow Road calamity. Graham SearlesSaturday 3pm Continue reading... Collapse
Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
16/09/2019 - Buendía the architect of City’s bad day, Arsenal were woeful in defence and Maguire deserved Expand
16/09/2019 - Buendía the architect of City’s bad day, Arsenal were woeful in defence and Maguire deserved better from Leicester fansThe way in which Norwich turned a negative into a positive was quite something. With nigh-on a full team of players out injured, the odds of stopping Manchester City looked insurmountable. Instead Daniel Farke’s men gave their best performance of the season by far, not only cutting the champions open but looking solid at the back for the first time. There was kudos for the debutants in defence, Sam Byram and Ibrahim Amadou, but also for more seasoned Norwich players. Emi Buendía and Marco Stiepermann were central to a buccaneering style in the Championship yet had struggled to bring that form to the top flight. With the gauntlet down, however, they delivered. Buendía contributed two assists and regularly sprung the City press. Stiepermann sparked several counter attacks and crucially reestablished his understanding with Teemu Pukki. Paul MacInnes Related: Watford Collapse
Watford look like their old selves now Quique Sánchez Flores is back | Nick Ames
15/09/2019 - After showing great resilience to earn a draw against Arsenal, having been two goals down, the Expand
15/09/2019 - After showing great resilience to earn a draw against Arsenal, having been two goals down, the faithful were more than happy to see the return of a familiar faceIs it still called a “new manager bounce” when the manager is not particularly new? Whatever this was, it had Vicarage Road feeling far better about things and Watford looking considerably more akin to their old selves. From the jaws of defeat came what, on the basis of a ferocious assault on Arsenal’s goal in the second half, felt by the end like a 2-2 thrashing. Quique Sánchez Flores came back for afternoons like this and the home support, numbed by the atrophy of late-era Javi Gracia, would happily get used to more of them.“Calm down, calm down,” Flores gesticulated to his players in added time, which came to an unwelcome close in the throes of a finale packed with barely credible levels of incident. He was concerned Watford were about to let their good work slip, with Joe Willock having failed to spot a fine opportunity Collapse
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