Tag Archives: Arsenal

8th July 2023- Friendly, Arsenal 1 Watford 1 (played behind closed doors at Arsenal’s training ground)

Official site: Arsenal 1-1 Watford

3rd December 2022- Friendly, Arsenal 2 Watford 4 (played at Arsenal’s training ground in London Colney)

Behind closed doors

Official site: Goals in either half from Keinan Davis helped to secure a 4-2 win for Watford over Arsenal at the Gunners’ training ground in London Colney in a competitive friendly test.

Watford Observer: It was a game in which both side made numerous substitutions: Joao Pedro was the only player to play the full 90 minutes for the Hornets, while the Gunners changed all 10 outfield players at half-time.

6th March 2022- Premier League, Watford 2 Arsenal 3

WFC.net Jon Marks Commentary: 1 2

Attendance: 21,142

BBC Sport: The Hornets, who remain in the relegation zone, thought they had taken the lead within the first 20 seconds as Emmanuel Dennis slotted home but he was offside.

Sky Sports: Martin Odegaard opened the scoring with the first of three beautifully-worked Arsenal goals when he slid a low finish past Ben Foster after exchanging passes with Saka in the early stages (5). Watford responded well, with Cucho Hernandez netting the pick of the afternoon’s goals when he slammed home a stunning overhead kick from Kiko Femenia’s right-wing cross (11).

The Guardian: Chances were missed at both ends after that and there was rancour when Watford’s fans showed loud disapproval at Roy Hodgson’s substitution of Louza. “I’ve got to keep trying to pick the team to win games and not the team the fans would like to see because I don’t trust their judgment all the time,” Hodgson said. “I don’t think I can ask any more of the players than what they gave today.”

BHappy: These are strange times, however, and so here we are. The Ukrainian flag displayed by the Rookery twice pre-match – first as teams entered the arena and second, hesitantly, as the teams alternated around the centre-circle in a co-ordinated show of solidarity with Ukraine – would not, it seems, have met the approval of Chinese broadcasters and by implication the Chinese government; the former had declined to screen any Premier League matches this weekend in the light of such planned actions. The flag display, whilst a fine thing and well co-ordinated, feels somehow inadequate in the circumstances. It’s not quite standing in front of a tank, is it? And yet the fact that a government feels strongly enough about controlling the narrative told to its people to effectively ban its broadcast is testament to the impact it can have – or at least that they believe it can have. Well done all.

Fran’s Watford blog: Dennis really should have reduced the deficit when a low cross from Femenía reached him on the far post but he somehow miscontrolled and the ball spun away from goal. The visitors made a couple of substitutions replacing Martinelli and Lacazette with Pépé and Nketiah. Watford had a chance to strike back when a poor pass from the visitors reached Dennis who broke into the box but his pass to Kamara was intercepted. Arsenal then broke down the other end and the substitute, Nketiah, had a shot that hit the post. But the next goal of the game was scored by the Hornets as Sissoko brought the ball down in the box, beat the defender and squeezed the ball under Ramsdale to reduce the deficit to a single goal. Each side made a substitution at that point with Cleverley making way for debutant Kalu for the home side and Holding replacing Ødegaard for the visitors. When five minutes of added time was announced, it was the Hornet faithful cheering. Could we get a point from this game? Kalu had a great chance to grab the equaliser when he played a one-two with Sissoko and tried a shot from distance which was caught by Ramsdale. Kalu impressed again with a lovely ball towards Dennis that was intercepted. But the most notable thing during added time was the timewasting from the visitors which was most irritating when Tierney was thrown the ball by Hernandez and decided to drop it. Cucho’s follow-up throw was a little more vigorous but did not merit the Arsenal player collapsing as if he had received an upper cut and shame on the referee for booking the Watford player for his opponent’s play-acting. The final whistle went on a defeat for the Hornets that was greeted with applause from the home fans.

7th November 2021- Premier League, Arsenal 1 Watford 0

Attendance: 59,833

BBC Sport: Watford manager Claudio Ranieri accused Arsenal’s players of showing a lack of respect as the Gunners claimed a narrow victory in manager Mikel Arteta’s 100th match in charge.

Sky Sports: Watford boss Ranieri, who had stern words for Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta at full-time, was critical of Arsenal afterwards but also said the challenge on Sarr merited a foul.

Jamie Redknapp says Arsenal should have given the ball back to Watford in the build-up to their goal and sided with cross Hornets boss Claudio Ranieri.

BHappy: Tufan wasn’t badly hurt, his subsequent removal almost certainly tactical. As the ball went out he was already rising to his feet and declining what looked like an offer of medical attention from the official, something which rather spoils the subsequent “yes but they were just wasting time” justifications overheard in queues for the tube. Watford anticipated the ball being returned and Arsenal didn’t do so. Not only that, but they took a quick throw with the defence not set up, further capitalising on the confusion. Friend should perhaps have pulled them up, but the act wasn’t his – this was cheap, classless opportunism on Arsenal’s part. The ball worked its way across the box (via a collision involving Sarr, prompting optimistic calls for a foul on the Watford winger) and Smith-Rowe, perhaps the best outfield player on the afternoon, struck home.

Frans’ Watford Blog: Arsenal took the lead after a pass from Kucka reached White, he rode a couple of challenges then came up against Sissoko, who made the tackle but the ball dropped kindly for Smith Rowe who fired past Foster from the edge of the box. There were bitter complaints from the Watford players as the move had started following a throw-in after the Hornets put the ball out for an injury, the Arsenal players did not return the ball, but the Hornets managed to regain it until Sarr was knocked down in the build-up, this was not deemed to be a foul and, despite the protests, the goal stood.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59107413

26th July 2020- Premier League, Arsenal 3 Watford 2

Watford fans still have ‘hope’ to survive in Premier League

Graham Stack wants Watford fans to feel proud of Arsenal performance

Etienne Capoue could be back from injury for Watford’s trip to Arsenal

John Barnes feels stars need to align for Watford to beat Arsenal tomorrow

What needs to happen for Watford to avoid relegation

Kiko Femenia wants Watford to be confident and to hurt Arsenal

Hayden Mullins thanks Watford fans for ‘much appreciated’ support

Premier League final day: Champions League and relegation battles set to dominate

Who is staying up in the Premier League: Aston Villa, Watford or Bournemouth?

What is left to play for on the final day of the Premier League season?

guardian Watford can evoke spirit of Tevez to beat drop, says Hayden Mullins

Paying attendance:0
Referee: Mike Dean

First half

Second half

Deeney 43 (pen), 1-3

Welbeck 66, 2-3

Just like they had done with a 11-game winless start to the season, the Hornets left it all too late. They waited too long to produce their best performance since the restart and they were relegated by a point. One measly point. How terrifyingly small the margins can be at this punishing level.

Match-Report_-Arsenal-3-2-Watford-Watford-FC Download

To Watford Fans: From Gino Pozzo & Scott Duxbury

Watford relegated from Premier League with defeat at Arsenal

Defeat at Arsenal sends Watford out of the Premier League

Defeat-at-Arsenal-sends-Watford-out-of-the-Premier-League-_-Watford-Observer Download

Watford are relegated to Championship – what went wrong

The games that defined relegated Watford’s season

Troy Deeney: Watford skipper unsure about future

Watford captain Troy Deeney calls reporter ‘cheeky b******’

Hayden Mullins claims Watford just did not do enough after relegation

Watford players rated after they are relegated at Arsenal

Watford have a list of issues to address after relegation

Watford have the chance to rebuild and change their culture

Heurelho Gomes thinks Watford supporters deserved better

Managerless Watford were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inspired Arsenal to victory. The Hornets, who dropped into the bottom three for the first time since 28 February in midweek, started the day level on points with 17th spot knowing a positive result could keep them up.

Arsenal-3-2-Watford_-Hornets-relegated-from-Premier-League-on-final-day-BBC-Sport Download

Hayden Mullins’ side looked dead and buried at 3-0 down but they deservedly pulled a goal back courtesy of Troy Deeney’s penalty shortly before the break, then reduced the deficit to one goal when former Arsenal man Danny Welbeck slotted home from Ismaila Sarr’s cross (66).

Minute by minute

Some of Watford’s players sank to their knees; others made for the tunnel without a moment’s delay. The whistle had just blown on their five years in the Premier League and nobody could say that, when the occasion demanded them to hurl the kitchen sink at Arsenal, they went down without a fight. This was a performance full of the crispness, urgency and aggression that have hallmarked their best work over the last half-decade but it came too late, as did the fightback that almost completely overhauled a three-goal deficit on the day. Had Emiliano Martínez not brilliantly saved Danny Welbeck’s backheel 16 minutes from time, shortly after his former teammate had tapped in to put Watford within two goals of safety, there is every chance they could have completed a comeback for the ages.

It’s been a while since we had something like this, a final day with relegation still in the balance. We have a habit of doing relegation properly when we do it at all and our greatest escapes (1991, 1994) haven’t gone to the final day. Only 1996 bears comparison and then… not really. Then we were on thunderous form, trying to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. Here, the reverse was true. Then there was a massive sense of anticlimax as the first 20,000+ home crowd since relegation sat sullenly as results elsewhere relegated us anyway and Chelsea loanee Muzzy Izzet propelled Leicester into the play offs and towards promotion. Here? Here we gave ourselves a huge mountain to climb, did a reasonable job of climbing it anyway and then didn’t, leaving us in the ignominious position of finishing behind Bournemouth for good measure. In 1996 we dared to believe, propelled by GT’s explosive mini-series (nestled between his two epic screen plays). In 2020 we had all but given up before kick-off.

Watford were relegated from the Premier League. A hearty performance at the Emirates, but one that came too late. Jon, Mike, Jordi and DCW discuss how they feel after the final whistle of what is, for a little while at least, the last Watford game in the promised land.

15th September 2019- Premier League, Watford 2 Arsenal 2

Quique Sanchez Flores first programme notes from his second spell as Manager.

Referee: Anthony Taylor
Attendance: 21,360

1-2

2-2

Watford 2 – 2 Arsenal

Watford draw against Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first game back

Watford came from two goals down to snatch a point against Arsenal

Quique Sanchez Flores delighted with Watford reaction against Arsenal

Watford players show grit in comeback against Arsenal

Christian Kabasele thinks Watford’s draw with Arsenal felt like a win

Quique Sanchez Flores is making a plan for Watford striker Danny Welbeck

A selection of images as Watford draw with Arsenal in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first match since returning to Vicarage Road

Tom Cleverley was surprised by Arsenal’s dangerous tactics against Watford

Craig Dawson thinks Watford have more confidence under Quique Sanchez Flores

Bernd Leno claims Arsenal were fortunate not to lose against Watford

Ben Foster thinks Watford will find their first win soon after Arsenal display

Quique Sanchez Flores impressed by ‘mature’ Watford captain Etienne Capoue

Arsenal threw away a 2-0 lead at Watford through defensive errors as Quique Sanchez Flores’ side earned a 2-2 draw in the first game of his second spell.

The hosts fired in 31 shots – a club-record for a Premier League game – as Arsenal’s shaky defence finally cracked after the break.

Watford had the chances during a breathless finale when the outstanding Gerard Deulofeu fired inches off target and Tom Cleverley saw a shot deflect wide off David Luiz before, at the very last, Abdoulaye Doucouré blew a gilt-edged opportunity, shooting too close to Bernd Leno.

And so Quique’s back, and inevitably he’s given a warm welcome because such is the way of things in such situations even if the man in question isn’t a good bloke from recent memory. His first team selection is encouraging in its shape… a return to the 4-2-3-1 of Marco Silva’s brief successful period with Tom restored to the buzzing around role in front of two sitting midfielders, Étienne Capoue stepping into the role vacated by Nathaniel Chalobah after his knee injury. More odd was an extremely conservative bench, no out-and-out striker with Welbeck (reportedly injured in training on Friday) and Success omitted from the squad.

The final whistle went to rapturous cheers. As the players applauded the crowd, Quique’s name was being sung and he responded with a broad smile and an enthusiastic wave.

It was fun, it was a lot better and we could have even won it. Jon, Jason and Mike talk through Quique Sanchez Flores’ first game back as Watford Head Coach, and it gave us plenty to talk about.
Plus Jon is joined (prematch) by DCW and Colin to reflect on Javi leaving a week on and the 20 leaked badges for possible new Watford badges.