Watford Come Up Short In The Cojones Department
Mar 13th, 2018 by 'holic
As if to prove that I really am going senile I have just opened a message from Steve T asking why no Watford report? Odd, I thought, I wrote it when I got home on Saturday night. What a shame I didn’t remember to hit the publish button as well! So, for the first part of a double-header tonight here it is, but probably not better late than never!
Well that was an enjoyable afternoon. There was a degree of rotation with David Ospina, Calum Chambers, Laurent Koscielny, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere, and Danny Welbeck making way. Thankfully that left us with Shkodran Mustafi who hobbled off towards the end and had to allow Troy Deeney out of his pocket as he did so. A makeshift defence was outstanding and full marks to Rob Holding who was a very vociferous and accomplished part of that.
This will surely be one of those tee-shirt days a la John Jensen. I was there the day Petr Cech saved a penalty! Sorry, it isn’t intended to be anything other than a fun recollection of the afternoon. Cech’s 200th Premier League clean sheet is testament to the standards the big man has set himself at the bus stop in Fulham and with us.
It started well. Mustafi’s excellent header from a Mesut Ozil free-kick gave us an early advantage to build on. The Arsenal being the Arsenal meant that we followed it up with some pleasing on the eye football with no end product. In truth we should have gone in three of four to the good at the half, but we lack that killer instinct so often.
It threatened to be an entirely different afternoon at the start of the second-half as the Hornets, clearly having got a huge rocket at half-time, started to apply pressure almost entirely missing from their first-half display. That little bit of negativity in all of us was prodded, but eventually subdued.
At this point a word to the pairing of the oft-maligned Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny, often competitors for a starting shirt, but paired today in the absence of Ramsey and Wilshere. They played a full part in this victory and gave Arsene Wenger food for thought. With their help we weathered the storm and doubled our advantage when the Dortmund connection was re-opened and Henrikh Mkhitaryan threaded one through for Pierre-Emerick Aubamayang to round the ‘keeper and slot home.
An hour gone, we could relax and play a bit. Watford had other ideas and were happy to make the contest more physical. Martin Atkinson isn’t the referee you need when this happens. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, shunted into the right-back berth, apparently felled Pereyra. A rare blemish, if indeed it was, on another fine performance. Up stepped pantomime villain Deeney to take the spot-kick against the man who doesn’t save penalties. Petr Cech went right and parried the tame kick away. Cue the roar of the day.
It didn’t end there. Mkhitaryan should have had a penalty but received a return of compliment from Aubamayang and netted a third for the Gunners, definitely in Jekkyl mode once more. 3-0 to the Arsenal and another ‘holic pound in shreds!
It has to be said that days like today make nearly all who see them wonder why this Arsenal squad struggle in the way it has this season. The players who stepped up were quite outstanding. We found a way to support Ozil and Mkhitaryan in the same midfield, and it looked like both enjoyed each others company.
Roll on Thursday, and a rare midweek visit to the newish home of football. Keep it going lads. This is enjoyable.
Do come back later tonight for a guest post from Gary the Gooner that will register with a lot of our readers of ‘advanced years’.
8 Responses to “Watford Come Up Short In The Cojones Department”
Never gave up on you, ‘holic. 😀
Ha ha.
There are tablets you can take…..
?
I chisel my posts on tablets, Steve. ?
No wonder you need pints of Guinness to wash them down.
Plus the odd Irish water of life …….??????
Shame on me Holic
I thought you’d been too pissed to write a report.
It is an excellent recollection of a game I only saw on telly.
I’d only depart from your version Re Xhaka. I saw several poorly directed passes. He is a menace . Elneny was excellent as were our full- backs.
Roll on Thursday. We might soon be the last English side in Europe!
Holy smoke, Holic. I’m Pad Thaid to the gunnels having been sitting here awaiting to hear what happened on Sunday. Sounds like a fun-filled day.
I’ve finally caught up with this excellent report. Much improved from the team but with a very worrying passive and sloppy middle section. Could do better still.