MATCH REPORT : WATFORD 2-3 EVERTON

Evertonians had been waiting for this game since the final whistle rang out against Newcastle United 11 days ago hoping to banish the injury time nightmare that saw them throw away a certain victory. The Blues arrived at newly invigorated at Vicarage Road knowing that this would be a stern test given Watford’s upturn in fortunes since new manager Nigel Pearson took over.

The hornets were unbeaten in all of their home games since Pearson’s appointment and in fact the only points they had dropped were in their last home game against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur which ended in a 0-0 draw.

Everton welcomed back Alex Iwobi, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Richarlison after injury with Bernard, Morgan Schneiderlin and Moise Kean all dropping to the bench. Watford were without the ever improving Ismail Sarr but had Danny Wellbeck back on the bench for the first time in 3 months.

The visitors had the best opening chance on 7 minutes when former Watford striker Richarlison fired over the bar after good work by Iwobi down the left hand side. However, 3 three minutes later the hosts went in front.

Adam Masina scored his first goal for Watford in the tenth minute following a flowing move. Étienne Capoue won possession in the middle of the park and switched a lovely crossfield pass to Gerard Deulofeu. The Spaniard took the ball down brilliantly with instant control and laid it off to the advancing Masina. Walcott switched off and allowed the full-back to drive his shot inside Jordan Pickford’s left hand post.

Everton had lots of possession and nice approach play but apart from a glancing Dominic Calvert-Lewin header which was gathered comfortably by Ben Foster, Everton could not fashion any real opportunities to get level.

Three minutes before half-time Watford doubled their lead and again punished Everton for sloppy play. Roberto Pereyra finished the move, after Fabian Delph had played a sloppy pass that was intercepted by Troy Deeney and he showed awareness with the lay-off which Pereyra finished beyond Pickford to make it two nil.

Everton had a mountain to climb and given that on the previous 36 ocassions when going behind they had not won a game the odds were not in the toffees favour. In fact, you have to go back to when Marco Silva was the Watford manager that Everton turned around a negative scoreline to win a game, that day they trailed two nil at Goodison Park before winning 3-2!

As the PA system announced that a period of two minutes’ added time was to be played Everton clawed a goal back. A Lucas Digne corner was turned home by Yerry Mina after his initial header was forced towards goal by Mason Holgate. It was Mina’s first goal of the season and it was a vital one.

Almost straight from the restart Everton won another corner. This time it was taken by Gylfi Sigurdsson, he found the same target and Mina got across Craig Cathcart and planted a bouncing a header into Ben Foster’s net to make it 2-2. Everton who had led two nil against Newcastle United before conceding twice in a couple of injury time minutes last time out, had now done the same to Watford.

The half-time whistle went a few seconds after the restart.

Everton started the second half on the front foot and Watford struggled to stay with them at times. Two excellent clearances from Craig Cathcart prevented Calvert-Lewin from having tap ins inside the penalty area as Everton pressed for a third.

Just as Everton were controlling the game they went down to 10 men with 19 minutes remaining after the dismissal of Fabian Delph. The sending off was harsh to say the least, Craig Pawson appears to not understand what is a foul and what is not a foul. Delph’s first booking was deserved, despite him getting a foot on the ball he left the ground to make the challenge. The second booking was ridiculous, albeit Delph was silly in giving the referee the option, but the question was whether it was even a foul let alone a booking. Replays showed that Delph poked the ball out for a throw in and Capoue made the most of the challenge.

Afterwards, Ancelotti pointed out that Delph’s dismissal actually helped his team focus on staying competitive physically and left them waiting for the moment to counterattack.

The character that the team displayed in those closing twenty-five minutes will give Ancelotti much heart going forward. What will encourage him more will be the desire to win the game that they showed in the 90th minute when Masina was robbed of possession by Moise Kean who had replaced Iwobi after sixty-five minutes. He fed Richarlison and the Brazilian held off the Watford’s defenders attentions for 50 yards before laying the ball off to Kean. His scuffed shot ran onto Walcott, who still had a bit to do and drilled his shot back across goal into the net. As the ball crossed the line the visiting Evertonians went mad and there was an impressive display of limbs in the away end. As the players celebrated so did some of Everton’s staff who ran down the touchline to join in the celebrations with the players.

When the game restarted we were into the additional five minutes that Pawson had added on only this time Everton were not going to concede a late goal like they did last time out. They managed the time brilliantly and ensured that they travelled back to Goodison Park with all three points and with a record of just one loss in their last ten Premier League games.

Final Score : Watford 2-3 Everton 

How they lined up : 

Barry Cass