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| Watford Winner |
By the end of a wonderfully entertaining game at Vicarage Road, it was easy to forget that this had been a match billed as a clash between two sides desperately struggling for form. Both Watford and Everton have been playing well short of their best in recent weeks, but you would not know it on this evidence.
Watford were the deserved victors despite falling behind to an early first-half strike from Romelu Lukaku. Two goals from Stefano Okaka and a header from Sebastian Prodl were enough to secure the three points, despite a late siege from the visitors.
It was a much-needed result for Walter Mazzarri’s side, who had lost three of their last four matches in the league. For Everton, it was yet another chastening afternoon for their manager, Ronald Koeman. They have now won just one point in their last six away games, and have one victory in 10.
Watford had started well, with Nordin Amrabat causing problems down Everton’s left and the excellent Etienne Capoue orchestrating proceedings from the midfield, but they were ripped open after just a quarter of an hour. Gareth Barry whipped an exquisite first-time pass into the path of Romelu Lukaku, who rolled the bouncing ball under the hesitant Heurelho Gomes.
The Belgian had scored just one in six games before this, and had not even mustered a shot on target in three of his last four matches. His dry spell had lead to his manager, Ronald Koeman, pleading ahead of this clash for his other attacking players to create more chances for their talisman.
Barry’s brilliantly-judged pass - played on the day he moved to joint-second with Frank Lampard on the all-time Premier League appearance list with 609 - was a resounding answer to that call to action.
Lukaku’s rediscovery of his goalscoring form contrasted sharply with his opposite number, Troy Deeney. Watford’s captain has been stuck on 99 goals for the club after failing to score since early October, and gave no indication he was ready to hit that long-awaited milestone here as he wasted a series of first-half opportunities.
Fortunately for Deeney, his strike partner Stefano Okaka was in a far less profligate mood. Okaka’s first goal for the club was one to remember, as he pirouetted and artfully flicked home Amrabat’s cross to pull Watford level.
It was nothing less than Walter Mazzarri’s side deserved. Aside from a couple of nervy moments in the opening exchanges, they were the dominant side throughout the first half, swarming all over Everton, who gradually resorted to pumping long balls in the direction of the increasingly isolated - and frustrated - Lukaku
With £25 million signing Yannick Bolasie out for the rest of the season, the pressure will be on Gerard Deulofeu to provide the bullets for Lukaku until the transfer window opens, at least. The pair struck up a fruitful partnership this time last season, but struggled here. Considering Watford’s susceptibility to wide deliveries - before this weekend they had conceded more goals from crosses than any other team in the league - Deulofeu’s inability to pick out a blue shirt from the wing was a source of endless frustration for the travelling Everton faithful.
Bizarrely, the second half had to be delayed by a few minutes as Valon Behrami required treatment after vomiting on the pitch. The real sickener, though, was for Everton. Four times in seven second-half minutes they allowed Watford free headers from crosses. Twice, it cost them.
First, Sebastian Prodl powered a header beyond Maarten Stekelenburg from Jose Holebas’s free-kick, and then Okaka guided home his second of the day from another Holebas delivery.
Koeman’s response was to turn to Ross Barkley, starting on the bench again after being dropped against Manchester United last week, as Everton looked devoid of ideas. It was another substitute, Aaron Lennon, who created Lukaku’s second with a curling cross from the left with just five minutes remaining. The Belgian rose highest to beat Gomes again but, despite the late pressure, it was too little, too late.
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