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Manchester United and Watford played out a goalless stalemate at Old Trafford on the 27th matchday of the 2021-22 English Premier League.
Ralf Rangnick's men went at the visitors from the very beginning as anything less than a victory would've meant a defeat to them. However, Watford did just well enough to see out the game, courtesy of a spectacular performance from Ben Foster.
Roy Hodgson's first game at Old Trafford against Watford ended in a draw, and the Englishman has now won two and drawn two in his last four visits to Old Trafford.
The 74-year-old has some streak going against the most successful club in the league, and Watford made sure they made their boss feel right at home.
On a positive note, Ralf Rangnick has improved the team when it comes to ball movement and creativity in the final third. With all due respect to Watford, Man United were the cause of their demise last night.
The number of chances they missed right from the first whistle is something the gaffer cannot have control upon. The players were outright lacking the clinical edge to finish this game, as it comfortably ends in a 4-0 or 5-0 thrashing on another day.
On that note, let's take a look at the 5 talking points from last night's encounter.
#5 Two massive points dropped for Manchester United
The game at home against Watford was a must-win game for Man United. It was the perfect chance for the Manchester outfit to go into a tough run of March fixtures.
A win over Watford would've brought more confidence in the squad, as they would've been sitting four points ahead of 5th placed Arsenal, right in the driving seat to qualify for the Champions League. Perhaps the pressure was too much.
They now find themselves two points ahead of Arsenal, who have three games in hand and Ralf Ragnick's men would be lucky to win anything more than three points in their next three domestic games.
#4 An incredible performance from Ben Foster to keep Watford alive in the relegation battle
One can claim that Man United were extremely sloppy in front of goal, but massive credit to Ben Foster for keeping the scoreline intact. The Englishman made some crucial saves, including saves from point-blank range, to keep Watford in the game.
Cristiano Ronaldo and especially Bruno Fernandes had a tough time putting the ball past Foster. The 38-year-old had his sloppy moments where he almost gave away a penalty in the first half, but the goalkeeper did a mammoth job to help Watford win a point at Old Trafford.
If the Hornets are to stay alive in the top-flight, fans will look back on performances like this.
With Watford getting picked apart so easily in midfield and defense, it was Foster's heroics that secured them an important point and a clean sheet.
#3 1 goal in the last 10 games for Cristiano Ronaldo
After his vital goal against Brighton two weeks ago, where Cristiano Ronaldo ended his six-game goal drought, it felt like he would get back to scoring ways very soon. But we were wrong.
The former Real Madrid superstar has one goal in his last 10 games in all competitions; an unbelievable stat for someone with Ronaldo's quality. The Portuguese has found it extremely difficult to find the back of the net, despite receiving enough chances to make a difference.
The game against Watford was the ideal opportunity for Ronaldo to bag a few goals as his side entered into a tough period. Now not only have they dropped two important points, but they will go into the next game with a mentally deflated squad.
#2 Another bright performance from Anthony Elanga
Everything positive seemed to go through Anthony Elanga last night. The sudden bursts of pace, close ball control, incredible surges into the box and a sweet right foot sums up the quality of the latest wonder kid Man United have found themselves from their infamous academy.
While the end product is still lacking for the 19-year-old, Elanga has shown immense promise and Rangnick has unearthed a talented player by giving him the minutes he deserves.
The youngster seems to have the technical and tactical ability to understand the flexible roles Rangnick wants his wingers to play, something Marcus Rashford is yet to grasp. The Swedish international has already seemingly replaced Rashford in the starting XI, and the young baller is only getting better with time.
#1 Fixtures suggests it might go bad to worse for Manchester United
The game against Watford was a must-win fixture for Man United for various reasons, and one of them is the schedule Ralf Rangnick's men find themselves in.
March is a month of madness for the Red Devils as they prepare to face Man City (A), Tottenham (H) and Liverpool (A) in their next three league meetings. Sprinkle a UEFA Champions League home game against Atletico Madrid somewhere in between too.
Tottenham, who are possibly the only team Man United can hope to beat in March, have stolen points off both Man City and Liverpool this season. Antonio Conte's team are known to be giant killers.
Ralf Rangnick's men enter the business end of the season in the most terrifying way possible. With trips to the Etihad and Anfield followed by a UCL knockout fixture and a top-four decider game vs Spurs, Man United could very well find themselves chasing for the Europa League spots come the beginning of April if they aren't careful.
A squad that hasn't proven themselves to be the best under pressure, it is a test for both Rangnick and his players to show their worth to the world.
