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#3 Arsenal’s vulnerabilities
Pure desire was always going to be a major factor in this game. Arsenal came into this game with nothing to play for while Watford knew this was their cup final. The game played out that way and even though the Gunners led for the whole game, Watford were by far the better team for the 90 minutes.
Similar to the performance at Villa Park, Arsenal looked shaky out of possession, with Watford forcing turnovers and regularly getting in behind. Arsenal conceded 19 shots on goal and misplaced 77 passes throughout a game they were fortunate to get any points out of. For Arteta, this proved to be a worrying outing for the Gunners, only six days ahead of the FA Cup final.
#2 Emiliano Martinez keeps the scoreline down
Ever since Bernd Leno got stretchered off away at Brighton, Emiliano Martinez has been a rock in between the sticks. The 27-year-old has waited years for a first-team opportunity, and he has more than seized his moment. Today up against a rampant Watford side, the keeper was forced into making 4 game-changing saves. When his defence failed him severally, Martinez stood up tall and ensured Arsenal’s slender lead was kept intact.
Wave after wave of the visitors' attacks didn’t give the Argentinean any time to regain his composure as he knew he’d be in the firing line due to his defence’s inability to stop the crosses coming in.
His point-blank save from Welbeck in the final quarter of the game secured all three points for the Gunners. There are rumblings that Bernd Leno could be in contention to play against Chelsea on Saturday, but based on the past few weeks, Martinez doesn’t deserve to be dropped for anyone.
#1 Watford relegated
After 5 years in the Premier League, Watford has been relegated back to the Championship. The Hornets have finished 19th in the table, just 1 point behind 17th-placed Aston Villa. That position can be attributed to the team only scoring 36 goals all season, whilst conceding 64 in the process. In today’s game, Troy Deeney & co. put in a heroic performance at the Emirates, fighting for every second ball and putting their all into each duel.
Against Arsenal, the Championship side won 23 aerial duels, had 8 corners, attempted 19 shots on goal and shared 49.1% of the possession. Even though their last two games were against Manchester City and Arsenal, many will look back at the decision to sack Nigel Pearson so late in the season with bewilderment.
These Watford players have had to adjust to three different managers in one campaign, an instability that has definitely contributed to their downfall.
