'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A first-half blitzkrieg from Arsenal and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang resulted in a disastrous finish to the Premier League campaign for a thoroughly disappointed Watford side earlier today. The Hornets tried their best to step up to the challenge at the Emirates Stadium but lost to a defensively suspect Arsenal side by a 3-2 margin.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa's draw against West Ham further soured Watford's end to the season. The away side has been relegated to the Championship after five years in the Premier League and will now have to rebuild again. Arsenal, meanwhile, has finished in a lowly 8th place in the Premier League table and will look to build on its improved performances under Mikel Arteta.
Aubameyang makes the difference from Arsenal yet again
Watford got off to the worst possible start in its must-win fixture after a series of VAR replays awarded Arsenal a penalty after Craig Dawson clashed with Alexandre Lacazette in the penalty area. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made no mistake from the spot to give Arsenal the lead.
Watford's desperation after the opening goal resulted in a surge of assaults on the Gunners. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Ricardo Pereyra had excellent chances to level the scores but were denied by Dani Ceballos and Emiliano Martinez.
Arsenal doubled its lead against the run of play just before the cooling break with Kieran Tierney scoring his first goal for the club. Arsenal captain Aubameyang piled on the misery after the half-hour mark with a stunning overhead finish to score the Gunners' third goal.
Watford pulled a goal back after David Luiz fouled Danny Welbeck in the penalty area. Troy Deeney gave Emiliano Martinez no chance and slammed his penalty into the back of the net to restore Watford's interest in the game.
Watford grew in confidence in the second half and pulled another goal back after Danny Welbeck slotted the ball into the back of the net before the cooling break. The former Arsenal man could have scored another goal minutes later but his brilliant flick was matched by an equally stunning save from Emiliano Martinez.
Aubameyang nearly got his hat-trick at the other end on a blistering counter-attack but Ben Foster stepped up to make an important save and keep the Hornets in the game.
Watford spurned a slew of excellent chances in the final 15 minutes and was unable to climb to safety in the Premier League table. Mikel Arteta will also not be particularly happy with his side today and will demand more from his players ahead of the FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.
Also Read: Arsenal set to bring 'the next Cristiano Ronaldo' to the EPL
Emiliano Martinez - 8/10
Emiliano Martinez has grown into one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League and made several crucial saves against Watford today. The Argentine shot-stopper did brilliantly on two separate occasions in the second half against Danny Welbeck and will give Bernd Leno stiff competition after his return from injury.
David Luiz - 5.5/10
David Luiz had a shaky performance in Arsenal's defence today and was at fault for Watford's penalty in the first half. The Brazilian was caught napping for Danny Welbeck's goal as well and will have to improve against Chelsea next weekend.
Rob Holding - 7.5/10
Rob Holding was Arsenal's best defender on the day and threw his body on the line on several occasions in the first half to deny Watford a goal. The English centre-back is starting to become an important part of Mikel Arteta's squad and may have earned himself a more permanent place in Arsenal's future today.
Kieran Tierney - 7.5/10
Kieran Tierney has become a fan favourite at Arsenal after the Premier League restart and cemented his place at the Emirates Stadium with his first goal of the club. The Scottish defender was engaged in an interesting battle with Ismaila Sarr and could have scored another goal in the second half.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles - 6.5/10
Ainsley Maitland-Niles put in a positive performance today and was a persistent threat on the right flank. The full-back was beaten by Joao Pedro on a few occasions in the second half but put in a largely reliable performance.
Granit Xhaka - 6.5/10
Granit Xhaka tried his best to exert an element of control on Arsenal's midfield in the first half but faced a stern challenge as Watford tried to dominate the proceedings. The Swiss international made a few important tackles and was tidy in possession.
Dani Ceballos - 7/10
Dani Ceballos was Arsenal's primary ball-carrier in the middle of the pitch and displayed silk and tenacity in equal measure as he dictated terms for Arsenal. The Spaniard was replaced by Lucas Torreira in the second half.
Joe Willock - 6.5/10
Joe Willock worked hard in the first half and gave a good account of himself in the middle of the pitch. With Watford enjoying a fair share of possession, the English midfielder did not see much of the ball and was taken off after half-time as Mikel Arteta switched to a 3-5-2 formation.
Nicolas Pepe - 7/10
Nicolas Pepe was Arsenal's chief threat on the counter and drew several fouls from Watford's full-backs. The French winger showed plenty of skill on the ball but was unable to make a contribution to the scoreline.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 8/10
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was too much of a challenge for the Hornets' defence in the first half. The Arsenal captain opened the scoring with an early penalty and added another to his tally 30 minutes later with a spectacular overhead finish.
The Gabonese striker had two chances to grab his hat-trick in the second half but failed to has fallen agonizingly short of the Golden Boot with 22 goals.
Alexandre Lacazette - 6.5/10
Alexandre Lacazette won a penalty for Arsenal in the opening minutes of the match after being involved in a clash of heads with Craig Dawson. The French striker had one moment of brilliance after he touched the ball out of the sky but was unable to find Aubameyang with his pass.
Substitutes
Edward Nketiah - 7/10
Eddie Nketiah did a commendable job as Arsenal's striker in the second half and regularly dropped deep to help his midfielder win possession. The young striker unselfishly laid the ball off for Aubameyang on numerous occasions and did his future prospects at Arsenal no harm today.
Sead Kolasinac - 5.5/10
Sead Kolasinac struggled against Ismaila Sarr in the second half and should have done much better to prevent the Senegalese international's cross in the build-up to Watford's second goal.
Reiss Nelson - 7/10
Reiss Nelson replaced Nicolas Pepe on the right flank in the second half and was a livewire in the attacking half of the pitch. The winger could have got himself an assist after an excellent cross to Kieran Tierney and his performance will have impressed Mikel Arteta.
Lucas Torreira - 6/10
Arsenal's Uruguayan midfielder was brought on in the second half to add some steel to Arsenal's midfield. The tough-tackling youngster gave away a dangerous free-kick in the closing stages of the game and his defensive duties kept him from venturing too far into opposition territory.
