Talking Points: Watford Vs Arsenal, As Gunners Secured Hard-Fought Win Over 10-Men Hornets

North London giants Arsenal made the trip to Vicarage Road on Monday evening to face off against Watford, in the top flight of English football. The Gunners needed a win to build momentum in the race to finish in the top four of the Premier League, with Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea all closely involved in the race as well.

With that being said, the north London giants started off this away fixture on a really positive note. It was a matter of 75 seconds of madness which saw the home side throw the game away and eventually they just could not recover to get something out of it.

Ben Foster made a comical error when he fooled around with a back-pass in the 10th minute of the game, only for Aubameyang to press hard and get the better of him. The eventual result was a goal for the visitors giving them the advantage in the match.

On the other hand, Troy Deeney was sent off a minute later for a silly challenge on Lucas Torreira, as it seemed that he had elbowed the Uruguayan international. This changed the whole dynamic of the match, with the hosts having to rethink their strategy.

However, a very poor performance by the Londoners helped the home side, as they dominated most of the game, only to end up short and lose it 1-0. Arsenal failed to capitalize on the chances that they got and it ended in a narrow win for them, with the Gabon international’s goal eventually being the winner of the match.

Here are the talking points of the game-

#4 Ben Foster’s Comical Error

Foster failed to clear his lines early and immediately regretted it

The only goal of the game was the result of a comical error made by the Watford keeper, in a situation that he could have totally avoided. Foster overplayed in the “danger-area” and paid the price for it, as Aubameyang did not give him time on the ball and kept running around. It was the attacker’s hard-work paying off against a moment of madness for the English goalie, which eventually cost the hosts. Foster will surely want to forget this blunder of his.

#3 Troy Deeney’s Harsh Red Card?

Was the elbow deserving of a straight red card?

The Troy Deeney-Arsenal hate story continues to flourish as the attacker was sent off just 75 seconds after his team conceded the goal. The striker went in hard on opposition midfielder Lucas Torreira from behind with his elbow raised, only for the linesman to spot the infringement and ask the referee to send him off.

Replays eventually did show that it probably was a bit harsh as the final contact with the Uruguay international was not with the elbow, but it was too late for that then. He was already off and had to go for an early shower in the 11th minute, with his side having to play the rest of the game without their skipper.

Deeney made some silly remarks on his way out towards the player and manager Unai Emery as well and the fans on social media eventually took digs at him for what he has done, stating he got what he deserved.

#2 Arsenal’s Poor Play In The Final Third

Arsenal forwards were incredibly wasteful

Despite having the man advantage, it was a really poor performance by the visitors who are fighting for that top four spot. They created quite a few chances to score more goals and seal the game, but the end product was just not up to the required standard. Whether it was the likes of Iwobi, Mkhitaryan or even Aubameyang, the final ball and finishing were just not up to the mark.

Watford and Foster never had a real threat at their goal, though the Arsenal players tried to push in some quick counter-attacks. Mkhitaryan was really poor in front of goal and he was shooting like a “defender”, which could have cost the visitors. The fans too were not really impressed with the overall performance put in by their side and would have wanted more, with a crucial Europa League tie against Napoli coming up.

However, the fact of the matter is that a win is a win, though this was too close for comfort, it can be said.

#1 Watford Deserved More Than What They Got

Watford played with bravery because they had nothing to lose

Manager Javi Gracia would have been so proud of his side’s performance from this match, as his players fought hard to try and get something out of the game, despite being a man down. It never seemed that the hosts were outnumbered, as they dominated possession and created some good chances to get an equalizer from the match. Even the home-fans were behind their team and were trying to motivate them to do more and make Arsenal pay for their complacent play.

The Gunners had to be on their toes and had to really defend well, with Leno making some brilliant saves to ensure that the lead was maintained. At the end of it all, the fans were left wondering what the situation would have been if Watford had all 11 players on the pitch for the entire 90 minutes. Things could have been so different and the result as well, but we will never know.