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Last-placed Watford delivered a shocking blow to a listless Manchester United side at Vicarage Road, as they secured a well-deserved 2-0 win over their northern rivals.
United No.1 David De Gea made a mess of a routine save and gifted the home side the opening goal in the 50th minute after failing to save Ismaïla Sarr's weak shot following a set-piece situation. The goal was The Hornets' first under new manager Nigel Pearson.
The second half got even better for the hosts as they were awarded a penalty just four minutes after they opened the scoring, as the tricky Sarr was brought down by right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Captain Troy Deeney made no mistake as he commandingly smashed it home from the spot, sending De Gea the wrong way.
The Red Devils' defensive woes were once brought to the fore, while they also lacked vision going forward. They have now failed to keep a clean sheet in the last 13 league outings.
So, as Watford won their first home game and just their second game of the season, we round up the major talking points from the game.
#3 David De Gea's season goes from bad to worse as he commits an absolute howler
It was just two seasons ago that Spaniard David De Gea had won his maiden Golden Glove in the Premier League, managing a shut-out in 18 of his 37 games during the 2017-18 campaign.
Early in the second half, Watford were awarded a free-kick in United's half, though not in a dangerous position. Will Hughes delivered a ball into the box, which found its way to Sarr, who failed to connect convincingly with his volley. But De Gea was caught napping, as he allowed the ball to pass right through his gloves and into the net, virtually gifting the lead to the hosts in the 50th minute.
He has seemed out of touch since the last season and that poor run of form has also caught up with him this season. He has already let in 22 goals this season and has the worst clean sheet record in the English top-flight, with just two to his name thus far. He only managed a single save throughout the game.
Though he is still a top goalie, with the ability to pull off some eye-catching saves on his day, he has been anything but world-class since extending his contract with the club last summer.
Also See: Premier League, Premier League table
#2 Manchester United's attack needs some inspiration
The Old Trafford-based club sold one of the proven Premier League strikers in Romelu Lukaku last summer but did not sign a replacement for the big Belgian. Their only investment in the attacking department was the 22-year-old Daniel James, who, despite being impressive, is far from the clinical finisher the club needs so badly.
They have only scored 26 goals this season, with the bulk of them being scored by homegrown sensation Marcus Rashford. The likes of Anthony Martial and James, on the other hand, have been inconsistent in their attacking contributions.
In tonight's fixture, they lacked determination and vision going forward and with no anchorman to play the ball to, many chances went down the drain.
One of their worst-performing players in today's loss was midfielder Jesse Lingard, who missed not one, but two golden chances to get his team on the scoresheet.
The Englishman had the best chance of the game in the first half when he was found all alone deep in Watford's half by Martial’s beaut of a pass, which he decided to lob over the incoming Ben Foster. The ball went well over the crossbar and so did the chance to put the visitors in a commanding position in the game early on.
#3 Pogba has an instant impact on his return to the fold
Paul Pogba returned to action after spending around two months on the sidelines and was the visitors' best player in the second half by a mile.
He joined the game in the 64th minute, coming on for the hugely disappointing Lingard and was determined to get involved in the thick of the action with his exquisite passing.
Just minutes after his introduction, he found Rashford on the left-hand side of the Watford box with a great ball, only for the 22-year-old to be brought down.
In all, his vision and creativity created several chances, but his teammates let him down on most of them.
He certainly made a difference after coming on and the tempo of United’s play noticeably improved after his introduction. His return was the one positive on a gloomy afternoon for United and their manager, though it wasn't enough to save his side from an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the bottom-placed side of the league.
Also Read: Manchester United transfer news
