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The Watford players celebrate after the second goalArsenal were knocked out at home by a determined Watford side who went on to beat them 2-1 in the FA Cup. Second half goals from the impressive Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura were enough to seal Watford's place in the semifinals of the tournament.Danny Welbeck came on to score as a substitute, but Arsenal were unable to get that second goal to at least ensure a replay against the Hornets. The Gunners next face Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League and only a miracle can help them progress into the next round of that competition. Here are the major talking points from the game:
#1 Arsenal lost the plot yet again
With an 8-point gap at the top of the Premier League between league leaders Leicester City and third-placed Arsenal, we can say that the Gunners have lost the plot again as they have been knocked out of the FA Cup as well. Whereas, in the Champions League, they face a daunting task of beating Barcelona at the Camp Nou, which is close to impossible given the performances of Arsenal in the recent past.
What this means is that the Gunners have now been dismantled from the Premier League’s favourites position as well as the FA Cup favourites tag. This situation will leave Arsene Wenger’s men in a tough position ahead of the 10 remaining fixtures they are scheduled to play including the midweek tie against the Spanish giants.
It has happened in the past, and it looks like it will continue to happen for one more season at least. Arsene Wenger’s future at the club was in doubt when two seasons ago, the Gunners lost the plot after having stayed at the top of the table for 125 days, but still finishing fourth.
What had saved him was the eventual FA Cup glory which meant the trophy drought had ended. The same story was repeated last season when they won a second consecutive FA Cup. But now that the FA Cup is gone, the question that will remain to be answered is that will Wenger be shown the door finally? or will it be the same story all over again?
#2 Strong and determined performance from the Hornets
When Quique Sanchez Flores would have taken his side at the Emirates for the quarterfinal clash, he would not have imagined even in his wildest dreams that he will beat the Gunners so convincingly in their own backyard. But that is exactly what took place when the two teams locked horns.
The hosts looked out of sorts throughout the game, failing to produce any big chances. However, the away side were never out of sorts – the Hornets produced some outstanding football to keep the Gunners’ attacks down and out of the reckoning. They did not let the home team get even a convincing sniff at goal in the first 80 minutes of the game. Elneny did have a couple of shots, but that was it.
Coming on the back of 1-0 defeat to Leicester City, the Hornets looked like they were up for it. Players like Ighalo, Deeney, Watson, Prodl – all of them – took centre stage and produced a stellar performance to beat the Gunners. It was also helped by the lack of intent on Arsenal’s part, but it was Watford who did not let the Gunners play according to their plans and strategies.
#3 Arsenal players lacked hunger and desire
In a game that should have been taken as a proper warm-up for the midweek encounter against Barcelona, in a game where the Gunners should have scored multiple goals past the Watford defence to get some practice and confidence ahead of the daunting task they face in Spain, the Arsenal players lacked the hunger and desire that is needed to be on top of your game, and on top of your opposition.
Barcelona, for example, is the best team in Europe and maybe the world at the moment, but they do not get complacent and lose to lesser known teams. They go out there week in and week out, and get the job done by a hefty margin of goals. If a team like Barca can do it with the same brand of football then why can’t Arsenal?
The answer lies in the difference in mentality and self-belief. Barcelona are two away goals up against Arsenal, and they could have also rested players for the easy game against Getafe, but they did not. The difference in mentality is visible when we see other teams going for the kill. But Arsenal have always lacked that killer instinct in recent times.
It is up to Wenger and how he reacts to this defeat, it is the manager who needs to tell his players to pull up their socks. After the game, the Arsenal players looked dejected because of the defeat, but playing for one of the top teams means you have to never let your guard down, but it looks like Arsenal’s guard is never up.
#4 Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney are the perfect pair
Watford have had an astonishing season so far in the Premier League. They have almost secured safety from the relegation zone and it has reflected in their performances as to how confident a group they are at the present moment.
Travelling to the Emirates is always a daunting task for any opposition, given the possession game of the hosts. But Watford were helped by the performances of their two main men up front – Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo. The pair have been in prime form this season having contributed for Watford’s most goals.
Troy Deeney put in a physical performance at the Emirates, giving Mertesacker and Gabriel a run for their money. Whereas, the speed and intent of Odion Ighalo had left the central defensive pairing wondering how to stop the Nigerian forward.
Deeney has now scored nine goals this season, along with eight assists in all competitions. Whereas, Ighalo has three assists and took his tally to 16 goals for the season when he scored against Arsenal. This partnership is crucial for Watford because both the players compliment each other on the field.
When Deeney gets the ball in midfield, he makes some darting runs and eventually passes the ball to Ighalo to score. But when Ighalo has the ball, the roles get reversed. Hence, if the Hornets have to maintain their FA Cup run, both these players need to be firing.
#5 Late surge not enough for Arsenal
The Gunners were beaten for the first time in the FA Cup since February 2013, having won 15 consecutive rounds of the competition since then. But the loss to the Hornets must be hurting Arsene Wenger and his players even more due to the manner in which they lost.
The home side had a fairly decent first half, where Olivier Giroud, Joel Campbell and Mohamed Elneny, all came close to scoring, but it was the second half’s performance that must disappoint them. Watford started the second half with purpose, and the same was not visible in the home team.
Ighalo scored and minutes later a wonder strike from Guedioura put the Hornets two goals ahead. A response was required from Arsenal, and with a triple change, Wenger also made it obvious he wanted it.
The players, however, did not seem to be up for it. With more than 25 minutes to go along with five minutes of added time, Arsenal had enough time to make a comeback. But the surge came far too late. It was the 88th minute when Danny Welbeck scored from a beautiful Mesut Ozil assist. Alexis Sanchez, who has often inspired Arsenal, was also out of sorts throughout the game.
Welbeck should have scored another goal, but he shot wide. The performance that was needed as a boost for midweek was never on show. A few positives can be taken from the late pressure that was built but a Barcelona thrashing at the Camp Nou beckons Arsenal and Arsene Wenger.
