Source: TheGuardian
Watford 2-4 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened
United hit four yet again, their attacking verve too much for a lively Watford side. 11.32pm GMT Related: Ashley Young’s double has Manchester United buzzing and Watford befuddled 9.51pm GMT And some people will tell you that Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United are dull to watch. They hit four goals for the eighth time this season, all of them superb, the pièce de résistance an 80-yard Bestian burst by Jesse Lingard. They could have come a cropper when threatened by a late Watford revival, but stood firm where others have crumbled, and move to within five points of leaders Manchester City, for 24 hours at least. Watford remain in eighth, having played better than the scoreline suggests, contributing to an excellent evening’s entertainment. Nighty night, everyone! 9.51pm GMT 90 min +2: Carrillo burns down the right and stands one up in the mixer. Lindelof is forced to head out for a corner, under intense pressure from Deeney. The set piece leads to nothing. On the touchline, Mourinho races from the dugout to give Rashford a bollocking for some unknown reason. You’ve got to hand it to him: a relentless pursuit of perfection. 9.47pm GMT 90 min: There will be four added minutes. Time for a couple more, the way these teams have been carrying on. 9.47pm GMT 89 min: Watford, to their immense credit, refuse to give up. Richarlison breaks down the left and dribbles along the byline, firing with purpose into the six-yard box. De Gea turns the ball around the post with a strong wrist. The corner comes to nothing. 9.45pm GMT 88 min: Lingard ambles off the pitch with a wide smile, his work here done. He’s replaced by Ibrahimovic. 9.45pm GMT How about this for a reply?! Doucoure races down the left. His low cross is hacked clear by Herrera. Lingard picks up the loose ball, 20 yards inside his own half. He bursts down the middle, drifts to the left, then to the right, beating a gaggle of defenders, before firing low into the bottom corner from the edge of the D! That’s a stunning solo goal! George Best would have been proud. 9.42pm GMT Carrillo dribbles down the right and reaches the edge of the box. He fires low into the area. Doucoure hits a first-time prod towards the bottom left. It’s accurate and with pace ... and in! Vicarage Road erupts. It couldn’t be on, could it? Richarlison’s near miss just before the half-time whistle suddenly becomes a thing. 9.41pm GMT 82 min: Mariappa hooks one into the mixer from the left. Young chests it down and aims a blooter upfield, only to watch in horror as the ball rebounds off Deeney and towards goal. Fortunately for United, it eventually loops well wide right of the target. But for a split second, United hearts were in mouths. 9.39pm GMT 81 min: Watford are enjoying plenty of the ball as United sit back, concentrating on their defensive shape. Richarlison makes off down the left, and looks for Deeney in the box. But his cross is hysterical and flies wildly into the stand behind the goal. 9.37pm GMT 80 min: United are sitting back, taking no chances. Six men across the front of the area. Femenia curls a cross in from the right. Deeney rises and wins the header, but he’s under pressure and pushed back to the edge of the box. He looks for the top right but that’s an easy claim for de Gea. 9.36pm GMT Deeney sends de Gea the wrong way, slotting the penalty calmly into the bottom left. Game on? Well, against a Mourinho side, probably not. But it’s got the crowd going! 9.34pm GMT 77 min: Pereyra dances into the United box from the right. His jinking feet confuse Rojo, who clips him over, a lunge from behind. A no-brainer for the referee. 9.34pm GMT 76 min: And now Lukaku bursts down the left, only to drag a shot across goal and out on the right. 9.33pm GMT 75 min: Lukaku should make it four for United. He’s got the ball at his feet, alone on the penalty spot, the result of Rashford stripping Mariappa down the left and teeing it up. But he hesitates. Gomes comes out to close him down. Doucoure snaps at his ankles. Mariappa eventually blocks. What a chance spurned! That’s a hell of a miss. Funny thing, confidence. 9.31pm GMT 74 min: A free kick for United out on the right. It’s sent onto the head of Pogba, who rises above Doucoure and should score from close range. But he sends a weak effort sailing harmlessly over the bar. 9.30pm GMT 72 min: Deeney comes on for a fading Gray. Doucoure bursts down the inside-left channel. United, rather uncharacteristically, open up. Doucoure zips through the gap and into the box, but then scuffs his shooting opportunity. The ball nearly breaks to Deeney on the penalty spot. No. That would have been some introduction. 9.29pm GMT 70 min: Mariappa strips the ball from Lukaku 30 yards from goal, takes a stride, and lashes a wild shot wide right of the goal. A sign of understandable frustration. Thing is, Watford haven’t played that badly tonight. They’ve just been steamrollered by United in one of their super-efficient moods. 9.27pm GMT 68 min: Carrillo suddenly finds himself in a lot of space to the left of the United area, reward for a smart on-a-sixpence turn. He reaches the byline and fires into the six-yard box, which contains three yellow-shirted pals. There’s some pinball. But the ball doesn’t break to a Watford player, and Rojo is able to slam clear. On another day, etc. 9.24pm GMT 66 min: Zeegelaar clatters into Lingard, who was in the process of executing a cheeky nutmeg. A free kick instead. It’s taken quickly by Pogba, and Lingard is found in space to the right of goal. His low shot is deflected out for a corner. Pogba tries to get a header on target from the set piece, but can’t manage it. 9.22pm GMT 65 min: Rashford comes on to replace Martial. 9.22pm GMT 64 min: Femenia has been bright for Watford, too. He skates down the right and whips deep for Richarlison, who rises and heads over from close range at the far post. 9.21pm GMT 63 min: A deft Pogba flick sends Lingard scampering down the right. Lingard very nearly finds Lukaku on the penalty spot, but Mariappa is on hand to sweep up. 9.20pm GMT 61 min: Carrillo looks to curl one into the top right from 25 yards. It doesn’t bother de Gea in the slightest, the United goalkeeper opting not to move, other than to roll his eyes as the ball sails over the bar. Ambitious. But then Watford need something special if they’re going to complete their seemingly impossible task. 9.18pm GMT 60 min: Not much going on right now, the play having been broken up by all those changes. 9.17pm GMT 58 min: Hughes is replaced by Pereyra, and it’s a double change, Carrillo coming on for Prodl. 9.15pm GMT 57 min: Hughes goes scampering off down the right, in the hope of keeping a long ball in play. Then he pulls up, clutching the back of his leg. Oh dear. He trudges off, swearing under his breath. A shame, he’s been magnificent of late, and indeed tonight, despite the scoreline. 9.13pm GMT 55 min: Matic, limping lightly and grimacing slightly, is replaced by the more sprightly Ander Herrera. Nobody in United garb looks particularly energised to welcome Matic to the bench, which suggests there’s no great panic about his condition, and no need for immediate medical attention. A precautionary measure, on the face of it. 9.11pm GMT 53 min: And United move upfield at speed again. They’ve been devastating on the break tonight. Martial zooms towards the Watford box and slips the ball to Lukaku, just inside the area on his right. Lukaku is offside, and drags a lame shot across the face of goal anyway. His lack of confidence betrays him. 9.10pm GMT 52 min: Hughes has been Watford’s one ray of light tonight. He really does look the part. He starts a Watford attack which ends with Richarlison having a dig from just inside the area. The ball clips off Smalling’s elbow. Watford want a penalty, but they’re not getting it. A corner instead. The ball’s hoicked into the mixer. Smalling clanks into Prodl, and there’s another shout for a spot kick. Neither claim was particularly convincing. We move on. 9.07pm GMT 50 min: A free kick for Watford out on the left. They load the box. Cleverley floats it in. Smalling clears with ease. United break upfield, Lingard tearing down the right. Mariappa does very well to keep up with the speedy forward and slide the ball out for a corner. Nothing much comes from the set piece. 9.06pm GMT 48 min: Romelu Lukaku could do with a goal: just one in his last 11 matches. He has a look from a position to the right of the Watford D. It’s easily blocked. That early-season form continues to elude him. But this is the sort of evening during which his luck could turn. 9.04pm GMT 47 min: Richarlison finds Cleverley down the left wing. The midfielder crosses low and hard, but it’s easily claimed by an otherwise bored David de Gea. There were no yellow shirts in there to put pressure on the United keeper. 9.02pm GMT And we’re off again! That was a wonderful first 45 from Manchester United, who soaked up a little early Watford pressure with ease, then burst into life in devastating fashion. The stunned hosts get the ball rolling for the second 45, and will be desperate to avoid the six-goal shellacking handed out by Manchester City; you can bet United fancy their chances of repeating the punishment and sending a message across town. “Do you think Mourinho might have been listening to the interviews that Cantona has been giving over the past few days about his preference for Guardiola’s style of play?” wonders David Wall. 8.54pm GMT Half-time advertisement: Just in case you’ve yet to start your Christmas shopping and are at a loss regarding stocking fillers. Related: How Manchester City were dogged by the new neighbours 8.50pm GMT A late chance for Watford to claw their way back into the game there. But otherwise they’ve been outclassed by a relentless United, who have looked sharp, dangerous and, yes, entertaining in so many of their attacks. Old bus-parking Jose Mourinho, huh. 8.49pm GMT 45 min +2: Femenia makes like George Best, dribbling at pace from a deep position on the right, across the park to the left-hand side of the United area. He scoops a cross into the middle. Richarlison, six yards out, loops a header over a flailing de Gea, but onto the top of the bar and out of play. So unlucky! 8.45pm GMT 45 min: It should be four. Lukaku powers down the middle and fires low and hard towards the goal. Gomes can only parry, the ball breaking to the left. Lingard is first onto the loose ball, and must score, but he hammers the shot straight at Gomes, who tips over spectacularly. That’s a fine save, though Gomes should never have had a chance. The resulting corner comes to nothing. 8.44pm GMT 43 min: Lindelof manages to concede a free kick for hand ball while chesting down a simple short throw-in. The free kick comes to nothing, but that was careless and a wee bit strange. 8.42pm GMT 42 min: ... he blooters the ball straight into the wall. No good. No hat-trick. Ah well. To be fair, he’s earned the right. He’s been superb. 8.41pm GMT 41 min: Martial glides down the centre of the park. He’s unceremoniously scythed down by a panicking Mariappa. No complaints. Another free kick in a dangerous position, just outside the box in the middle. Young snatches the ball. Mine. It’s his. He shapes, he shoots ... 8.40pm GMT 40 min: Richarlison slides the ball down the left for Zeegelaar on the overlap. The masked Zeegelaar - thanks to Andy Carroll for that one - slams a low, hard cross into the box. It’s hoicked clear by Smalling. Then another phase, as Doucoure tries to fashion space to shoot from 25 yards. He doesn’t carve anything out. 8.38pm GMT 38 min: Gray tries to break down the right wing, and is cynically grabbed by Rojo. That’s a fairly obvious booking. 8.37pm GMT 36 min: Watford are finding it very difficult to dispossess Pogba in the midfield. The United midfielder is strutting around in the commanding style. Cleverley is reduced to a cynical tug. The resulting free kick, near the centre circle, comes to nothing, but the incident further illustrates United’s utter dominance right now. 8.35pm GMT 35 min: Martial and Lingard ping the ball off each other on the edge of the Watford D. For a second it looks as though Martial will work space to shoot, but it doesn’t quite come off for United. Prodl hacks clear. 8.34pm GMT 34 min: Watford will be thinking dark thoughts at the moment, as memories of Manchester City’s visit come flooding back. City scored six times back in September. The way this game is going, their neighbours are currently well on track to do the same. 8.33pm GMT Watford are falling to bits. Lingard nicks the ball in the midfield and nearly sets an attack going down the inside left with a high flick. Kabasele heads the ball back out, weakly. Lingard meets the dropping ball and cushions it inside for Martial, who takes a touch towards the box and slams the ball into the bottom right. Brilliant opportunism from Lingard to carve a chance out of not very much, but the Watford back line were all over the place there. And this game is already over! 8.29pm GMT 29 min: Suddenly Watford’s passes aren’t sticking as they once were. Prodl channels his inner Beckenbauer and strides down the middle, but his ball down the wing for Richarlison is easily snaffled by Smalling. 8.28pm GMT 27 min: Vicarage Road has fallen pretty quiet, the vocal stylings of the United travelling support apart. And no wonder: Watford have played reasonably well so far, yet they’re suddenly a couple of goals adrift, thanks to those superb strikes by their one-time hero Ashley Young. 8.26pm GMT Ashley Young is in form all right! He gets first dibs on the free kick, as reward for his earlier goal. He takes a step and whips a gorgeous curler up and over the wall, and back down, into the top left. Gomes took a step towards it, then stopped, knowing full well there was no chance of getting to a perfect free kick! 8.24pm GMT 24 min: Pogba embarks on a determined, long-legged strut down the middle. He eats up yards and yards. Eventually Doucoure takes a handful of his shirt and drags him to the ground. A free kick, 25 yards out in a very dangerous position, and a deserved booking for the Watford man. 8.22pm GMT 22 min: Young takes the corner. The ball flies over the Watford area and out for a goal kick on the right. Lukaku and Smalling were lurking at the far post, but the ball didn’t drop for them. For a split second, as the ball arced through the air, a quickfire second looked on the cards. 8.21pm GMT 21 min: United have their tails up now. Young floats a ball down the left for Martial, who twists, turns and nearly breaks clear into the box. He settles for a corner, as the ball pings off Prodl. 8.20pm GMT So having said that, United take the lead with a peach of a shot from former Watford star Ashley Young! Lingard wriggles away in a central position, 20 yards from goal. He’s closed down, so fires a pass to his left for Young, who meets the ball first time and lashes a shot through the eye of a needle and into the bottom-left corner! What an effort, out of pretty much nothing! 8.19pm GMT 18 min: Kabasele tries to free the relentless Hughes down the left, but with United slightly light at the back, the pass trundles out of play for a throw. Nothing quite coming off yet for either team. 8.17pm GMT 16 min: Martial makes off down the inside-left channel. He has a dig from the edge of the box, but the effort is blocked at source by Femenia. Martial picks up the rebound and tries to dribble his way through, but the ball breaks to Gomes, who gathers. This game is open, with both teams going for it ... but it’s yet to tip over into genuine excitement. Plenty of time. 8.15pm GMT 15 min: Lingard sashays down the right and earns a corner off Prodl. The Watford defender clears the set piece. Pogba takes a throw-in out on the right, in the hope of keeping the pressure on. He flings it straight out of play for a goal kick, much to the home support’s collective amusement. 8.13pm GMT 13 min: Hughes looks the real deal. Quarterbacking in the centre circle, he sprays a pass down the left channel for Richarlison, who then tries to tee up the rampaging Doucoure with a cushioned pass inside. Doucoure is desperate to shoot, but the ball doesn’t sit up for him, and the chance is gone. 8.12pm GMT 11 min: Hughes feeds Femenia down the right, the full back threatening to tear free on the overlap. Rojo sticks to him. Femenia reaches the byline and, under pressure, hooks one across that a backtracking de Gea is forced to tip over the crossbar. From the corner, Richarlison has half a chance of planting a header goalwards but can only whack the ball straight at his own man Prodl. 8.09pm GMT 9 min: Watford have developed a taste for attack now. Some space for Richarlison down the left. He curls into the box, the ball dipping and dangerous. Gray tries to connect, eight yards out, but Rojo does enough to put him off. The ball sails through the area harmlessly. 8.08pm GMT 7 min: Watford show in attack for the first time. First Kabasele pings Cleverley free down the left. The former United man crosses, but there’s nobody in yellow in the area. Then another phase down the right. Femenia floats a cross towards Richarlison, on the edge of the six-yard box in a central position. Richarlison shapes to head goalwards, but he’s legally eased off it by the wily Lindelof. There’s a half-arsed claim for a penalty, but nothing’s doing, and rightly so. 8.06pm GMT 5 min: Watford have yet to string more than a couple of passes together. United are enjoying the lion’s share of possession. Lingard becomes the third United man to zip down the left. He finds Martial in the area with a low ping. Martial can’t control, letting the ball clank off his shin when there was time to turn and face the goal. A little careless. 8.04pm GMT 3 min: But United launch another attack down the same flank, Martial swaying this way and that as he advances towards the box. Femenia stands his ground and the danger is repelled. A solid, if unspectacular, start by the visitors. 8.02pm GMT 2 min: The in-form Young makes good ground down the left, reaching the byline then cutting back and earning himself enough time to pick a pass. Shame, then, that his ball into the box is aimless, and easily cleared by Prodl. 8.01pm GMT And we’re off! United get the ball rolling. The back three of Rojo, Lindelof and Smalling get an early touch. So does de Gea in goal. All very measured. No fast start. Plenty of time yet for thrills and spills. 7.58pm GMT No pre-match soundbites from the managers. That’s ... refreshing. Do we miss them? Not really, no. And here come the teams! Watford in their first-choice yellow, Manchester United in their famous red. Hands are shaken ... then cupped and blown into. Anything to keep warm. It’s a cold, crisp, cold, clear, cold night in Hertfordshire. We’ll be off in a minute! 7.39pm GMT Incidentally, there are three other Premier League fixtures tonight. Leicester City host Tottenham Hotspur, West Bromwich Albion welcome Newcastle United to the Hawthorns, and Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace rekindle their strange and passionate rivalry. You can follow them all with super Tommy Lutz, your Clocko hero. Related: Leicester v Spurs, Brighton v Crystal Palace and more: Premier League – live! 7.12pm GMT Watford make one change to the starting XI sent out to defeat Newcastle at the weekend. Sebastian Prodl replaces Miguel Britos; it’s his first start since August.Manchester United rejig the team that beat Brighton to the tune of two. Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford drop to the bench, making way for Marcus Rojo and Jesse Lingard. This is Rojo’s first appearance in the Premier League since April. 7.04pm GMT Watford: Gomes, Mariappa, Kabasele, Prodl, Femenia, Doucoure, Cleverley, Zeegelaar, Hughes, Gray, Richarlison.Subs: Janmaat, Deeney, Wague, Carrillo, Capoue, Karnezis, Pereyra.Manchester United: de Gea, Lindelof, Smalling, Rojo, Valencia, Pogba, Matic, Young, Lingard, Martial, Lukaku.Subs: Mata, Ibrahimovic, Rashford, Romero, Ander Herrera, Darmian, McTominay. 9.21am GMT ... where Watford look for the win that could bring them as high as sixth in the Premier League table. Second-placed Manchester United meanwhile hope to close the gap on rivals Manchester City to five points.Watford will be confident, coming off comfortable victories against West Ham and Newcastle, games in which Will Hughes finally discovered his goalscoring mojo at the top level. Watford have already seen off Arsenal at home, and held Liverpool. Can they add the scalp of Manchester United to their belt? They took it last year, after all. 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