Watford hold on for third straight win despite Palace pressure

This game was always going to be tight affair, with both sides looking to use long balls and pace on the counter attack to get in to the game.

The first half was scrappy to say the least, with several fouls being committed by both teams which meant that they game was broken up often. Etienne Capoue was lucky to stay on the pitch a matter of minutes in to the game as his studs went down the back of Zaha's leg.

Ben Foster was arguably the best player in the first 45 minutes, as he did excellently to stop efforts from Christian Benteke and Wilfried Zaha to keep the scores level as they teams went in for the break.

Watford were clearly more attacking in the second half, with the midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré making good runs from midfield to power through the Palace defence.

However, it was his midfield colleague Capoue who took the initiative and ran strongly through the Palace midfield ranks and found Roberto Pereyra on the left edge of the box. He took the ball back inside on his right foot, and bent it well past Wayne Hennesey to score his third of the season.

 

August 26, 2018

Palace tried to get back in to it, but were unable to and went even further behind when Jose Holebas found the net with a freak shot that looped over the away team's keeper and in to the net.

Roy Hodgson knew he had to get back in to it, and brought on Max Meyer to try and get the 'Eagles' back in to the game.

It was the German's ball that fed Wilfried Zaha in on goal, who excellently slotted the ball under Ben Foster to complete his first meaningful action of the game with a goal with 11 minutes left on the clock.

The trailing team got confidence from that effort, and pushed harder to get back in to it but couldn't quite find the finishing touch.

Joel Ward had a golden opportunity to level the game with one of the last actions of the game, when he was unmarked from a corner and rose well, but failed to get his header on target.

Watford held out for the win to continue their very impressive start to the season, while the away team will feel that they have been on the receiving end of a second harsh result in a week.

 

August 26, 2018