Late show can’t save Watford as Deeney eyes exit
WATFORD simply gave themselves too much to do. On the day, at Arsenal, 3-0 down in little more than 30 minutes proved to be too much, despite improvement and two goals to generate a frantic finish. They might reflect in similar fashion on the season as a whole: that it was over before it began following a desperately bad start.
They might blame Javi Gracia or Quique Sanchez Flores because they like the head coaches to carry the can. It seems to be the key reason they employ them. They might even hold Nigel Pearson responsible, even with a win ratio better than any other Watford manager in the Premier League. Under Pearson, Watford were the first team to beat champions Liverpool this season, and dared to believe they were safe when they beat Newcastle with three games left. Then came a costly defeat at West Ham, after which Pearson became their third head coach to be fired this season, and a hammering by Manchester City. This defeat at Arsenal confirmed relegation and ended five years in the Premier League. ‘Frustrating, disappointing, heartbreaking,’ said captain Troy Deeney. ‘Some people will lose their jobs because we haven’t been good enough. Individually and collectively we haven’t been good enough. ‘From top to bottom, we have to do an audit and look at it. We have to appreciate the fans will be hurt, angry and annoyed.’ Deeney, 32, revealed plans to consider his own future after a ‘clean-up’ knee operation next week. ‘I’m not saying that is my last game,’ he said. ‘If it is, I’m happy I went out on my shield and gave everything I had. ‘I can look in the mirror and ask, “Did you give everything to be the best version of you? Yes. Was it good enough? No”. If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.’ Deeney (below) once wound up Arsenal by claiming they lacked ‘cojones’ — or bottle — and this was a day they served him with revenge. Watford were behind inside five minutes. Craig Dawson’s challenge in the box on Alexandre Lacazette was ruled a foul by VAR Lee Mason and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sent Ben Foster the wrong way. Kieran Tierney doubled Arsenal’s lead midway through the first half with Aubameyang trapping a cross from Nicolas Pepe and rolling it to the Scot to finish. Nine minutes later it was 3-0. A long Tierney throw reached Aubameyang (below) on the bounce and the captain’s overhead volley moved him to 22 league goals for the season. Watford pulled one back before half-time when David Luiz fouled Danny Welbeck and Deeney smashed the penalty past goalkeeper Emi Martinez. Welbeck made it 3-2 against his former club, turning in a low Ismaila Sarr cross, and was denied an equaliser by a fine Martinez save. Arteta said Martinez would play in Saturday’s FA Cup final even if No 1 Bernd Leno is fit but Shkodran Mustafi will miss the start of next season after scans revealed a hamstring tendon torn from the bone. For Arsenal, three points lifted them to eighth, their worst finish for 25 years. Little to celebrate, but the Cup final offers a shot at glory and a place in the Europa League. For Watford, a return to the Championship and the search for yet another manager.