A CASE OF WAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
City finished season as well as they started it, but the dismal
IT could have gone either way – single figures or double figures.
As Pep Guardiola sealed third place, and Champions League football, with embarrassing ease, Manchester City were streets ahead of Watford. And those streets were the M1 and the M6.
There was never the slightest doubt that City would take the points they needed to keep topfour rivals Liverpool and Arsenal safely at arm’s length.
It was just a matter of how many goals they could be bothered to plunder. In the end they went easy on the Hornets and stopped at five.
On this evidence, City – who finished the campaign with as much gusto as they started it, with 15 goals in their last four games – should have sustained a more robust title challenge instead of trailing home 15 points behind Chelsea.
But outgoing Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri bowed out in humiliation after six defeats in a row. For anyone mystified by his sacking, here was emphatic proof that it was a fair cop.
Determined to go out with a bang, Mazzarri – axed last week but left in charge for the last rites – did precisely that. He picked two goalkeepers, Costel Pantilimon and Rene Gilmartin, on the bench. And his starting XI contained no centre-backs because Craig Cathcart, Miguel Britos, Younes Kaboul, Adrian Mariappa and Christian Kabasele were all injured and Sebastian Prodl was suspended.
“We needed to cover a hole and Gilmartin is an exceptional guy, so he can be on the bench,” explained Mazzarri.
In truth, there were so many holes in Watford’s defence that Mazzarri could not possibly hope to plug all the gaps. But the Hornets have not just been on the beach since reaching the magic 40-point survival threshhold: They have been on an allinclusive package tour, every man for himself.
Jose Holebas had already needed to smuggle a Gabriel Jesus header off the line inside the opening minute when City took their first sweets off the kids in the playground.
Vincent Kompany was unmarked when he met Kevin de Bruyne’s corner with a firm
header – the 16th goal Watford have conceded from a corner this season.
Midway through the first period De Bruyne sliced Watford open and Sergio Aguero’s finish was like shelling peas. It was raining shelled peas by the interval. First Gael Clichy, Leroy Sane and David Silva did much as they pleased and Aguero walked in his second.
Then Fernandinho was escorted into the box, like a movie-goer being shown to his seat by usherettes, and poked No.4 beyond Heurelho Gomes.
Mazzarri, normally so animated and fractious in his technical area, was nowhere to be seen this time. He cowered in the dugout until he ventured out to engage fourth official Kevin Friend in a meaningless dispute – and suffered the ignominy of his own supporters calling for him to dismissed.
No sooner had Mazzarri been reprieved by referee Jon Moss, to loud boos from the huddled masses in yellow, than Aguero missed a sitter to complete his hat-trick and then set up Jesus to make it 5-0 with a sublime, juggling finish.
Watford went through the motions of a fightback, but their only close call was a rising drive from Stefano Okaka parried by Willy Caballero.
They cared enough for M’Baye Niang to catch an injured pied wagtail on the halfway line and carry it to safety.
But it looked as if they couldn’t care less that Mazzarri is on his way.