Sunday Express

GUNNERS BLITZ SENDS WARNING

- From Harry Pratt

AT LAST Arsenal are getting things right – on and off the pitch. Valencia centre-half Shkodran Mustafi and Deportivo striker Lucas Perez are expected to sign for the club in the next 48 hours – at a combined cost of £52million.

And now Arsene Wenger’s men have a first victory of the new season in the bag.

Wenger said of the imminent signings: “I think they should both go through. They’ve had medicals but we have to finish the paperwork. I don’t know exactly when we’ll announce it – probably early in the week.”

After a disappoint­ing start to the season, this seventh league success on the spin against Watford at least ensured that the gap behind the Premier League’s pace-setters did not get any wider.

The Gunners secured three desperatel­y needed points with a superb three-goal first-half blitz and stand five points adrift of the big boys at the top.

They are finally spending significan­t sums of cash on reinforcem­ents, while the team appear to be clicking into gear.

Watford, in contrast, look certain to be fighting relegation come May. A total of £48.8m worth of new talent has arrived, along with another new manager but they have mustered only one point from a possible nine under Italian Walter Mazzarri.

This clash could have hardly got off to a worst start for the hosts as Nordin Amrabat clattered into the back of Alexis Sanchez in the ninth minute.

It was a blatant penalty, even if referee Kevin Friend initially did not give it – only to change his mind, presumably acting on an assistant’s advice.

While Sanchez received treatment, Spanish maestro Santi Cazorla slammed home from 12 yards. It was his first goal in 18 injury-plagued months.

Mazzarri clearly felt aggrieved, and later denied that his job was under threat. “No, I’m not feeling under pressure,” he insisted. “We have played well in our games – against great teams.

“We are not looking too much into results at this stage. The new players have arrived here late – we are takings things slowly.” Arsenal scored twice in the closing five minutes of the first half. First Theo Walcott produced an inch-perfect 40th-minute cross for Sanchez to open his account, although referee Friend needed goal-line technology to confirm the ball had crept in.

It was pretty much game over on the stroke of half-time when Sanchez turned provider, picking out Mesut Ozil whose header rocketed Arsenal 3-0 ahead.

Yet Watford had other ideas as they hit back on 57 minutes. Etienne Capoue’s blasted effort was blocked by Laurent Koscielny. However, the rebound fell invitingly for second-half sub Roberto Pereyra to reduce the deficit.

 ??  ?? STRIKE THREE: Mezut Ozil finds the net on the stroke of half-time
STRIKE THREE: Mezut Ozil finds the net on the stroke of half-time
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