Super-sub Gray ruins Silva’s return to Watford

Everton manager Marco Silva insisted he was not fazed by the hostile reception afforded to him on his return to Vicarage Road.

Watford supporters goaded Silva, and chanted “You’re getting sacked in the morning”, after sub Andre Gray’s secondhalf strike secured all three points for the Hornets, and piled more pressure on the Portuguese by condemning Everton to their third straight league defeat. Troy Deeney stoked up the antagonism ahead of the grudge match after he urged the home fans to ignore Silva, who was sacked by Watford 13 months ago amid suggestions he was engineering a move to Everton.

The Vicarage Road supporters, however, taunted Silva throughout, and were jubilant when Gray broke the deadlock when he tapped home midway through the second half.

“For me, [the reception] is not important,” said Silva. “I was welcomed here by the people I worked with for many, many months because they know the truth and nothing more.”

Their miserable day took another sorry twist after the final whistle when Kurt Zouma was sent off for complaining to referee Lee Probert.

Hornets boss Javi Gracia admitted he was surprised by the reaction from the home fans, who chanted his name at the full-time whistle, saying: “That is not usual. I am very grateful and I am really happy to get the three points.”