Foster holds firm but misfiring forwards keep Watford winless
Watford 0
Bournemouth 0 Att: 20,821
Ben Foster made crucial saves to help Watford take a point in the week in which team-mate Troy Deeney complained about death threats being sent to the goalkeeper last season. Foster was a bright spot on a bleak afternoon, keeping out efforts from Diego Rico, Arnaut Danjuma and Ryan Fraser.
Deeney wants hate crimes to be punished and gave Foster’s experience as an example, but the former England goalkeeper’s mindset was strong here. Despite his alertness, there was less assuredness from his team-mates further forward.
Quique Sanchez Flores, the Watford head coach, admitted they appear nervous in front of goal. Watford have now gone 10 games without a victory in the Premier League.
Flores said: “Foster was important and also the goalkeeper of Bournemouth, Aaron Ramsdale. Defending well is a good base, but I can feel when we are on the opposition’s box, the players are still a little bit nervous and sometimes take bad decisions.”
It was far from a classic Bournemouth display, lacking the attacking fluency once so typical of them under Eddie Howe, and this was the third game in a row in which they have not scored.
Howe said: “This was a better 0-0 from our perspective. We created a lot more and looked more dangerous at certain moments. We just couldn’t get the goal we wanted. You want to score. Historically, we have. It’s not quite happening at the moment, but I back us. When you’re creating, you’ll score.”
Watford wasted a chance to take the lead in the second minute when Abdoulaye Doucoure shot over from 10 yards after Ramsdale had palmed out Gerard Deulofeu’s cross.
Deulofeu was making an early nuisance of himself and soon delivered an inswinging corner that struck the near post, then Craig Dawson’s follow-up shot was blocked.
Bournemouth grew into the game and also hit the woodwork when captain Steve Cook headed against the bar from Fraser’s delivery.
Foster made two important saves in the latter stages of the first half, diving low to keep out Rico’s strike, then spreading himself to block Danjuma’s close-range effort.
Deulofeu’s trickery almost unlocked Bournemouth early in the second half as he twisted and turned his way into a dangerous area, but Ramsdale saved. The goalkeeping continued to take centre stage when Ramsdale kept out Will Hughes’s 75th-minute drive.
Watford almost snatched a winner when Deulofeu’s cross just evaded Andre Gray. Bournemouth also came close late on as Harry Wilson’s freekick flew wide. After that, there was time for one final Foster save, as he thwarted Fraser’s shot.