It was a disastrous display from Gerrard’s Villans losing for the second game in succession. While early optimism has faded away, this is a marathon – not a sprint. Villa fans need to keep the faith.
The first half of the contest was certainly an improvement on the display on Tyneside with Villa looking more polished in terms of how they were passing and pressing and particularly in the early stages, this seemed to bode well for the rest of the match.
Villa thought they would have the chance to take a very early lead when shouts for a penalty came when Danny Ings seemed to be fouled in the penalty area. However, calls for a spot-kick were waved away by referee Robert Jones.
The next opportunity for Villa came to Douglas Luiz, but the Brazilian’s shot was blocked by a resolute Hornets defense. Coutinho was next to have an attempt on goal but his shot was also blocked by the visitors’ backline and Gerrard’s side were becoming increasingly frustrated.
In the midst of this Watford were beginning to get chances to take the lead themselves but so far they had also failed to find the back of their opponent’s net. Parity had not yet been broken.
The biggest chance that went begging came to Ings, who, following a lovely through ball from Emiliano Buendia was through on goal and his effort was on target and looked to be nestling in the bottom corner, only for the shot to hit the upright and go out for a corner.
This missed chance only added to the frustration and this would turn out to be the Villans’ best chance to score that ever-important goal.
The half-time whistle then went with work to do for Gerrard’s team in the second half.
Watford started off the second forty-five as the dominant side with two chances in the opening minutes of the half courtesy of Joshua King and Moussa Sissoko who both saw their efforts on goal fly agonisingly wide of the post. The visitors were looking increasingly dangerous.
Buendia had the home side’s first chance of the half, but his header failed to hit the target.
With half an hour of the contest remaining, Villa started to dominate the match once again, with Jacob Ramsey, Buendia, and Lucas Digne having chances to give their team the lead in the space of just ten minutes but all efforts on Ben Foster’s goal failed to find the back of the net.
Further chances for the home team were squandered by Coutinho and Ollie Watkins before a real sucker punch came for Gerrard’s Villans. On the counter-attack, a cross from the left flank from the returning Ismaila Sarr found the head of Emmanuel Dennis – whose header found the back of Martinez’s net and Villa were now behind.
Would Villa keep up their record of scoring in every home game, or would Watford become the first team this season to come away from Villa Park with a clean sheet?
Ex-Villa midfielder Tom Cleverley then had the chance soon after to double his team’s advantage but his shot failed to hit the target.
Villa found chances to restore parity hard to come by with Digne having the best chance to do just that with just a couple of minutes remaining, but his effort was blocked and Watford went on to secure all three points.
Overall, it was a very poor display from the Villans who, despite having twenty shots on goal only got one of these on target to really test Foster. Villa’s lacklustre day in front of goal really cost them and they will be hoping to make up for the poor performances against the Magpies and the Hornets in their next game in which they take a trip to the South Coast to face Brighton & Hove Albion.
Like I said to begin with – this is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep the faith! UTV
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