Watford inflict Manchester United’s third defeat in a week

Watford 3 Manchester United 1

For Manchester United and José Mourinho, a trip to Vicarage Road brought no respite as Watford inflicted a third successive defeat that spelt out the size of the task ahead for their Portuguese manager. So much for all that early season optimism, as Watford, courtesy of goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Camilo Zúñiga and Troy Deeney, recorded their first victory over United since 1986.

Marcus Rashford, on his first Premier League start of the season, had equalised for United shortly after the hour mark and there was a moment when it looked as though the visitors would go on to win the game. Yet Watford played with courage and belief throughout and Zúñiga made a stunning impact from the substitutes’ bench when the Colombian scored only 53 seconds after replacing Capoue.

There were only seven minutes remaining, but Watford were not finished.

With United looking increasingly dishevelled and ragged – Wayne Rooney spent most the match complaining and was finally booked in injury-time – Zúñiga cut inside Marouane Fellaini and was brought down in the area. Deeney stepped forward and thumped his penalty beyond David de Gea. United were done.

Watford were excellent from the outset. Their opening goal had been coming and only Odion Ighalo can explain how it failed to arrive in the 13th minute. A breakdown in communication resulted in De Gea and Chris Smalling challenging for the same ball, the United goalkeeper was unable to cleanly gather, leaving Ighalo with the seemingly simple task of stroking it into the empty net. Yet with De Gea and Smalling both grounded, and the goal yawning invitingly in front of him, Ighalo inexplicably sliced his 18-yard shot well wide. It was an awful miss.

Sebastian Prödl, whose long ball forward had led to that chance, earlier went close with a far-post header that exposed slack marking in the United defence. Deeney, towering above Antonio Valencia, headed another opportunity, this time from Daryl Janmaat’s inswinging cross, powerfully towards goal, drawing a fine one-handed save from De Gea. There were still only 17 minutes on the clock at this point and it was tempting to wonder when United would heed the warning and grab hold of the game.

They improved for a brief period, during which Paul Pogba hit the crossbar with a dipping 25-yard shot and Zlatan Ibrahimovic swept Rashford’s deflected centre into the side-netting, yet even then there was nothing convincing about Mourinho’s side. Watford looked dangerous whenever they attacked and it was no surprise when Capoue put them ahead.

The question was whether the goal should have been allowed to stand. Miguel Britos dispossessed Anthony Martial deep on the United left and it looked as though he made contact with the Frenchman before nicking the ball.

The referee, Michael Oliver, however, waved play on and Janmaat had the presence of mind to look up before producing the perfect cut-back. Capoue, around 12 yards from goal, dispatched a firm, low shot that De Gea was unable to keep out.

Martial remained on the ground and was clearly in some distress – as result of an incident that had happened seven minutes earlier when he clashed heads with Janmaat. The forward had required lengthy treatment before being allowed to continue and, with the benefit of hindsight, that appeared to be an error of judgment. Martial was unable to carry on for a second time and looked dazed as he left the field and headed straight down the tunnel.

Mourinho cut a frustrated figure and the sight of Rooney, with all the time in the world, slicing a cross behind early in the second half, epitomised the way the game was going for United. Juan Mata replaced Valencia, with Ashley Young dropping to right-back, and two minutes later United were level.

Ibrahimovic exchanged passes with Rashford and sent in a cross that the England international glanced on. The ball rebounded off Valon Behrami and there was Rashford, in the right place at the right time, to swing his left boot at the ball and beat Heurelho Gomes.

United were now playing with more urgency. Fellaini arrowed a diagonal cross from deep that picked out Ibrahimovic, whose header was brilliantly clawed away by Gomes. Yet it was Watford who struck again. Zuniga, running on to Roberto Pereyra’s cut-back, beat De Gea with a perfectly placed right-footed shot and then came Deeney’s late spot-kick.

(Guardian service)