Manchester United wapigwa bao 3 -1 na Watford
At what point does a drama become a crisis for Jose Mourinho?
It
was close to 30 years ago, almost to the day, that Watford last
defeated Manchester United. On Sunday they broke that dismal run, and
deservedly so. It wasn’t just that United lost, but that few can argue
with the result.
It
was a close game, tiny margins decided it, but gone are the days when
United are feared. Watford played them as equals, refusing to settle and
pushing for a winner, which came in the 83rd minute.
Watford goalscorers Juan Camilo Zuniga and Troy Deeney celebrate at the final whistle following a famous victory
Juan Zuniga celebrates after scoring Watford's late second goal with his first touch after coming on as a substitute
Zuniga celebrates with Jose Holebas after sweeping home Watford's second goal at Vicarage Road
United forwards Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic react with dismay as they slump to defeat at Watford
Ibrahimovic reacts furiously as referee Michael Oliver awards Watford a stoppage time penalty, leading to the third goal
Dejected Manchester United players, led by striker Marcus Rashford, trudge off the field at the final whistle
By contrast, the Watford players were elated, with goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes lifting scorer Juan Zuniga
Watford
manager Walter Mazzarri has used close to a World Cup squad of players
already this season, in terms of numbers and nationalities, but here his
determination to embrace change paid off.
Of the three players involved in the build up to the all-important second goal, two were substitutes.
It
was Nordin Amrabat – on for Daryl Janmaat after 52 minutes – who helped
set it up, playing in Roberto Pereyra on the right side. And it was
Camilo Zuniga, replacing Etienne Capoue just a minute earlier, who hit
the perfect finish, leaving David De Gea no chance.
A
Colombian international, on loan from Napoli, Zuniga then had a hand in
the third, the goal that added mild embarrassment to an already
uncomfortable scoreline.
Marouane
Fellaine felled him clumsily, Troy Deeney stepped up to convert the
penalty. The game barely had time to restart before Michael Oliver blew
the final whistle.
Rashford marks his equalising goal by giving Luke Shaw a high-five as Manchester United pile on second-half pressure
Marcus Rashford scores Manchester United's equaliser from close range as Wayne Rooney celebrates in the background
Rashford was in a hurry to get the match underway once again after scoring United's second-half equaliser
Until
those final ten minutes, it had looked as if United were at least going
to emerge with a point. Marcus Rashford had equalised, with 28 minutes
remaining, after a Zlatan Ibrahimovic cross had ricocheted off Valon
Behrami. In days gone by that might have signalled a United revival. Not
anymore.
Under
pressure, they still have the feel of damaged goods. It is worth
remembering what happened two months after that last Watford win. A
bloke called Alex Ferguson turned up. Whatever happened to him?
The
fact is that by the time Watford took the lead, they could already have
scored three. It wasn’t exactly the roasting they received in the first
45 minutes against Manchester City last week, but it most certainly
wasn’t the return to form that Jose Mourinho would have hoped for after
that.
Watford,
like most of the new Premier League breed, press high and quickly and
came at Manchester United with an aggression that was so often missing
in the years when just the mention of their name caused trepidation.
Etienne Capoue celebrates after scoring Watford's opening goal in the first-half at Vicarage Road
Capoue had peeled off into space on the edge of the penalty area and swept the ball home off David de Gea's leg
The Watford supporters go wild as Etienne Capoue fires them into a 34th-minute lead
Anthony Martial believed he had been fouled by Miguel Britos during the build-up to Capoue's goal
United captain Wayne Rooney remonstrates with referee Michael Oliver, believing that Martial had been fouled
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