WATFORD 2, MANCHESTER UNITED 4
- Ashley Young scores twice early on – his first United goals in 18 months
- Anthony Martial hits his eighth of the season in the 32nd minute
- Richarlison hits the bar for Watford
- Manchester United miss glaring chances, with Romelu Lukaku still out of form
- Reds midfielder Nemanja Matic goes off after sustaining an injury
- Troy Deeney penalty and Abdoulaye Ducoure put Watford back into the game late on
- Jesse Lingard ends the Watford resistance at the end with his fourth goal of the season for United
Manchester United scored four goals in a match for the eighth time this season but were given a scare in the second half as Watford mounted a late comeback and threatened to take a point off Jose Mourinho’s men.
Ashley Young scored twice and Anthony Martial chipped in during an attacking first half as United sought to reduce Manchester City’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points with what seemed a regulation blitz from earlier in the season.
Complacency set in for the Reds, though, as Watford’s Richarlison hit the bar before the break before the Hornets pulled two goals back through Troy Deeney and Andrew Carillo late in the second half leaving the home side regretting their first half miss.
Jesse Lingard scored again to quell the Watford rebellion though, and United will be able to go to the Emirates on Saturday for a big game against Arsenal back in goalscoring form.
Mourinho made two changes to the side the struggled to beat a stubborn Brighton side on Saturday with Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford dropping to the bench to accommodate Jesse Lingard and Marcos Rojo as United switched to a 3-5-2 formation to combat their hosts.
Watford, now managed by up and coming Portuguese manager Marco Silva, had won the corresponding fixture 3-1 last season but there was to be no repeat of last season’s shock result despite the second half excitement.
Denied a first goal in 18 months on Saturday against Brighton on Saturday, there was no argument over the goalscorer this time as Jesse Lingard found Ashley Young who took one touch and slotted the opening goal inside the near post against his former club after 19 minutes.
He doubled the advantage six minutes later with another stunning strike from a free kick which Heurelho Gomes should have done better with as it flew into the top corner on his side of the goal.
Anthony Martial had been smashed in the face by a clearance by Gomes earlier in the game but got his revenge with a goal planted into the bottom corner to effectively kill off Watford after just 32 minutes – or so United thought.
Gomes prevented a fourth United goal just before the break after denying the off-form Romelu Lukaku with Lingard’s follow-up somehow tipped away by the Watford ‘keeper with the goal gaping in front of him.
Lukaku avoided censure after images emerged after the Brighton game at the weekend of the Belgian striker allegedly aiming a kick at Gaetan Bong but he endured another off night in front of goal.
Watford comeback ploy almost shocks Manchester United
Watford showed a glimmer of a recovery when Richarlison’s header clipped the bar in first half injury time after Kiko Femenir found him with a cross but there seemed little hope of a comeback for the Hornets.
United lost Nemanja Matic during the second half to injury, with Ander Herrera replacing him but boss Jose Mourinho was clearly taking no chances with the game heavily stacked in their favour in the second half as United sat back.
Lukaku spurned a couple of great chances in the second half, denied by Adrian Mariappa on the line after substitute Marcus Rashford had laid on a great chance on a plate but shooting wide from another.
With Matic’s defensive shield in front of the defence, David De Gea’s clean sheet was spoiled after Watford pulled one back through a 77th minute Troy Deeney penalty following a Marcos Rojo foul on Roberto Pereyra despite the Argentine claiming he touched the ball first.
And Watford brought the outcome back into contention six minutes from time when Abdoulaye Ducoure poked home from a delicious cross by Andre Carrillo.
Mourinho was briefly furious but Lingard weaved his way through the Watford defence and stole the show just two minutes later from the edge of the box whereupon he was promptly replaced by Zlatan Ibrahimovic as United finally closed the game out.