In the fifth instalment of our Match Review series, we take a look at the Premier League matches and the turning points that decided the outcome of the game. In this fifth instalment of Match Reviews, we take a look at the Premier League match between Watford and Manchester United on November 21. Whether you’ve seen the game in full or not, you’re sure to enjoy this article.
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Pre-match analysis: can we get back to the bottom of the table?
It’s Watford vs Manchester United at Vicarage Road in the 12th round of the Premier League. Watford, who have lost three of their last five games, host Manchester United, who have lost four of their last five games.
After only one year in the Premier League, Watford have struggled from the start of the season. After sacking manager Cisco Munoz due to poor results, Claudio Ranieri has been in charge of the club since the eighth round of the competition, but they have not been able to pick up any points.
Manchester United, on the other hand, started the season well with four wins and a draw in their first five games. Manchester United, on the other hand, started well with four wins and a draw in their first five games. There have been whispers of a possible sacking of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United will be looking for a win against a lower-ranked side. Watford will be hoping for a morale boost from a win against a higher ranked side. This is a game where both sides will be looking for three points.
Let’s take a look at the starting eleven.
Tom Cleverley replaces Jussi Kucka, who was red carded against Arsenal last week, and Adam Magina starts at left back instead of Danny Rose. Cleverley will face his old club.
Manchester United have made three changes from the last game against Manchester City. The defensive line has been changed from a back three to a back four, with Nemanja Matic replacing Fletcher and Marcus Rashford and Jaydon Sancho on the wings. Matić and Sancho made their first starts since Leicester on matchday 8.
The game was not an upset, but a fair reflection of our ability.
The game got off to a flying start. Joshua King cut the ball clear for Bruno Fernandes and tried to shoot, but Scott McTominay made a tackle to stop him. It looked like a foul, but the referee ruled it was a foul and Watford were awarded a penalty. However, keeper David de Gea saved the penalty. It was a great save by keeper David de Gea to keep the score even.
The away side were hoping to take the momentum from this play, but they were unable to create any chances. Instead, it was the home side, Watford, who stepped up their attack. The home side threatened Manchester United’s goal with sharp counters and set pieces. Then, finally, the score changed. In the 28th minute of the first half, Emmanuel Dennis picked up a clearance, cut into the penalty area and crossed the ball for King to tap home with his left foot. It was the home side who took the lead.
Both Watford and Manchester United had chances to take the lead, but neither side could convert. But it was the last minute of the first half that brought the extra goal.
In the 44th minute of the first half, Kiko Feminia’s cross was met by Sarr, who swung his right foot quickly into the far side of the net. The Senegalese winger’s fine finish extended Watford’s lead to two goals.
Needing all three points, the Manchester United bench came out firing in the second half. Rashford was replaced by Antony Martial and McTominay by Donny van der Beek. It was an aggressive move. The change proved to be a good one. Cristiano Ronaldo headed in Sancho’s cross and van der Beek headed over in the 50th minute. The away side pulled a goal back.
Manchester United were looking for an equaliser, but they were unable to create any more chances. In the 69th minute of the second half, the away side suffered a further setback. Harry Maguire was sent off for a second yellow card. That was the end of the game. The visitors were outnumbered and outgunned by Watford. The game was tied at one until the last minute, when the home team scored two goals in quick succession to make the score 4-1. In the end it was a very close game.
Looking at the score alone, it might seem like a giant killing, with Watford beating one of the Premier League’s best clubs in Manchester United. But a closer look at the game will tell you that it was anything but a giant-killing. Take a look at the stats below.
Manchester United have the better possession, but Watford have the better shots. This shows how efficient they were in attack. This is a victory that reflects the quality of the team, not a great upset.
Turning Point 1: The time after the first goal
The first turning point of the game was the period immediately after Watford had taken the lead. Specifically, between the 30th and 32nd minutes of the first half. It was during this period that Manchester United had two chances to equalise.
Rashford’s shot from a great lob pass by B Fernandes and Sancho’s dreadful cross into the penalty area. If Manchester United could have scored either of those goals, the game would have been very different. If Manchester United could have scored either of those goals, it would have changed the complexion of the game, but they didn’t and Watford were able to add to their tally.
This was just after Watford had taken the lead. It was a time when Watford were pressing hard from the front. The home side’s defensive line was high.
Watford’s forte is to set up blocks deep in their own half and then launch long counters. Naturally, defenders are not accustomed to covering the vast spaces behind them. Centre-backs Craig Cathcart and Nicolas Enckel are good at playing the ball back in front of them, but not so good at dealing with the ball behind them. This was a weakness that Manchester United were able to exploit. But they failed to do the last and most important thing, which is to get a shot on goal.
If we had scored the equaliser, the mood in the stadium would have been very different. It would have changed the mood of the stadium, and it would have made the Watford players nervous. Even if they hadn’t been able to pull off the upset, the home team wouldn’t have been able to add to their tally.
Turning Point 2: Harry Maguire’s dismissal
If the first half of the game, when Watford took the lead, was the turning point, then Harry Maguire’s dismissal was the turning point that decided the outcome of the game.
After trailing by two goals in the first half, the away team must have been thrilled to get a point back at the start of the second. The away team must have been excited to get a point back at the start of the second half after being down by two goals in the first half, and the players must have thought they could equalise. But then he was sent off. The psychological impact on the away team was so great that it doesn’t need to be explained in detail.
Even though Watford had the better stats, football is a sport where the game can change in an instant. There was always a chance that Manchester United could have got the equaliser. And if they did, they could have gone on to win the game. Maguire’s dismissal was a turning point in the game, as it put a damper on the momentum.
