Wolves earn first Premier League win of the season to leave Watford adrift at the bottom
The team that finished seventh in the Premier League last season at last have a win in the new campaign, at the seventh attempt. Thanks to the Europa League place that came as a reward for what they achieved in their first year back in the top flight, they have already played 15 times.
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo insists it is not the reason for their poor domestic form, but will be relieved nonetheless to have the confidence boost of a victory ahead of Wolves’ biggest test so far of their continental adventure, against Besiktas in Istanbul next Thursday.
A first-half strike by Matt Doherty, the finishing touch to a fine move, and a second-half own goal means that Watford, the only team below Wolves in the table at the start of the afternoon, remain in last place and the first experience of being in charge of a side at the bottom must continue for their returning head coach, Quique Sanchez Flores. At least it was an improvement on what happened last week at Manchester City.
A bubbly start had featured good moments for both sides, yet it was Wolves who looked the likelier to strike first and so they did after 18 minutes, the goal coming from a lovely combination on the left involving Pedro Neto, Joao Moutinho and Jonny Otto. The move ended with Jonny putting Neto in behind to provide a low cross into the box for Doherty, who evaded a sleeping Jose Holebas for a tap-in.
Neto, a £16 million summer signing from Lazio, was making his first Premier League start in place of Diogo Jota, whose stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a point for Wolves at Crystal Palace last week but who has since needed treatment for a toe injury.
Although Watford saw plenty of the ball in the first half, they were well contained for the most part. It suited Wolves to look for chances to break at pace, which is their strength. It was in those circumstances that Raul Jimenez had rippled the side netting with an early strike. Later, Adama Traore felt he had a claim for a penalty against Holebas for handball but VAR took the view that the contact with the defender’s hand was inconsequential.
Watford had Danny Welbeck leading the line, the former Arsenal striker making his first Premier League start in almost a year following his goal against Swansea in the Carabao Cup in midweek. He provided both of Watford’s shots in a first-half in which they found it hard to make clear chances, the second of them blocked by Jonny’s intervention.
The visitors had plenty of possession again in the second half but as before found few chinks in the Wolves rearguard. A second goal for Wolves on 61 minutes put them properly up against it.
In another rapid attack, Traore released Doherty in space down the right. The wing-back’s first time cross was met by Morgan Gibbs-White, just on for Neto, with a header that may have been intended as a pass intended to find Jimenez at the far post. Daryl Janmaat intercepted with his head, but in doing so put it past goalkeeper Ben Foster into his own net.
Watford pressed willingly to try to find a way back into the game and monopolised the ball for much of the remaining half-hour. Yet again there was no end product, although Welbeck nearly put himself on the scoresheet. In space on the left of the penalty area, he released a well struck shot towards the opposite corner, only for Rui Patricio to move quickly to his left to pull off an excellent save.
