Our picks

Cardiff City 1 Watford 5 | Talking Points

Watford enjoyed their trip to Wales on Friday night, dishing out an emphatic 5-1 defeat to Cardiff City and rising to 7th in the Premier League table.

Gerard Deulofeu was the star man for Javi Gracia’s side on the night. The Spaniard scored a hattrick and set up another for captain Troy Deeney in the second half. Sol Bamba scored a consolation goal for Cardiff before Deeney got his second to round off proceedings. Five of the six goals came in the second half and Neil Warnock’s side were shell-shocked, to say the least.

Despite the loss, Cardiff stay above the relegation zone whereas Watford are making high strides at the other end. Wolves’ draw against Bournemouth means Watford are now in 7th place and well in contention for a Europa League spot for next season.

Deulofeu has a field day against the Bluebirds

Deulofeu’s talent has always been visible but his inconsistency has often overshadowed it. Against Cardiff however, he was sensational, tearing the Welsh side to pieces. He pounced in the box for the first goal, scoring with a low and precise finish past Neil Etheridge and he led a one-man counter-attack for the second, running from his own half before rounding off the Etheridge to score.

Deulofeu ran onto Doucoure’s through ball and completed his hat-trick with a delightful chipped finish. He wasn’t done there though and unselfishly set up Deeney for an easy goal to make it 4-0. The Spaniard was undoubtedly the star performer for Watford, and his move to an advanced striking role has certainly helped him.

Gracia has given him confidence, handing him starts consistently and he is starting to deliver. Deulofeu has shown sparks at Everton, Barcelona and Watford, but hopefully, this game sparks a consistent run for the 24-year old. His pace, trickery, and work ethic is there for all to see. Just ask Sean Morrison and Co.

Cardiff didn’t help themselves defensively

Watford’s attacking players were brilliant on the day and they deserve all the credit. But Cardiff didn’t make their job any tougher in all honesty. They failed to clear their lines for the first goal before Deulofeu pounced on the loose ball to give Watford the lead. Deulofeu got free again for the second goal, as three Cardiff defenders could not mark him.



Harry Arter gave away the ball in midfield which led to the third for Deulofeu, putting the game out of Cardiff’s reach. Neil Warnock’s side are usually reliable on the defensive end, and his changed formation clearly did not assist him. Cardiff played with a three-man defence with Joe Bennett and Leandro Bacuna as wing-backs.

Only Fulham have conceded more goals than Cardiff in the league this season. Cardiff have conceded 52 in 27 matches, which is close to an average of 2 per game. Tightening up his backline will be of utmost importance to Warnock as his side aim to avoid the drop this season.

Watford can challenge for Europe next season

The Hornets started the season strongly and won their first four league games. But their form petered out after that as they just couldn’t claim a win. Now they are back on the rise and Javi Gracia’s side jumped into 7th place with the win. This makes them contenders for a Europa League spot next season along with the likes of Wolves and West Ham.

Gracia has done a great job at the club and he has found a creative, balanced side. His midfield duo is impressive as Abdoulaye Doucoure and Etienne Capoue have formed a formidable partnership. The likes of Roberto Pereyra and Deulofeu are firing upfront as well. “I am happy with the way we are playing,” said Gracia after the game. “We are competing in all the games and with this ambition, I am sure we can achieve something different this season.”

“We have 40 points now which is good, but we want to keep going in the league and FA Cup. I am very proud of all my players, they are showing their quality and commitment, the team is getting better and better, but we must try to improve.” Gracia has definitely improved his side who are on course for their best Premier League finish in history.

Warnock left irate about penalty controversy

Cardiff were comprehensively beaten in the end but a moment in the first half had a considerable impact on the game. Josh Murphy went down under the challenge from Daryl Janmaat in the box and it looked like a clear penalty to the naked eye. Referee Simon Hooper waved away the appeals and the Cardiff players and manager were naturally disgruntled.



Manager Neil Warnock, in particular, was irate. He told BBC Match of the Day: “Troy Deeney and all their staff told us it was a stonewall penalty. I had to try and get it out of their minds at half-time. When everyone from the opponents tell you and deep down I think all the officials knew really. I think the referees guess a lot of the time and you can’t do that at this level.”

The timing of the incident was crucial as Watford were only leading by 1-0 at the time. Something different could have panned out if the decision had been given but Cardiff have nothing else to stand upon. Incidents like these make the calls for VAR in the Premier League all the more stronger.

Cardiff are looking over their shoulders nervously

Cardiff are just about staying afloat as they sit just one point clear of the relegation zone. Avoiding relegation was Warnock’s goal coming into the season and achieving that is far from certain.

Their defence has been really leaky of late and rectifying that is necessary. Oumar Niasse has provided a bright spark in attack but has not received help from his teammates. Midfielder Victor Camarasa has also been missed and he could make the return in the next game.

Cardiff’s will look to take points from their next two home games against Everton and West Ham. With Fulham and Huddersfield all but consigned to the drop, there is just the 18th spot to avoid. Eleven games are yet to take place, and there is much to be decided at the foot of the table as well.

90MAAT News Now

Premier League Table

90MAAT Social Media

ScoopDragon Football News Network

Search The Site