Watford 1 Manchester City 2 - JOTS, Stats Link & Post Match Reax | Vital Football

Watford 1 Manchester City 2 - JOTS, Stats Link & Post Match Reax

Johnny Baguette

Johnny Baguette

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Johnny On The Spot: #JOB DONE. Manchester City’s second of 13 matches inside a berserking 44 days has ended with a bizarrely concluded 7th consecutive Premier League victory. Crucial mid-season momentum has been maintained much to the delight of City’s boisterously loud travelling support despite a wholly unnecessary nervy finale…
Javi Gracia’s Watford, rugged up top and hard working shadow chasers at the back with mainly 11 men behind the ball had won only 2 of their last 10 matches going into this game and were facing league leaders who had beaten them on 8 successive occasions. Make that 9. Ludicrously, “just.” City’s controlled passing was superb throughout with Watford reduced to sporadic if spirited sorties forward. When they did enter the centurions danger zone, Ederson in nets was imperious until a final few daft minutes that saw Watford pull one back and the home crowd roused into pantomime season mode. Crazily, two minutes after Vincent Kompany succumbed to injury, The Blues repelled a grandstand finish with 3 central defenders. At the other end, Gracia will be indebted to Ben Foster for having stopped a rout that would have rendered the closing minutes irrelevant…The aspect that captured my attention tonight was how well drilled and combative Pep Guardiola’s men looked despite the stretched squad carrying so many injuries and sporting a completely changed back four from the wrestling bout with Bournemouth. As in that game, City showed a more robust approach defensively when it was called for tonight. JB’s and Gary Lineker’s Man of The Match is Riyad Mahrez who ran the Hornets defence ragged…Chelsea, YOU are next.

https://manchestercity.vitalfootball.co.uk/hornets-swatted-despite-late-rally-as-city-march-on/
 
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Riyad Mahrez: "At the end they pushed but we handled the situation very well. We go back with the three points. We knew once we scored the first it opens up the game, we had more space. We had chances to kill the game and we didn't."

Vincent Kompany: "It was a good old Premier League game, as soon as they scored long balls start coming, they are extremely physical up front. Credit to us for staying strong.

"I don't think we ever lose focus. We had chances to make it 3-0 and anything can happen. We managed the game pretty well. You can't win every game playing fantasy football."
 
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Pep Guardiola: "You can never relax in the Premier League, that's why it is nice. It is never over at 2-0, you need the third goal. We were much the better side, we deserved to win but you have to kill. In the last few minutes they had chances.
"For five minutes they were better than us. It is not about breaking records, it's winning games. You cannot win easily for 38 games, that is impossible."
 
Pep Guardiola: "In the first half we had many chances, and after 2-0 the game was in control. We let them have the opportunity to come back.
"Once you concede with five to 10 minutes left you suffer, we didn't get the third goal which we needed. We had the chances to kill the game but we missed and that is what it is. We know that, we are not new in the Premier League.

"We had a good performance, we were aggressive and regained the balls, Ben Foster made some incredible saves.

"Leroy Sane is scoring goals, he is back. It is always difficult at Stamford Bridge, we must recover our legs and our mind."
 
A very clever player with a great attitude is Jesus but his misses from what should be easy goals will cost us eventually unless he sharpens up in front of goal.
I think he gets a tad overexcited when he gets into a position for a shot.
 
OziMan said:
A very clever player with a great attitude is Jesus but his misses from what should be easy goals will cost us eventually unless he sharpens up in front of goal.
I think he gets a tad overexcited when he gets into a position for a shot.
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I just think it is a lack of match fitness, just playing a few minutes here and there is not enough, a run of 3 or more games will be the answer, when he will then get to the pace of the games, watch out Chelsea.
 
Buzz Lightyear said:
I just think it is a lack of match fitness, just playing a few minutes here and there is not enough, a run of 3 or more games will be the answer, when he will then get to the pace of the games, watch out Chelsea.
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I hope for his sake Buzz that you are correct.
 
Nervy at the end but resilient - the stuff of champions.

Thought we might concede when Watford started playing hoofball and Tierney decided to award them a foul for any contact whatsoever. Pep showing he has learnt a thing or two about ‘second balls’.....and Vinnie is spot on but could have gone further - no team has won the league playing fantasy football for 38 matches.

Regarding Gabriel Jesus - match fitness/sharpness is something that game time alone really brings. Instinctive strikers are all about decisions made in microseconds and he is showing signs (like his footwork for the Mahrez goal) but then the through ball from Gundogan......and he just didn’t quite get it right. Perhaps against a keeper who wasn’t in such determined form he may have scored but Foster was in the ‘zone’ last night so fair play to him :tophat:
 
How fit do you need to be to hit the target from in front and close to the goal?
However I do agree he might need a few “runs “ of game for the benefit of his confidence.
 
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