Two late goals from Wilfried Zaha turned Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace reunion into a rout that nudged Watford ever closer to the drop.
Jean-Philippe Mateta fired the club Hodgson left last summer into an early lead but his current charges responded instantly through skipper Moussa Sissoko.
Zaha’s double after Conor Gallagher had skilfully made it 2-1 allowed Palace to celebrate a first league win in 2022 however, with Hodgson’s shell-shocked Hornets left still four points adrift of fourth-bottom Newcastle.
Palace might have had an eighth minute penalty after January signing Hassane Kamara carelessly diverted Zaha’s cross towards his own goal before he and goalkeeper Ben Foster sandwiched the onrushing Gallagher.
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More dismal defending saw Watford fall behind in the 15th minute. This time it was Samir – another January arrival – who clumsily diverted Gallagher’s cross to Mateta, whose shot on the turn went in off the unfortunate Kiko Femenia.
The lead lasted all of two minutes however. A corner into a crowded six-yard box saw Sissoko jump highest to head home his first Hornets goal. Palace goalkeeper Jack Butland came to punch but never got near.
Watford were buoyed and Emmanuel Dennis headed over straight after but two decent Palace chances followed. Tyrick Mitchell blasted the first off target before Michael Olise was denied by Foster’s leg from much closer.
Mitchell was becoming increasingly influential on the left and it was his cross that allowed Gallagher to fire Palace back in front in the 42nd minute.
The midfielder’s top corner finish was impressive but even better was his first touch, which took the hapless Kamara out completely. The second half saw the home fans become increasingly frustrated.
Sissoko tried to change the mood with a solo sortie that was stopped illegally but Dennis poked wastefully wide from close range after Craig Cathcart had nodded on the free-kick.
Another clear chance came the Nigerian’s way soon after but the striker, picked out by Kamara, scooped a first-time effort over. Zaha made Watford pay for such profligacy with goals in the 85th and 90th minutes. Substitute Jordan Ayew launched a cross into the box that found the Eagles talisman in space at the back post for the first.
Zaha then replicated the cracking goal he had netted at Norwich earlier in the month by cutting in from the left and curling an unstoppable shot beyond Foster.
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Watford
- Foster – 6
- Femenia – 6
- Cathcart – 6
- Samir – 6
- Kamara – 5
- Sissoko – 7
- Louza – 6
- Cleverley – 5
- Sarr – 5
- King – 5
- Dennis – 5
Substitutes:
- Kayembe – 4
- Hernandez – 4
Crystal Palace
- Butland – 6
- Clyne – 6
- Andersen – 7
- Guehi – 6
- Mitchell – 7
- Gallagher – 7
- Kouyate – 6
- Hughes – 6
- Olise – 7
- Mateta – 6
- Zaha – 8
Substitutes:
- McArthur – 5
- Ayew – 5
- Edouard – 4
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ucqtZzD
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