Vicarage Road played host as Tottenham visited Watford with both teams seeking to keep their 100 per cent winning start to the 2018 – 19 season of the premier league.
Spurs 12 games against us without tasting defeat was definitely something they could build on in this match given they had comfortably beaten Manchester United earlier in the week. However, it was not meant to be for Mauricio Pochettino and his side as they were stunned by our on form team.
Similarly, we were trying to maintain our 100 per cent start after 3 wins in 3 and a win would see us go level on points with league leaders Liverpool and Chelsea who both maintained their winning start the previous day.
Prior to the kick off, the team news offered a bit of a reprieve to us. We had all our players available while Spurs had absentees in Hugo Lloris and Son as both were out of the Spurs team sheet. Michael Vorm would deputise for the Spurs captain at goal.
Andre Mariner took charge of an uneventful first half with the best chance of the game falling for Dele Alli who headed wide.
Both teams went for the break at halftime even with both neither able to claim that they were unlucky not to be ahead. Spurs could not make their better possession and a couple of half chances count for anything before the break.
It was a second half of drama as we battled from an unlucky own goal to find the Spurs’ net twice inside 8 minutes.
Eight minutes after the restart, Abdoulaye Doucouré deflected a Lucas Moura cut back into his own net to give Tottenham Hotspurs the advantage.
The lead did not last long as Troy Deeney, the Watford captain, scored an equaliser in the 69th minute. Moments before equalising, Deeney had seen his effort diverted against the crossbar by Spurs centre back Toby Alderweireld. However, Deeney’s second goal of the season was not that further as he headed the resulting corner to put the Hornets level.
The Hornet’s second goal, the winning goal, came 7 minutes later as Craig Cathcart headed an Holebas delivery into Vorm’s net. Holebas played a key role in the comeback victory as he assisted both Deeney’s and Cathcart’s goals with his pinpoint deliveries in set pieces. Throughout the game, he linked up well down the left side of the pitch with Roberto Pereyra who has been on fire for us.
What does this result mean for Watford.
Watford continues to enjoy their best ever start to a premier league campaign. Our only other ever 4 wins from 4 games at the beginning of the season came at the beginning of the 1988/1989 season. Our home record is also astonishing as we boast of 7 home wins since January when Javi Gracia took the helm. This record is as good as that held by Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United. No side has a better home record than ours.
The result sees the Hornets go level on points with league leaders Liverpool and Chelsea. It also marks an end to the 31 years we have had to wait to get a win over Spurs in the first division.
Given our perfect start, European football could definitely not be beyond us provided we continue with our momentum after the international break.