Marco Silva’s long-awaited return to Watford was ruined by Andre Gray, the striker he signed for the Hornets early in his short but controversial spell at Vicarage Road.
Watford sacked the Portuguese in January last year after blocking Everton’s attempts the previous November to recruit him to a position he eventually filled last summer.
Simmering suggestions of tapping up were well and truly stoked up before the match when Troy Deeney told a fans forum the Hornets intended to “kick the s***” out of Silva’s current team.
Gray, a second-half substitute, allowed those supporters a comprehensive gloat that inevitably involved telling Silva he was “getting sacked in the morning”.
The first chance of the game arrived in the 11th minute and Deeney was unsurprisingly in the thick of it. The striker chested down Daryl Janmaat’s cross towards Etienne Capoue, who let it bounce before unleashing a shot from five yards out that fizzed over the bar off Jordan Pickford.
It proved to be a false dawn as Everton dominated the rest of the first half. Richarlison’s role as Silva’s villainous henchman began by winning a free-kick on the right that Keane headed at Ben Foster in the Watford goal. Richarlison’s subsequent touches were booed and failed attempts at tackles cheered by the home fans. Play also stopped on more than one occasion for the ex-Hornet to get treatment following a firm challenge by a former colleague
The £35m Watford banked for the Brazilian in July last year appeared good value at the time but with 10 Premier League goals to his name already the 21-year-old can be said to be enjoying life at Goodison Park more than the manager who bought him.
The next chance was Everton’s as well, with Kurt Zouma getting his head to Lucas Digne’s delivery from the left and Foster making another smart stop.
The Watford goalkeeper was required again after the half-hour mark to bat away a fierce snapshot from Cenk Tosun, Everton’s lone frontman.
Keane was penalised for using a hand in a tussle with Deeney but, in keeping with earlier efforts, Watford were unable to make anything of the free-kick.
A chance did come Gerard Deulofeu’s way just before the break when Will Hughes pulled the ball back invitingly but Digne was in the way to block.
Javi Gracia made a bold change at the start of the second half by swapping midfielder Ken Sema for Gray.
The action began with Gylfi Sigurdsson flicking a shot off the bar as Richarlison, trodden upon by Capoue, lay on the turf elsewhere.
Holebas crashed a Watford reply narrowly wide before Pickford missed a punch from a corner and was relieved to see his side erroneously awarded a goal-kick.
Silva made his first change just after the hour mark as Theo Walcott came on for Andre Gomes but Gray struck two minutes after.
Craig Cathcart’s flick allowed Will Hughes to fire the ball across goal for Gray to apply a simple finish at the back post.
There was a late scare for Watford when Digne hit the bar with a free-kick from an angle but the hosts held on, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Tosun heading great chances wide.
And Zouma was sent off in the final seconds to round off an afternoon to forget for Everton.
Watford (4-4-2): Foster; Janmaat, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas; Hughes (Chalobah 90), Capoue, Doucoure, Sema (Gray 46); Deulofeu (Cleverley), Deeney. Subs (not used): H Gomes, Masina, Penaranda, Kabasele.
Everton (4-5-1): Pickford; Kenny, Keane, Zouma, Digne; Richarlison (Bernard 66), Gueye, Davies, A Gomes (Walcott 63), Sigurdsson (Calvert-Lewin 75); Tosun. Subs (not used): McCarthy, Stekelenburg, Coleman, Lookman.
