Thank you for joining me!
Enjoy the rest of your Mother’s Day comfortable in the knowledge that Arsenal are three points better off.
Do not fear, Daniel Harris is here to talk you through Bournemouth versus Spurs.
It is nice to say that Arsenal are looking up in the league but they are set to finish sixth, so it really is all about the Europa League as it is their only route in the big show, ie the Champions League, and without it their season will ultimately be a failure.
Arsenal face the simple task of seeing off Milan in the Europa League on Thursday but then they do not play until April 1, so they have plenty of time to ensure themselves over the coming weeks.
Hector has brought some cracking banter.
Looks like you couldn't see today either @T_Deeney 😂 https://t.co/GdTixJBdzx
— Héctor Bellerín (@HectorBellerin) March 11, 2018
Why wait until Monday?
Well done, Pete.
200 - Petr Cech is the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to keep 200 clean sheets, with 38 of those coming for current club Arsenal (162 for Chelsea). Guardian. pic.twitter.com/Nr6TAU1V7p
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
Watford had their moments but never looked clinical when there chances arose, missing a couple of good ones but found Cech in fine form, which did not help their cause as they look set to meander towards the summer.
Cech looks to be a happy and relieved man as he goes around hugging everyone on the pitch, receiving worthy congratulations in return. It was a good day to do it as he was fully merited, he enjoyed two great saves from open play and then he read Deeney’s penalty to ensure nothing would get past him.
Updated
Full-time: Arsenal 3-0 Watford
Petr Cech has 200 Premier League clean sheets! Which is nice. Also, Arsenal have won back-to-back games, so things really are looking up. The scoreline makes it look like it was a simple victory but at 1-0 and 2-0 there were times Watford looked like they could get back into it but after the penalty save it was all over. Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang combined well throughout, not to mention Ozil and Elneny being superb, so it was a good day for the club.
Verdant takes a shot in the dark...
He says: “Guess Deeney left his cojones at home tonight!”
90 min: Xhaka pulls down Hughes and then just shouts at Martin Atkinson, which understandably results in a yellow card, then he goes back for more. Calm down, Granit.
88 min: Now we are all just waiting to see if Cech can maintain his clean sheet in order to become the first Premier League goalkeeper to notch 200 games in which he has not conceded.
86 min: Arsenal almost add a fourth as Wilshere bides his time before sending a pass through for Welbeck who strikes the ball well enough but it is too close to Karnezis and he calmly palms it away.
Richard has emailed in...
He says: “Deeney is an Arsenal fan at heart - top motivator”
What a a signing, United do not know what they are missing.
5 - Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been directly involved in five goals in his first six @premierleague appearances for Arsenal (one goal, four assists); just one fewer than in his 15 games for Man United this season (one goal, five assists). Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/v0IjxJWWUY
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
84 min: Mariappa’s chip into the area found Okaka but he cannot control it and there is a bit of a scrum and the ball is poked towards Cech who gladly smothers it.
83 min: Nearly some comedy in the Watford box as a cross from the left is chested down by Holebas only for Welbeck to almost lay a foot on it, instead the panicked defender just about managed to clear it.
80 min: Deeney has just trod on Xhaka’s right foot, much to the Swiss midfielder’s chagrin. The Arsenal fans are amusing themselves by singing “Deeney, what’s the score?” which is lovely banter, it really is.
Goal! The Dortmund connection is really working for Arsenal as good work down the left sees the ball played into Aubameyand in the box, who spins on the ball and lays it into Mkhitaryan for him to take a left-footed shot from 15 yards, a deflection bamboozled Karnezis and the game is now over. Mkhitaryan was then immediately replaced by Wilshere.
Goal! Arsenal 3-0 Watford (Mkhitaryan, 77)
A cool finish from the Armenian.
Updated
76 min: Arsenal might want to rethink their interest in Doucoure after he just tried to find a team-mate but instead sent the ball straight out of play for a goal-kick and not within 20 yards of anyone in a yellow shirt.
75 min: Alan Smith says “this game is kind of going nowhere”. Some of us are trying to keep people’s attention. Help a guy out, Al.
73 min: Mustafi walks off and is replaced by Chambers who will be the latest man for Deeney to rub up the wrong way. The Arsenal back four is now Maitland-Niles, Holding, Chambers and Kolasinac, not exactly their first choice defence.
71 min: Watford break on Arsenal and Richarlison gets to the byline but his cross is well read by Mustafi who flicks it away and Janmaat failed to control a shot. Mustafi’s game might be done, though as he seems to have hurt himself while defending.
69 min: Arsenal’s tails are up here and they will be looking to complete the job soon rather than live on the edge of the most dangerous scoreline in football.
About time, Petr.
2011 - Petr Cech has saved a penalty in the @premierleague for the first time since February 2011, whilst playing for Chelsea against Fulham. Cojones. pic.twitter.com/Q5P1ljk5Gv
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
66 min: The Arsenal fans are really up for this after Mkhitaryan has a penalty appeal turn down, not to mention the fact their target of hate Deeney missed a pen. To add to it, Holebas has now been booked for fouling the Armenian, so it’s all happening. Welbeck is on for Iwobi now and Okaka replaces Pereyra.
Sign up to The Fiver, the Guardian’s free and funny daily football email.
63 min: Femenia has departed for Watford and Will Hughes is on in his place. Well that was an interesting few minutes, hopefully we all get a few seconds to get out breathe back.
PENALTY SAVE!
Deeney walks up, to a chorus of boos, and then sends the penalty to the left but Cech reads it and palms it well clear, much to the enjoyment of the home fans! Could the Czech get his 200th clean sheet now!
Updated
PENALTY! Maitland-Niles takes down Pereyra as the Watford man wandered past the defender who stood still and took him down.
Updated
Goal! Mkhitaryan knows Aubameyang the best from their time together at Dortmund, so when the Armenian was running at the Watford defence he seemed to know which move the Gabonese striker would make, which he ultimately did, before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping home.
Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Watford (Aubameyang, 59)
Great movement and finish from Aubameyang.
Updated
57 min: Watford are bringing plenty of cunning to their set-pieces as they work the ball into more dangerous positions, almost resulting in a goal but the ball is turned away for a corner, which Holebas sends over everyone!
55 min: Mustafi goes into the book for crudely taking down Richarlison after arriving a couple of minutes late for a challenge. The Brazilian was getting away from and would have been through on goal so it was sensible from Mustafi.
52 min: Richarlison and Watford are looking a couple of levels above Arsenal at the moment. The visitors are putting in more effort and enjoying more of the ball, maybe Wenger needs to get his players to up their levels otherwise they might suffer an equaliser soon.
50 min: A quick attack down the left wing ends with Elneny passing it out to the overlapping Kolasinac but he sends a woeful cross over everyone and out for a goal-kick.
48 min: Watford have their first chance of the game as Femenia smashes a volley straight at Holding’s chest. The defender did well to read where the ball was going in order to position himself.
46 min: Arsenal have kept the ball since kick-off and it results in a curling shot from Xhaka 25 yards from goal, it was struck powerfully which made it a little tricky for Karnezis who failed to catch it first time but it grabbed it at the second attempt just before it went over the line.
Second-half!
Peep! Peep! Here we go again in front of the few that have turned up at Arsenal.
Good news! My mother’s flowers have been delivered so I can enjoy the second-half of the game without her texting me abuse about being a bad son.
To support my earlier Ozil stat, here is the official confirmation from the inventors of statistics. It is a great record for the German. Maybe he really does deserve plenty more praise.
50 - Mesut Özil has become the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League assists, doing so in just 141 games and breaking the record previously held by Eric Cantona (143 games). Magic. pic.twitter.com/yMZquraDd3
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
Watford do not really need to change much here currently but if the score stays the same it is likely Okaka or Gray will be sent on to help Deeney up top. He has looked quite isolated up there so a second pair of feet would be useful in the final third.
The Old Firm game was incredibly entertaining earlier. Read Ewan Murray’s report on it.
Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Watford
The hosts have created enough chances to be out of sight but their profligacy means they are just one goal ahead and if Watford had a little more composure they could easily be level. Mustafi did well to take his header and it is good to see Ozil building on his performance in Milan as he has been at the centre of most positives from Arsenal.
45+2 min: A cross is swung into the box and Richarlison guides it towards the bottom left-hand corner but a flying Cech gets down to palm it wide.
Updated
45 min: Just your two added minutes at the Emirates!
Tim has emailed in...
“It’s looking like Watford players are spending a lot of their time complaining that Arsenal players have actually come to play.”
43 min: Watford have come into the game in the last five minutes but have not been able to find the killer ball, which is unfortunate for them, either way Arsenal will be a little nervous at this stage.
41 min: Watford’s set-pieces into the box have been awful, so this time they come up with a cunning one where they work it to Capoue 35 yards from goal for him to send it into the box allowing a team-mate to head it across the box but Holding reacts to send it over his own bar.
39 min: Watford just launched a long free-kick up to Deeney but Mustafi had no trouble in holding off the striker and heading the ball clear. Deeney really has struggled to get into the game. It has not helped him that Watford have failed to get the ball into dangerous positions regularly.
Updated
37 min: Mkhitaryan just shouldered Doucoure off the ball, which must confuse Mourinho. He looks like he’s willing to put his body on the line at Arsenal.
35 min: Pinball on the edge of the Watford box and Mkhitaryan does his best to send it through but it is blocked a couple of times, although the ball eventually finds its way to Aubameyang after a deflection but the striker has his shot quickly blocked.
Show your support for Moyesy!
Matt has emailed in: “Arsenal fans may be protesting ‘in the correct way’, but it has achieved absolutely nothing. Don’t get me wrong, I was disgusted by some of the scenes at West Ham yesterday, but I don’t think other disgruntled fans would be looking at Arsenal’s #WengerOut bunch as a model to follow. Anyway, the best possible outcome would be Wenger on the pitch after the last game of the season, introducing David Moyes as ‘our new manager’.”
33 min: The Arsenal fans do not like Deeney, who knows why? They are currently shouting about his weight and throwing in a few gratuitous swear, too.
31 min: Ozil goes down holding his ankle. Looks like Prodl caught him. He is up and not too worried. Deeney is using his time well by getting involved in an argument with Holding and a few others about something or other.
29 min: Arsenal looking bright on the ball but not finding that vital second goal. Kolasinac the latest to have a chance to create an opportunity but cannot find a team-mate. Will it come back to haunt them? Probably not.
27 min: It really should be 2-0 now! Mesut Ozil forces his way into the box after good work from his team-mates but his shot from eight yards is repelled by the leg of Karnezis.
26 min: Xhaka with his usual needless foul, this time around 25 yards from. It nearly costs Arsenal and Richarlison bends the ball up and over the wall but Cech gets down well, only to palm it straight to Pereyra who then smashes the ball well over the bar from close range. Really should be 1-1.
Updated
25 min: Deeney is fouled by Mustafi which is will not be too worried about it happened right on the halfway line, it does show the the concern the striker causes in the Arsenal backline.
23 min: Mesut Ozil is certainly in form as he has just shouldered the ball to help start an Arsenal move up the pitch. The shouldered pass is one rarely used even in this modern Premier League era and I would like to see more of it.
21 min: Aubameyang has just come to battle for a throw-in down the line but rather than do anything useful he instead flicked the ball 15 yards up the pitch to no one. He is certainly learning the Arsenal Way.
Plenty of milestones in that Arsenal opener, it was not only their 1000th home goal in the Premier League but also Mesut Ozil’s 50th assist in the league since joining Arsenal, making him the quickest in history to that milestone, which is impressive for a man so regularly maligned.
1000 - Arsenal are the second team to score 1000 home Premier League goals, after Manchester United (1066). Comforts. pic.twitter.com/N0fsDWD8In
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
17 min: Elneny sends the ball to the byline for Kolasinac who got himself the wrong side of the Watford defence but his powerful cross is too strong for Aubameyang who, even when stretching, can only send the ball wide.
Updated
Cas cheekily makes a point...
Emailing in: “Arsenal fans doing the right thing. Protesting in the correct way.”
15 min: Watford have two players down as Deeney and Richarlison both hit the deck. The Brazilian is in the greater pain after running into the back of Elneny. Looks a painful one but it was completely accidental.
It is what he would have wanted.
@Will_Unwin #Motty started with Everton 1 Derby 0 a goal scored by #Everton and #Arsenal legend, World Cup winner Alan Ball.. And finishes with #Everton and #Arsenal legend, World Cup winner Shrokdan Mustafi scoring.
— TheFlyingPasty (@ToffeeDan) March 11, 2018
12 min: A superb pass over the top by Pereyra is latched onto by Richarlison who is stopped in his tracks but the ball finds its way to Doucoure whose shot is well saved by Cech and Arsenal clear. Mustafi tried to block the shot but in doing so was caught by Doucoure’s foot but is OK after treatment.
Updated
11 min: Arsenal break on Watford as Mkhitaryan leads the change down the pitch and sends it beyond the defence for Aubameyang to chase but Prodl uses his strength to ensure the striker does not get to it.
Goal! Two Germans combine as Ozil swings in a free-kick from the left-hand side perfectly onto Mustafi head around 12 yards from goal, allowing his to direct it unchallenged across the goalkeeper and into the corner. It was the goal Arsenal needed and now they dominate.
Goal! Arsenal 1-0 Watford (Mustafi, 8)
Mustafi heads the ball home!
Updated
5 min: Arsenal look to be passing the ball well and at speed so could really do with an early goal otherwise the players and supporters might get a touch nervous which is just what Watford want. The visitors have not showed much so far.
3 min: Ozil takes the ball and spins just inside the Watford half to send Aubameyang beyond the opposition defence, he gets through to the edge of the area but is closed down by Karnezis and the Gabonese’s shot hits the ‘keeper’s leg and flies wide.
2 min: There are a lot of empty seats at the Emirates today. There are fewer than in the loss to Manchester City but it was -463C that night. Those who have turned up have enjoyed a quiet start to the game.
Kick-off!
Here we go at the Emirates!
Troy Deeney looks like he will have fun today. He loves a game against the Gunners and getting it up ‘em. We should have a sweepstake on when he first pushes an Arsenal defender off the ball. I am going for one min, 27 seconds.
Updated
Tim Sherwood thinks the Watford squad will be using today as a “shop window” as they look to earn a move to better clubs. What are they doing in the other 37 games of the season? Good old Tim.
Charles has emailed in to praise Motty.
He types: “Props to John Motson, who will probably be patronised half to death on the BBC today. In spite of all that, he was a consummately good broadcaster; true, he has been overtaken by shifting standards and values, and now looks and sounds odd; but in his time, he was among the best.”
Doucoure has been a revelation in the Watford midfield this season, so much so he has been linked with a move to Arsenal, which is unfortunate for him. He has brought goals and midfield domination which has forced the Hornets to offer him a new deal but he is yet to sign, laving him to consider his options as bigger clubs hover.
Rob has tweeted in, as you also can, to point out he is better than all of us.
@Will_Unwin #MothersDay #ARSWAT pic.twitter.com/i4lDMOtdz1
— Rob McArthur (@macatastrophe) March 11, 2018
Simon (Burnton) has emailed in to, rightly, correct me. He says: “Against Everton a couple of weeks back Femenia came on in the second half and played on the right wing, in front of Janmaat. He and Okaka, also a substitute, changed the game in Watford’s favour and surely it’s more likely that he’ll be playing in the more advanced position today.”
My source was the Watford Twitter account, who have lied to me!!!
🔢 | #watfordfc line-up v @Arsenal | Karnezis (GK); Femenía, Prödl, Mariappa, Holebas; Doucouré, Capoue; Janmaat, Pereyra, Richarlison; Deeney (C).
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) March 11, 2018
Subs | Bachmann (GK), Britos, Hughes, Carrillo, Sinclair, Gray, Okaka.#ARSWAT pic.twitter.com/bjglz70Lz9
We should also note that today will be John Motson’s final live commentary for the BBC. What a career the sheepskinned supremo has enjoyed. Here’s Paul MacInnes on the great man.
Baz has looked towards the World Cup on who should and should not go as part of the England squad.
Arsenal’s front four looks pretty scary but their fans are more frightened by their own back four nowadays. It is not one that fills you with confidence, none of the defenders nor goalkeeper have showered themselves in glory so far this season, so it looks like a reworking will be needed in the summer, meaning a number of those on show are playing for their Arsenal careers now.
Petr Cech seems to be worried that Troy Deeney might be a tricky opponent due to his physicality but Arsenal should not have too much to worry about with Holding and Mustafi at the back. Oh...
Watford’s new right-winger is Daryl Janmaat, which is interesting. I am sure he used to be Newcastle’s right-back. Is the Dutchman the right man for that position or are the Hornets just desperately short of players and ideas?
Nick Miller has written about Mesut Ozil and why he is so good when he wants to be, Thursday night being a case in point. Will he work his magic again or just doing his disappearing act today?
Just had my reduced M&S sandwich and now have some weird ‘healthy snack’ as I watch the Old Firm derby. My mum will not mind that I am missing a Sunday lunch with her for this. Admittedly, she is in Manchester and I am in London, so there are various factors involved in me being a terrible son.
Watford have won the last two Premier League games between the two clubs, admittedly Arsenal were victorious in the first seven. The 2-1 scoreline at the Emirates last season was particularly galling for home fans as ex-Spurs man Younes Kaboul was on the scoresheet, with the game pretty much settled with two goals scored in three minutes early on. Not much has changed at Arsenal since, either.
Finally Wenger is talking of “cojones” he speaks many a language but his metaphorical testicle chat has been limited over the years and finally now he has succumbed to it.
The versatile Maitland-Niles will today be at right-back. On Thursday he was forced into action on the other side of the defence and has also been used in midfield this season. That sort of adaptability in a player will see him go a long way, it will just need to make sure he finds his preferred role in a team and not become a Milner, not that there is anything with Jimmy M, who I have a lot of time for, but there it has held him back in certain ways over his career as he has been forced to fill in here, there and everywhere over the years.
Happy mother’s day to all!
Mainly to the mother’s but I am happy to extend to anyone else celebrating.
Having renewed my Facebook feed this morning, it turns out my mother is not the best in the world and many have better ones. It was a tough piece of news to break to her this morning when I phoned.
Team news
Arsenal: Cech; Maitland-Niles, Holding, Mustafi, Kolasinac; Elneny, Xhaka; Ozil, Iwobi, Mkhitaryan; Aubameyang
Subs: Ospina, Chambers, Willock, Nelson, Wilshere, Nketiah
Watford: Karnezis; Femenía, Prödl, Mariappa, Holebas; Doucouré, Capoue; Janmaat, Pereyra, Richarlison; Deeney
Subs: Bachmann , Britos, Hughes, Carrillo, Sinclair, Gray, Okaka.
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Preamble
Afternoon!
The knock-on effects from West Ham versus Burnley continue as I am drafted in from the late MBM to this as Jacob Steinberg is currently head in hands at home wondering if things can get any worse.
Speaking of hitting rock bottom, Arsenal won a game this week so things are certainly getting better for them and their fans, as they look set to progress in the Europa League at Milan’s expense, giving them some hope. Mesut Ozil was superb in Italy on Thursday so it would be nice of him to show a similar standard tonight against a team not much worse than Milan. A win for Arsenal would take them to just eight points behind Chelsea in fifth, which is nothing to brag about.
Watford are in 10th and pretty much have nothing to play for in the next two months, which is a tedious position to be in. If we are lucky they will see this as a big derby and do their best to make it into a game as they seek to keep their latest manager in employment beyond May, which is a rarity for Watford.
Either way, I think it will be a pretty entertaining one, so a 0-0 is guaranteed now.
Will will be here shortly. Here’s our match preview:
Arsenal showed ‘cojones’ in the Europa League win at Milan on Thursday – something the Watford captain, Troy Deeney, accused them of lacking at Vicarage Road in October. Arsène Wenger’s players might want to prove a point to him but, really, the oomph has been knocked from their Premier League season. It is now the Europa League or bust. Watford have won three out of their past four matches. As ever, the mood at the Emirates will be a sub-plot. David Hytner
Updated
