And with that, I’m done. Bye!
Mauricio Pochettino is pleased, but not too pleased. He’s about a six on the pleasedness scale.
I think it was a good night for us, because the opportunity was to take the three points, which allows us to be in a good position in the table. Today was a must win game, so important for us. Maybe we didn’t play in the way we wanted to play. Our performance wasn’t great but most important was the three points.
In 10 months of competition it’s difficult to keep playing good football. We tried. I think Watford was a very difficult opponent. They played well, created some great chances. Hugo Lloris was fantastic, there were a few situations that showed why he’s one of the best keepers in the world. The three points put us in a really strong position.
It was Monday night, difficult to play. Of course the team came from a difficult week, very disappointed after Manchester. It was a difficult game. Watford had no pressure, because I think they are safe. Of course they tried to play with freedom and for us there was massive pressure to take the three points. Three points put us in a really strong situation. To finish in the top four for a third time in a row would be massive for the club.
Watford’s Javi Gracia looks rueful. This is what he’s got to say. It may be helpful to know that Watford’s highest finishing position in the Premier League is 13th:
Today it was frustrating because I think again we competed very well. In the first half we created many chances to score and Tottenham with their first chance score, and after that you are playing against a very good team. It was very difficult in the second half.
I am surprised because we are not scoring goals in this moment, but we are creating many chances, in all the games. We are competing. We had good performances, but it is not enough to get points. We need to continue.
We conceded cheaply, in our box. And we weren’t able to score goals in the other box. And then, if you don’t have the control of the boxes, it’s difficult to win.
I’m focused on the next game, on trying if it’s possible to improve the best position in the Premier League the club ever got. It’s our target at the moment. Focus on the next game against Newcastle and try to take three points.
Here’s a match report from Wembley:
Harry Kane says:
It was OK. Obviously it was important that we won the game. But we could have played better. We could have moved it quicker and we were lucky to be ahead at half-time. Second half we were better, but I still thought we could have been quicker between the lines.
It feels like ages since we last played. Our run of form hasn’t been the best and when that happens you want to play straight away and make it right. We started a bit slow. But we won the game and that’s what we’re happy about. We’ve got three games left and if we win them all we can jump up to third. That’s the aim now.
Chelsea were creeping up. Now we can look forward. It was important just to get the job done tonight, ease that pressure and now we can look forward to the next few games.
I feel good. I’d have liked to have played better over the last few games, but the hwole team would have liked to do that. I feel good, I feel sharp. I’m looking forward to the last three games. Hopefully I can finish strong and go into a big summer.
Good stat here, shamelessly stolen from Bill Edgar of the Times:
Watford goal tallies in away games since late last season:
3 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Watford’s dismal away run continues, but that was a reasonably promising performance. They have a very decent midfield, with Chalobah still to come, and if they can totally reinvent their attack they’d be a pretty good side. Though by then, if rumours are to be believed, Doucouré will have gone, Richarlison might have followed, and they’ll need to rebuild that midfield again.
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Spurs are now five points ahead of Chelsea in the battle for a top four place, and if they can beat West Brom at the weekend they’re home and hosed.
Final score: Tottenham 2-0 Watford
90+7 mins: Not vintage Tottenham, or anywhere near it, but it’ll do.
90+5 mins: One final chance for Watford, and one final shot straight at Lloris. This time it’s from Carillo, who exchanges passes with Deulofeu, gets into the area, carries the ball until the angle is unpromisingly acute and then blasts at the nearest goalkeeper.
90+2 mins: Mariappa’s long crossfield pass is headed by Trippier straight to Deeney, who chests down and, from 20 yards, shoots high. Watford haven’t worn their shooting boots tonight – every effort has been either straight at Lloris, or nowhere near him.
90+1 mins: Carillo cuts in from the left, works space well and then sends a left-footed shot curling into the nearest defender.
90+1 mins: There will be six more minutes of this.
90 mins: Spurs miss a chance for a third! Kane comes in from the left and this time finds a fine pass that slices through the defence and finds Sissoko in the penalty area. He takes a touch and then shoots high and wide.
89 mins: The introduction of Deeney and Deulofeu revitalised Watford, but they and the game faded a long while back.
89 mins: Lamela runs into the area, loses the ball, wins it back again, is forced out wide and eventually runs out of pitch. Watford have a throw-in.
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87 mins: Kane cuts inside from the left and blooters a right-footed shot into Row X.
86 mins: Watford keep the ball for a long while, though Spurs are working admirably hard to deprive of them of easy routes forward. They eventually get to the edge of the penalty area, but then give it away.
83 mins: The night’s final substitution sees Will Hughes makes way for Andre Carillo.
82 mins: Richarlison is back on the pitch, but Dele Alli is going off it – Lamela is coming on.
80 mins: Now we know how many shots Watford have had away from home since they last scored. Sixty shots! Sixty! And counting!
Watford have now had 60 goal attempts (19 on target) in the 7 away PL games under Javi Gracia, without scoring pic.twitter.com/uomxklwtbt
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 30, 2018
78 mins: Capoue is fouled, and Watford send the ball into the penalty area. It’s headed out but straight to Hughes, whose volleyed shot heads wide and spins wider, eventually staying iin play near the corner flag.
77 mins: He’s up now, and he’s moving easily enough. Whether he’s seeing equally well is less clear – he’s got a nasty cut above his eye.
77 mins: Trippier has recovered, but Richarlison is still on the ground.
75 mins: Spurs make a second change, Sissoko coming on for Son. Seconds later Trippier and Richarlison leap for a high ball and head each other, and both require treatment.
74 mins: Now Spurs have a goal disallowed, after Vertonghen, on the edge of the penalty area, pulls the ball down nicely and passes to the unmarked but offside Kane, who curls in.
Updated
73 mins: Both of Tottenham’s goals have been assisted by poor defending and/or calamitous goalkeeping. Watford meanwhile have created more than enough chances to have at least matched their goal tally.
71 mins: Now Deulofeu is played in. He takes the ball past Lloris, turns the ball into the net and is given offside. Replays suggest the decision was very close, but correct.
71 mins: Richarlison is a bright young talent, but really a professional footballer has to be scoring there.
70 mins: Holebas crosses from the left, Deeney heads down and Richarlison, from the edge of the six-yard box, gets under the ball and blazes it way, way high.
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70 mins: Ridiculous, impossible miss from Richarlison!
69 mins: Watford break well, but Deeney doesn’t see Hughes enjoying the freedom of the right half of the pitch and instead of setting up a clear chance turns back into traffic.
68 mins: Spurs hit the post! From a free kick on the right Trippier crosses excellently, and Vertonghen rises at the far post to head back across goal but into the woodwork! It bounces back into play, but Watford hack clear.
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67 mins: Deulofeu gets into space on the left, but tries to cut back to Richarlison when a cross would have been a better idea, and Spurs intercept.
66 mins: Watford win another free kick, Alli thumps the ball away in disappointment, and somehow he isn’t booked.
64 mins: Wanyama, despite only being on the pitch for 30 minutes, is the first man in the referee’s notebook, for angrily complaining when he gave away a free kick for being fouled by Richarlison.
63 mins: And Watford keep it rolling by taking off both Femenia and Gray and bringing on Deulofeu and Deeney.
63 mins: Substitutions! Tottenham start the ball rolling by taking Dembélé off and bringing on Wanyama.
62 mins: Cathcart makes a pretty cynical attempt to bring down Alli, who – and I can’t believe I’m typing these words – bravely and admirably refuses to go to ground, and tries to play on. The referee’s having none of it, though, and brings play back for a free kick.
60 mins: Richarlison gets past Trippier, but his cut-back finds a white shirt.
58 mins: More than either of these sides, the team that will be getting the most encouragement from this is West Brom, who host Spurs on Saturday.
56 mins: This time it’s Davies in too much space. He passes inside to Dier, whose shot is blocked.
55 mins: Trippier still has too much space on the right, whenever he wants it. He crosses to Kane, who can’t quite control it, but that was just too easy.
53 mins: This is a bad period for Watford, who are finding novel ways to give the ball away. Capoue plays the ball across the edge of his area, a pass telegraphed and intercepted, but meanwhile someone has breathed on his neck and he’s fallen over and won a free kick.
50 mins: So this presents Watford with a new question: can they refocus as well as they did after conceding the first goal, and keep this game competitive, or does it all turn ugly from here?
GOAL! Tottenham 2-0 Watford (Kane, 48 mins)
Alli’s lovely pass finds Son, who hits it across goal first time towards Kane. It’s just behind Kane, who falls over, but rolls on to Trippier, whose attempt to find Kane is a little more accurate, and turned in!
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47 mins: Two minutes into the half, and Watford are yet to kick the ball.
10 - Christian Eriksen (10 goals, 10 assists) is the third Tottenham player to hit double figures for both goals and assists in a single Premier League season, after Jurgen Klinsmann in 94/95 and Emmanuel Adebayor in 11/12. Star. pic.twitter.com/PyRsaxCFId
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 30, 2018
46 mins: Peeeeep! Time to find out!
The teams are back out. Can Tottenham buck up their ideas? Will Watford give them more goals, or plunder one of their own?
Spurs seem sluggish, as if lacking either in motivation, focus or endurance. But one goalkeeper has been alert when necessary, sure-footed and safe-handed, and remains unbeaten, the other blunderfully handed his opponents an entirely unnecessary goal, and thus it is 1-0.
Half time: Tottenham 1-0 Watford
45+1 mins: And that’s the final action of a half that was worryingly one-sided to start with, but which Watford dominated for the final 20 minutes.
45+1 mins: Dier’s nice chip towards the penalty are is measured well for Alli’s run, but Mariappa covers it, and ushers the ball back to Karnezis.
45+1 mins: Into stoppage time, of which there will be about a minute.
44 mins: Now Doucouré is played in, but he doesn’t commit fully to the sprint, and Lloris comes out and reaches the ball first. With the goalkeeper committed, a faster player would surely have got either a goal or a red card from that.
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44 mins: Another great chance for Watford. This time Gray picks out a great pass to play Richarlison into space, and the Brazilian bursts into the box and shoots across goal, but Lloris makes a fine save.
42 mins: This stat doesn’t look good for Watford, but the visitors are actually playing pretty well, and in Will Hughes have probably the game’s outstanding player so far.
#THFC are unbeaten after scoring first in the Premier League this season - winning in 18 of those 20 matches. (@STATSInsightsUK )#TOTWAT pic.twitter.com/ucheR8rR3z
— FourFourTwo ⚽️ (@FourFourTwo) April 30, 2018
41 mins: Hughes leads another Watford counter, but Richarlison’s desire to curl the ball in from the edge of the area is telegraphed, and the shot is blocked.
40 mins: A very sloppy spell of play sees Watford win the ball, give it back, get given it back again, give it back again and get given it back again, all in the space of 20 seconds.
38 mins: Holebas is playing very close to his centre-backs, meaning that every time Spurs play the ball out to Trippier he has time to control it and look up before anyone comes to close him down. He takes full advantage to put in another fine cross, which is chested behind for a corner.
36 mins: Another chance for Watford! Hughes’s brilliant backheel releases Doucouré, who comes inside Sanchez and, though Hughes was running on to it, took the shot himself. It wasn’t a bad effort, but Lloris made the save look pretty straightforward.
34 mins: “I was at that 1-5 game at the Lane with my Dad and my younger brother, who had not long declared himself a Hornets fan,” writs Jevon Hal of Watford’s thumping win at White Hart Lane in 1985. “My cockiness was naturally somewhat diminished at 3-0 down, and he was delighted. When Hoddle scored the penalty I celebrated vigorously in his direction, convinced it was the start of a comeback. It wasn’t, and after the game i realised that in my over eager goal celebration, i’d shaken off the Mark Falco badge my dad had bought me before the game. There were tears and a sad trudge home. My dad took him to see the United game too; he probably only saw three or four games all season, so not a bad two to be at. Funnily enough, Mark Falco ended up playing for Watford, and my brother ended up supporting Spurs.”
32 mins: Eriksen’s firm shot from outside the area flies a couple of yards wide.
30 mins: Son goes down in the penalty area, with Doucouré lurking. Was there a foul? The referee doesn’t think so. It looks like Doucouré nudged his opponent with a hip, but as referees are busy watching for arms and legs it was quite a clever foul. Similar contact with the forearm would surely have led to a penalty.
28 mins: Son touches the ball past Cathcart and roars towards the penalty area, but somehow the defender got back and put his body in the way of the ball. Fine defending, that.
On the (excellent) Wembley Stadium tour, the guide explained how the architecture's acoustics work to amplify the roars of the crowd. Must be turned off tonight @Simon_Burnton.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) April 30, 2018
27 mins: That was a great, great chance. The best non-goalkeeper-fumble-induced chance of the game, and one that Waford really need to be taking if they’re to get anything out of this.
26 mins: Chance for Watford! Dier gives the ball away in midfield, Capoue feeds it straight to Gray, and his low shot is straight down the middle of goal, and saved by Lloris.
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22 mins: I think Andre Gray’s every touch so far has ended with the ball back with Spurs. Still, he’s yet to have one inside the penalty area. Richarlison has a chance to give him one, but the cross is overhit and goes straight out play.
21 mins: Dier has a blast from 25 yards. It’s probably not a bad idea to test Karnezis again while memories of his fumble are still fresh.
20 mins: Play has restarted, with Trippier back on and apparently unharmed.
19 mins: A delay while Trippier has some kind of ankle-knock dealt with.
17 mins: That was your basic common-or-garden goalkeeping howler. Playing away at Spurs is hard enough without that kind of carry-on.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Watford (Alli, 16 mins)
A nice cross from Trippier but it goes straight to the goalkeeper, who forgets how to catch. It comes off his body to Eriksen, who moves it straight to Alli, who has an empty net to aim at.
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15 mins: A good period this for the visitors. Holebas crosses to Femenia, running into the area with the ball dropping invitingly onto his right foot, but he tries to control and his first touch is terrible. Goal kick.
14 mins: Watford move the ball well from right to left, where Hughes finds Richarlison in the area with a nice if sightly underhit pass and the Brazilian attempts a shot, falls over mid-swing and miskicks.
13 mins: The ball drops to Kane in the area, but his first touch is poor and it’s cleared. Watford go down the other end, but their cross from the right is overhit, and the move peters out.
11 mins: A slightly strange atmosphere has settled over the game. Wembley seems hushed; one outcome seemed pre-match massively more likely than any other, and nothing about the game so far has made anyone doubt that it’s going to happen.
8 mins: This time it’s taken short, and Dembélé’s cross is headed high by Dier.
8 mins: Since allowing Hughes a shot in the first minute Tottenham have totally taken control of the game. Trippier’s cross is turned behind now, and they have another corner.
6 mins: Eriksen’s low cross is turned behind, but nothing comes of the corner. “Is Spurs’ slow start to games a narrative or a fact?” wonders Ian Copestake. Well if you divide games into 10-minute chunks they have outscored their opponents by at least three goals in each chunk except for the first two – they lead 4-3 in the first 10 minutes of games, and are 4-4 in the second.
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4 mins: Kane has the ball, just outside the area. Watford prioritise blocking off a pass to Trippier, unmarked to his right, so he has a shot, which is low, soft and easily stopped by Karnezis.
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2 mins: There are a lot of empty seats at Wembley tonight. Endofseasonitis biting hard, particularly when it’s chilly and the game’s on the telly.
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1 min: Peeeep! Watford get the game started, with a big old hoof down the left to Richarlison, who wins the header, knocks it down and Will Hughes has the night’s first shot, 15 seconds in. It flies wide, from 25 yards.
Tonight is a special Sky Ocean Rescue Pass on Plastic game, in which they are campaigning for a reduction in single-use plastics by producing a lot of single-use promotional material.
The players are out!
“Do you think it’s time we opened up the PFA’s/Other people’s team of the season to other formations rather than 4-4-2?” wonders Robbie. The PFA’s team of the season was in a 4-3-3 formation, with a worrying lack of steel in midfield.
Mauricio Pochettino speaks, about trying to recover confidence after the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United:
I think it was easy. It is normal, they’re disappointed after the FA Cup. We needed a few days to feel good, move on, and be focused now for the challenge to finish in the top four. The training was good, the week was good. We only need to translate, delivery today. In our mind is to win the three points. We move on after the defeat against Manchester United.
He’s then asked if a top-four finish would make this a successful season for Spurs:
I think it will be a great season, a very successful season, for a third year to be int he top four and play in the Champions League will be a massive success for the club. If you look at the history of Tottenham, to be in the top four was a massive challenge for us. If we can achieve it this season, it will be fantastic too.
Javi Gracia, meanwhile, is asked whether Watford’s bizarre run of injuries – with Pereyra and Okaka added to the list now – has made it hard to do his job:
Always it’s better to have more players, to have more chances to choose. but it’s not a problem for me. In this moment, in all my period in Watford, I always have players to play, motivated to do it, and with big commitment and trying to do their best.
“I like Gary Neville’s team, and I very much like young Robertson at full-back except he wasn’t a regular starter until around Christmas,” writes Hubert O’Hearn. “Can you make a Team of the Season if you only play half a season?” Only because there hasn’t really been another exceptional left-sided full-back for any club, which opens the position up for wild-cards. Robertson has started 20 league games – at the start of the season he was left out because he wasn’t considered good enough, and recently he’s been left out because he’s considered too important to risk. That transformation in his standing within the Liverpool squad is a phenomenal achievement.
On Sky, Gary Neville has given us his team of the season. I think it’s better than the PFA’s version, but would have Sané on the left wing.
.@GNev2 has given us his Premier League team of the season for tonight's #MNFAwards, and here it is!
— Sky Sports MNF (@SkySportsMNF) April 30, 2018
What do you think?
Watch #MNF live on Sky Sports Premier League now! pic.twitter.com/SSXYof6UC5
“Speaking, as you were, of the old days, Spurs (along with many others) absolutely hated Watford when they were first promoted to the old First Division, largely on the basis of (largely unfair) perceptions of the Hornets’ style of play,” writes Stuart McMullan. “During the pre-match warm-ups when Watford visited White Hart Lane, Glenn Hoddle started booting the ball as high in the sky as he could, mocking Watford’s directness. Watford won 1-0. Poor old Glenn was not happy, but I dare say Graham Taylor and the boys found that particular victory even sweeter than usual.” Those were indeed the days.
Andre Gray’s selection is really interesting. He’s been very poor for Watford this season, though he has had few opportunities in recent months. Clearly Gracia thinks nimble feet, from both Gray and Richarlison, are more likely to hurt Tottenham than Deeney’s more robust contributions.
Etienne Capoue makes his 100th app for Watford - 1 of 3 players that has played every PL minute under Javi Gracia, with Karnezis & Mariappa. Andre Gray starts - has played only 51 mins in PL under the new head coach pic.twitter.com/WotyDfD28x
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) April 30, 2018
A couple of players have quick words with Sky, and don’t say anything very exciting. Kieron Trippier, then, says this:
It was disappointing to lose the game but we’ve got four massive games coming up. It’ll be important to get three points, with Chelsea winning the other day.
Meanwhile, Abdoulaye Doucouré also said some stuff:
Today it will be a very tough game for us. Of course Tottenham are a very good team, but we come here with a lot of confidence. We want to show good character and get a good result today.
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So Troy Deeney, having started Watford’s last 12 matches, is a substitute tonight. Roberto Pereyra and Stefano Okaka are injured, while Kiko Femenia, Richarlison and Andre Gray start. Gerard Deulofeu’s return from injury takes him only as far as the bench. Tottenham are at full strength, which you’d expect to be much too strong for a Watford side that haven’t won in six games and whose away form is particularly wretched.
The teams
The team sheets are in, and they looked like this:
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Alli, Son, Kane. Subs: Alderweireld, Lamela, Wanyama, Vorm, Sissoko, Aurier, Lucas Moura.
Watford: Karnezis, Femenia, Kabasele, Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas, Doucoure, Hughes, Capoue, Gray, Richarlison. Subs: Gomes, Janmaat, Britos, Deulofeu, Deeney, Sinclair, Carrillo.
Referee: Michael Oliver.
#THFC: Lloris (C), Trippier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies, Dier, Dembele, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane. #COYS pic.twitter.com/8uSmLEpcrI
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 30, 2018
🔢 | #watfordfc XI v @SpursOfficial | Karnezis (GK); Mariappa (C), Cathcart, Kabasele, Holebas; Doucouré, Capoue; Femenía, Hughes, Richarlison; Gray.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) April 30, 2018
Subs | Gomes (GK), Britos, Janmaat, Carrillo, Deulofeu, Sinclair, Deeney. pic.twitter.com/1EKVgR1IXO
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Hello again. The Guardian has not burned down, you’ll be glad to know. Team news should be imminent, so hold tight for that.
Hello world!
After Watford’s first ever promotion to the top flight under Graham Taylor, they took nine points from their first three visits to White Hart Lane. But since May 1985 the Hornets have travelled to Spurs seven times for league combat and lost seven times, by an aggregate scoreline of 20-3.
Back, then, to May 1985. Everton, with four games to play, had the league title wrapped up, sitting as they were 14 points ahead of second-placed Manchester United, with two games in hand. Spurs were two points further back, with Liverpool just behind them. Places in Europe were at stake, though the season ended with the Heysel disaster and as it turned out there would be no English teams in European competition the following season. Still, Tottenham were in a similar position to the one they find themselves in now, with similar motivation. Watford, meanwhile, were 15th, enjoying a healthy buffer from the relegation places but not entirely free of all concern, with a difficult run-in also featuring a game against Manchester United. They were also, in other words, in a similar position to the one they find themselves in now.
It was 0-3 within half an hour. Glenn Hoddle pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 67th minute, but Watford still had time to grab a couple more. Colin West, playing up front for the Hornets, was unmanageable, with Barnes inspirational on the wing. Peter Shreeves, the Spurs manager, said his side had been “humiliated”. He had, he said, plans to improve his team in the summer but warned finances might be an issue – of a move for Denmark’s Morten Olsen there was “still a difference between the financial demands” of the player and “our desire to fulfil them”. Watford played Manchester United in their next game, and won that one 5-1 too.
So, that was then. There is no chance whatsoever of anything like happening that this evening, but it’s a diverting yarn. And also, hello! I would love to say more, but Guardian Towers is now being evacuated because of something or other, so it’ll have to wait.
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