Gerard Deulofeu took out his anger on Wolves after being dropped from the starting Watford line-up, according to his manager, Javi Gracia, to inspire one of the great FA Cup comebacks.
Watford were 2-0 down with 11 minutes of the semi-final to go and even Gracia suggested “everything was lost”. Matt Doherty had put Wolves in front and, when Raúl Jiménez scored the second on 62 minutes and celebrated by pulling on a wrestler’s mask, it looked as though it would be his team that advanced to face Manchester City on 18 May.
But Deulofeu, on as a 66th-minute substitute, pulled one back with a magnificent chip and, after Troy Deeney had equalised from the penalty spot in the 94th minute, Deulofeu scored the winner in extra-time. The Spaniard’s cameo was complete when he limped off with an ankle injury.
“Gerard was angry when we started to play but I like to see my players with that attitude – when they are angry to show what they are able to do,” Gracia said. “I supposed he would be angry because he wanted to play the semi‑final; he had played almost all of the games before.
“We knew before the game that Gerard would be important during the game, when more spaces were created. His first goal was high quality but it wasn’t a surprise to me because I see him in training.”
Deeney branded Jiménez a “loser” and said he would have “lost his head” if he had noticed the Wolves forward pulling on his mask. He said: “I’m glad he put that mask on – he could wear it out now as well, now he’s a loser. So, enjoy the mask – we got the victory.”
Deeney had to contend with a long delay after the penalty was awarded while the decision was checked by VAR but Gracia said he never doubted his captain would score. Deeney said: “You know if you miss you’re out, so I just had a word with myself and calmed down. I’ve said on many occasions that this team has something special. We’re not the most talented, we’re not all that but the hard work and desire at 2-0 down – many teams would’ve called it a day but we kept fighting and brought the little man on, who produced a bit of magic.
“There’s not a ceiling on us yet as a team. Manchester City are formidable, probably the best team in Europe but it’s a one‑off game and we need to come in with belief. And if anybody is watching, I’d like a new deal, thanks very much.”
Nuno Espírito Santo did not complain about the penalty, rather the way his players failed to manage the closing minutes of normal time. “It’s disappointment, sadness, a moment of real pain,” the Wolves manager said. “We had it and it went away from us. We realised that extra time would be tougher for us because the momentum was with Watford. What had just happened was difficult to erase from our minds.”
