Saturday 11 August 2018 19:55, UK
Javi Gracia was unsurprised by Roberto Pereyra's performance after he scored both goals as Watford beat Brighton 2-0 at Vicarage Road.
Pereyra arrived to much fanfare when he joined Watford from Juventus in 2016, a year after playing against Barcelona in the Champions League final, but his time with the Hornets has been dogged by injuries and inconsistent form.
However, he certainly delivered in Watford's opening game of the Premier League campaign and Gracia insisted that the Argentina international has impressed him ever since he was appointed as the club's manager in January.
"It didn't surprise me, I know he is capable of doing these things," Gracia said. "I'm very happy for him. From when I arrived in January, Roberto was the one who was causing the most goals in the team."
Pereyra's goals either side of half-time were well-deserved as Watford were dominant throughout the game against a Brighton side that struggled to build any momentum.
"I am very happy because we got a good result but the way we did it was even better," said Gracia. "We controlled the game, created many chances and Brighton didn't have any shots on target.
"We did very good work in pre-season but I'm sure Brighton did as well. The first game is different, we played in front of our own fans so it was a bit easier."
Following a subdued summer in the transfer market, Watford have been tipped to struggle by some but they will end the first weekend of the season well-placed in the Premier League table.
Although he was impressed with his team's display, Gracia was adamant that the focus will now switch to their next match against Burnley a week on Sunday.
"Always it's important to start winning, but every game is different and you need to do your best every game," he added.
"If you don't do that, you don't have options to win. We know it's important to win for us, the players and the supporters but now we have to focus on our next game."
