Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Watford. Premier League.
MolineuxAttendance29,658.
Match report and free highlights as goals from Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence and Ruben Neves and Cucho Hernandez's own goal consign Watford to another defeat
Thursday 10 March 2022 23:15, UK
Wolves returned to form with a comfortable 4-0 win over Watford at Molineux that leaves Roy Hodgson’s side deep in relegation trouble.
Three of the goals came in the space of eight first-half minutes with Raul Jimenez and Daniel Podence finding the net either side of Cucho Hernandez's own goal.
Ruben Neves added a late fourth with the goal of the night, deftly wedging the ball over Ben Foster on the angle to add another special strike to his Molineux collection.
The victory moves Bruno Lage's side to within two points of West Ham in sixth, while Watford are still three points adrift of Everton having now played three games more.
It had been a quiet opening period with Wolves understandably nervy given their recent form but they soon capitalised on the lack of quality in the Watford defence.
Hee-Chan Hwang somehow found enough space in the box to reach a loose ball and square it for Jimenez to slot home with his left foot for a sixth Premier League goal of the season.
The second followed soon after when Rayan Ait-Nouri's volleyed centre ricocheted off Cucho and the ball was diverted agonisingly beyond Foster from close range.
The goalkeeper could have no complaints about the third, his poor clearance finding only Podence before the diminutive forward fired past him from distance with his left foot.
It was miserable from a Watford team scrambling to stay up and though the returning Josh King should have beaten Jose Sa at the other end, even that chance was spurned.
Wolves enjoyed themselves in the second half with Neves capping the evening for the fans with a glorious lob over the head of the stranded Foster. Watford just had no answer.
This was much more like it from Wolves after an insipid display against Crystal Palace and the return of Ait-Nouri clearly helped. The wing-backs are vital in this system and Fernando Marcal, though solid, lacks the penetration that the youngster provides.
With Jonny Otto improving with each game following his return from a much longer-term injury on the other flank, Willy Boly making his first Premier League start of the season, and Jimenez restored to the starting line-up, this looked a much stronger Wolves line-up.
It will give hope that their European ambitions are not over just yet. Seventh could yet be enough to secure qualification and this victory reduces the gap to West Ham and Tottenham ahead of them to just two points. With some favourable fixtures, the race goes on.
"It was good, first 20 minutes, very good," said Lage.
"It is so important, the performance. The performance gives us the goals, the points. That is why I was so disappointed with the first 45 minutes against Crystal Palace. What is the point of that? My pressure is to come and play the way we played tonight.
"It was the way we played together as a team, the way we pressed, the way we played. When we needed to play from the back, we played with no fear."
This had seemed like an opportunity for Watford after a spirited showing against Arsenal on Sunday but any hope of a point was lost within a few crazy minutes in the first half. Roy Hodgson was brought in to bring some defensive solidity but that hope is beginning to fade.
Individual and collective errors undermined them here. The space for Hwang should not have been there, the own goal by Cucho was dismal and Foster's kicking error for the third goal was hardly a one off - he repeated the mistake soon after the interval.
Watford have now conceded 54 goals this season and while their attack has been better than others down the bottom even that was misfiring at Molineux. They have an inferior goal difference to Everton and Burnley. There is every chance it will cost them.
"They were very clear errors weren't they," said Hodgson afterwards.
"All goals are mistakes but some goals are clearer for everyone to see than others.
"It is very frustrating, very disappointing in every respect. We have a very sad dressing room because we believed if we played as well as we played in patches against Arsenal we could cause Wolves problems.
"I think we could be accused of not being good enough but I don't think we have to hold our hands up to be accused that we aren't trying hard enough.
"These players need to feel anxiety because we are running out of time."
Wolves travel to Everton in the Premier League on Sunday; kick-off 2pm. Up next for Watford is a trip to Southampton on the same day; kick-off also 2pm.
