- Mertesacker scores in rare start
- Watford PK lone shot on target over 90...
- ...then Cleverley scored in stoppage
- Watford moves fourth
- Arsenal drops sixth
Tom Cleverley scored in stoppage time to hand Watford a surprising 2-1 win over Arsenal at Vicarage Road.
Per Mertesacker’s first Premier League goal in 1400 days was offset when Troy Deeney converted a 72nd minute penalty to level the score.
Watford’s 15 points move it into the Top Four, while Arsenal sinks sixth.
The match was Watford’s first home match since its lone loss of the season, a 6-0 shellacking at home versus Manchester City.
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Roberto Pereyra couldn’t turn a hard cross on goal early, and Arsenal missed a chance through Mohamed Elneny, too.
Mertesacker scored when he rose above Tom Cleverley to head home a 39th minute marker off a corner kick.
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35 - Since the start of the 2015-16 season, Arsenal have scored more headed goals in the Premier League than any other team. Nod.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 14, 2017
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Watford was on the front foot to start the second half, with Richarlison and Andre Gray providing moments of quality and danger.
Petr Cech stopped a cross from reaching a leaping Abdoulaye Doucoure at the back post.
Arsenal needed to swing the game back in its direction, and substitute Mesut Ozil swept Alex Iwobi to the left post for a quality chance that Heurelho Gomes slapped just beyond the right post.
That’s when life got harder for Arsenal, with Hector Bellerin fouling Richarlison on the left of the 18. Richarlison certainly made the most of contact, and Deeney stepped up to face Cech. He scored.
That wasn’t the end of Watford’s chances, the hosts’ hitting the goal post in the final 10 minutes before a stoppage time rebound landed on the doorstep for Cleverley to hammer home.