Watford 1-4 West Ham United
Premier League
West Ham United concluded a strong calendar year in style with an outstanding 4-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.
David Moyes' Irons dominated the Premier League new boys in their final fixture of 2021, but fell behind to a moment of quality inside the first five minutes from the Hornets' Emmanuel Dennis, who skipped inside Craig Dawson before firing home.
But as we have done so often this season, the Hammers mounted a spirited response and took command of the game, Tomáš Souček firing home a cute first-time finish from inside the area before Said Benrahma tucked away Michail Antonio's square ball.
A pair of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) calls at the beginning of the second half then saw Jarrod Bowen disallowed a goal, but the same player awarded a penalty which Mark Noble calmly converted to move level with Paolo di Canio as the Irons' joint-second highest Premier League goalscorer on 47 strikes.
And the perfect day in Hertfordshire culminated in Bowen beating his man and squaring for second-half substitute Nikola Vlašić to tap in the simplest of finishes for his first West Ham goal.
It was no more than the Hammers deserved for a showing of real fight and quality, resounding in recording a first win in four Premier League games.
The context to the clash was certainly intriguing, given that – due to pandemic-related postponements – the game was Watford’s first in 18 days, in stark contrast to the Hammers’ third in six.
One of four changes after the Boxing Day fixture against Southampton, Club captain Noble returned to the side in place of the suspended Declan Rice, with Ben Johnson, Manuel Lanzini and Antonio also coming back into the starting XI.
It might have been the Hornets’ additional rest which fuelled Watford’s faster start, a neat pass from Josh King allowing Emmanuel Dennis to cut inside Craig Dawson and, after feigning to shoot twice, lift a high finish into Lukasz Fabianski’s top-left corner.
As they have done so often in recent weeks, Moyes’ men almost provided an immediate – and emphatic – response, establishing their dominance soon after.
Souček’s half-volley from 25 yards was mis-hit but fell to Jarrod Bowen’s feet 12 yards from goal. The No20 had his back to goal and was hence unaware of just how much time he had, reacting to turn and shoot first-time – scuffing a finish at goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.
Five minutes later and the Irons came even closer. A driving run from Michail Antonio opened up space for Benrahma – who had certainly made an impact as a second-half substitute on Boxing Day – to collect a square pass, cut inside his man with his first touch and curl a powerful strike towards the top corner, but the ball hit the top of Bachmann’s bar on its way over.
West Ham’s tide of pressure continued towards Watford’s goalmouth as Bowen saw a threatening set-piece headed away by Moussa Sissoko before Craig Cathcart made a last-minute block to deny the same player from Benrahma’s lay-off; Antonio was also crowded out on the follow-up.
Benrahma was the next to test Bachmann with 20 minutes gone, the playmaker’s in-swinging corner requiring Watford’s ‘stopper to back-pedal and claw away from near his goal-line, moments before Cathcart got across Antonio to stop Bowen’s fizzing low ball from reaching our No9.
And so when our equaliser did eventually arrive, it was no less than the Irons deserved.
A moment of real incision led to the goal, as Bowen – spotting Souček, who had drifted into the Watford area unmarked, albeit from a wide angle - picked the Czech midfielder out, and the No28 lashed home a delightful low, first-time finish which left the motionless Bachmann helpless.
It was the spark to light a Claret and Blue flame, as Benrahma – just shy of 90 seconds later- scored his second goal in the space of three days.
Antonio powered down the left channel and, beating his man to the byline, rolled the ball square for his regular collaborator Benrahma, the Algerian side-footing in from eight yards for his fifth Premier League goal of the campaign.
The next phase of the game was a more settled one as the Hammers largely controlled possession without either side finding much encouragement in the final third.
Watford did have the opportunity to get back on terms with five minutes of the first half to go, but Adam Masina headed over a drilled cross from Cucho Hernandez under pressure from Dawson.
Benrahma was causing Juraj Kucka all sorts of problems on our left flank, and another weaving run was enough to flummox the Slovakian out of play – but our No22’s pull-back was cut out before it could reach Manuel Lanzini.
The half-time statistics told the story: 62 per cent possession, ten shots – three on target – and five corners for West Ham, to Watford’s 38, four and nil respectively, painted the picture of a dominant period for Moyes’ team at Vicarage Road.
It was no surprise, therefore, that they emerged unchanged after the interval. And where the Hammers had got off to a slow start in the first half, they made a rapid opening to the second – seemingly getting their reward.
After a good move involving Antonio and Lanzini within moments of the restart, Bowen fired home a volley from a Souček cross which had been flicked on by Antonio. A VAR review, however, ruled that the Czech midfielder had clipped Kucka’s heels in the build-up to the goal, and disallowed the effort.
The decision gave Watford’s fans the impetus to spur on their team, Lukasz Fabianski needing to be alert to beat out Sissoko’s rising side-footed strike after the ball had dropped invitingly for the home side’s captain inside the box – Watford’s best chance since the opening goal.
But where the Hammers retained their intensity throughout, Watford’s wavered – and Antonio took full advantage, racing onto a long ball which Francisco Sierralta – almost inexplicably – had left. The No9 crossed towards the far post, Watford defender Kucka attempted to chest back to Bachmann and Bowen, reading it sharply, got his body in the way, being brought down by the goalkeeper’s flailing arm as the ball rolled out for a corner.
This time, VAR came to the Irons’ aid, referee Darren England being called over to his monitor and awarding a clear spot kick. Up stepped Noble to send Bachmann the wrong way and score his third goal in successive visits to Vicarage Road, and sixth in total against Watford.
With a two-goal lead established, the contest began to settle, although Fabianski had to remain alert with 20 minutes remaining to get down low and claim a powerful King effort from the angle, the same attacker heading wide from a Watford set-piece moments later.
Dawson then won an important header from a corner as Watford pushed bodies forward in search of a route back into the match, but the sting of the game had long since evaporated.
There was still time for Antonio to be denied from close range by Bachmann after Bowen had drawn the attentions of three Watford defenders, before the No20 created - in similar fashion, beating his man and pulling back - Vlašić's simple finish near to the penalty spot, a goal celebrated by all eleven West Ham players on the pitch in front of the travelling support.
Fabianski was then called upon to produce a brace of excellent saves deep into injury time - the first from Hernandez after the Hammers ceded possession near to their own goal, before he subsequently tipped over Cathcart's powerful header from the resulting corner kick.
Seeing the game through, the Irons' delightful performance capped a 2021 calendar year which will live long in the memory.
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Dawson, Diop, Johnson (Masuaku 82), Souček, Noble ©, Benrahma (Vlašić 85), Lanzini (Král 89), Bowen, Antonio
Subs: Areola (GK), Alese, Ashby, Fredericks, Okoflex, Yarmolenko
Goals: Souček 27, Benrahma 29, Noble 58 (pen), Vlašić 90+2
Booked: Noble
Watford: Bachmann, Masina, Cathcart, Sierralta, Femenia (Louza 41), Hernandez (Joao Pedro 45), Tufan (Sema 62), Kucka, Sissoko ©, King, Dennis
Subs: Angelini, Gosling, Fletcher, Morris, Conteh
Goal: Dennis 5
Referee: Darren England