Arsenal led 2-0 at the interval but had to settle for a draw against
struggling Watford on Sunday.
Mistakes from Sokratis and David Luiz saw Arsenal squander a two-goal
lead as Watford earned a 2-2 draw in Quique Sanchez Flores’ first game
back in charge at Vicarage Road.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s deadly finishing, in the absence of the
injured Alexandre Lacazette, looked to have steered Arsenal to victory
after the Gabon international netted twice in 11 first-half minutes to
take his tally to five in five Premier League games this season.
Unai Emery’s men took the lead when Will Hughes was bundled off the
ball and Aubameyang finished off a fast break with a cool finish, and
the second arrived soon after courtesy of an astute Mesut Ozil through
ball.
But Arsenal came under heavy pressure in the opening stages of both
halves of an entertaining encounter and Watford pulled one back after
a calamitous pass from Sokratis allowed Tom Cleverley a chance that he
buried with aplomb.
David Luiz then conceded a penalty nine minutes from time that
substitute Roberto Pereyra confidently converted, giving the Hornets a
deserved point in a game where they had 31 shots at goal.
Watford started brightly and Gerard Deulofeu tested Bernd Leno with a
shot from the edge of the box inside the opening six minutes, while
Cleverley’s thunderous rising drive forced the Arsenal goalkeeper into
an acrobatic fingertip stop.
Sanchez Flores saw his new charges starve Arsenal of possession until
Hughes was dispossessed by Dani Ceballos after 21 minutes and the
referee ignored the hosts’ pleas for a free-kick as Sead Kolasinac
swept the ball forward to Aubameyang, who turned sharply and buried an
instinctive strike into the net.
Having found a way through Watford’s defence, Arsenal probed for more
openings and Ozil carved one out with trademark composure when his
incisive pass set Ainsley Maitland-Niles up to deliver a low cross to
the far post that Aubameyang tapped home.
As they did in the first half, Watford flew out of the blocks in the
second and clawed a goal back when Sokratis fluffed a clearance into
the path of Deulofeu, who tied Cleverley up for a rasping finish low
into Leno’s net.
The Hornets continued to heap pressure on, substitute Pereyra and
Deulofeu firing narrowly wide as Watford played with a belief that
belied their lowly league position.
David Luiz’s clumsy challenge on Pereyra sent the Argentine tumbling
as he hurtled into the box and he dusted himself down before rolling
the spot-kick in.
Deulofeu had the chance to win it when his angled drive from 12 yards
flew narrowly past the target and Abdoulaye Doucoure missed an
excellent opportunity in the dying seconds, but the final whistle
nevertheless drew cheers from the home supporters after their side
sealed a precious point.
