Newcastle 0 - 3 Watford - 25th Nov 2017

Newcastle 0 - 3 Watford

Will Hughes leads the way as Watford thrash Newcastle at St James’ Park

Away team scorers
Will Hughes 19
DeAndre Yedlin 45 +0:51 o.g.
Andre Gray 62

As Marco Silva’s slickly sophisticated side heightened fears that a hard few months – on and off the pitch – lie in store on Tyneside, it was extremely easy to see why Watford are so keen to keep their manager out of Everton’s clutches.

As the minutes passed it became equally apparent that the success of Amanda Staveley’s mooted takeover is suddenly looking imperative for Rafael Benítez’s struggling side. It is no exaggeration to say Newcastle’s survival hopes could hinge on the ability to access at least a few of her Middle East sourced millions.

Unusually, Benítez had configured Newcastle in 4-4-2 guise, partnering Dwight Gayle with Joselu in attack. The upside was that this formation created room for Gayle’s acceleration in an otherwise slightly one-paced side, the downside being that it left the home midfield quartet vulnerable to Watford’s collective counter-attacking pace.

Well before the end, a calculated gamble against a visiting manager prone to defensive risk-tasking had well and truly failed. Not that Benítez should be blamed for this latest reverse; as he warned Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner, a limited squad was in desperate need of reinforcement over the summer and even a coach as good as the Spaniard cannot turn water into wine.

With Jacob Murphy looking a weak link wide on the left for Benítez’s side, the positional interchanging within Silva’s fluid 3-4-3 configuration proved increasingly difficult for their hosts to second guess. It was no real surprise when, courtesy of a swipe of his left boot, Will Hughes directed a textbook shot low into the bottom corner after connecting with Marvin Zeegelaar’s precise cut-back.

Like Gayle, Andre Yedlin, Benítez’s right back is one of the Newcastle’s quicker players but Yedlin misjudged Zeegelaar’s advance, leaving Silva’s team firmly in the ascendant.

By then Tyneside frustrations had already been manifested in Jonjo Shelvey’s bizarre, rightly yellow carded, scissor lunge at Miguel Britos from behind, while Rob Elliot had done well to repel Richarlison’s fine shot.

With Kiko Femenía’s right-wing advances ruffling Javier Manquillo, Newcastle were being stretched to the limit. The somewhat unequal duel between Yedlin and the impressive Zeegelaar ensured it was on the right of defence where, on the brink of half-time, they snapped for a second time. On this occasion Yedlin’s misreading of Zeegelaar’s cross resulted in his diverting the ball past a wrong-footed Elliot.

Benítez had wanted to sign Andre Gray during the close season but Ashley thought the then Burnley striker too expensive and he ended up joining Watford for £18.5m. As if to remind Ashley that, sometimes, you do get what you pay for, Gray scored the third goal, darting into ample space and stretching to turn Richarlison’s cross beyond Elliot.

Benítez replaced the ineffective Joselu, Mohamed Diamé and Murphy with Aleksandar Mitrović, Mikel Merino and Ayoze Pérez but it made no difference.

Guardian