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WATFORD MANAGER XISCO MUNOZ DEPARTS CLUB AFTER NEGATIVE TREND OF PERFORMANCES

Watford have parted company with head coach Xisco Munoz after just seven games of the Premier League season.

The club said in a statement that recent results “strongly indicate a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving”.

Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Leeds left the club with seven points from a possible 21. Since beating Aston Villa on the opening day of the season, the club’s only other league victory came against bottom side Norwich last month.

Munoz, who took charge at Vicarage Road last December, had successfully guided the club back to the top flight with a second-placed finish in the Championship last season.

Yet he has become the latest to pay the price for a downturn in form by joining a long list of managers whose tenure at the club has proved short-lived.

His departure means the Hornets are now looking for a 17th new manager in just over 10 years.

A club statement read: “Watford FC confirms Xisco Munoz has left his post as the club’s head coach.

“The board feels recent performances strongly indicate a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving.

“The Hornets will always be grateful to Xisco for the part he played in securing last season’s promotion and wish him well for his future career in football.

“No further club comment will be available until the imminent announcement of a new head coach.”

Former Valencia and Real Betis winger Munoz, 41, succeeded the sacked Vladimir Ivic when he left his role at Georgian club Dinamo Tbilisi.

The club had been fifth in the Championship at the time but were criticised by fans for their overly-defensive tactics.

Munoz fulfilled his brief to guide the club back to the Premier League at the first time of asking but performances this term have been unimpressive.

Diego Llorente scored the only goal at Elland Road as Leeds claimed their first win of the season at their expense on Saturday.

After the game, Munoz admitted his side had failed to match Leeds’ intensity.

“They won all the duels, they shoot more times than us and they wanted to win the game more than us,” he said.

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LEEDS OFF THE MARK AFTER DIEGO LLORENTE’S GOAL SEES OFF WATFORD

Diego Llorente’s first-half strike secured dominant Leeds a 1-0 win against Watford and their first Premier League victory of the season.

The Spain defender marked his return to action after a three-game injury lay-off with his second goal for Leeds following a corner in the 18th minute.

Leeds, as usual, created and wasted a hatful of chances, and the full-time whistle at Elland Road was celebrated wildly by home fans in a crowd of 36,261.

It was Leeds’ first league win in seven top-flight matches this season, yet it should have been by a much bigger margin.

Leeds burst out of the blocks in typical fashion and Dan James was denied by Ben Foster’s outstretched leg after the Watford goalkeeper had kept out Stuart Dallas’ shot.

Mateusz Klich then ballooned an effort over the crossbar after being set up by Dallas as Marcelo Bielsa’s side laid siege on Watford’s goal.

It was just the start Leeds’ fans had been hoping for as United looked to kick-start their season and they were rewarded with an opening goal.

Raphinha hit the spot with a whipped-in corner and the ball broke for Llorente, who applied a neat first-time finish.

Leeds were furious when referee Simon Hooper waved play on following William Ekong’s challenge on James in the penalty area and more so at VAR’s role in the decision-making.

Raphinha fired into the side-netting after skipping round Foster soon after and Leeds continued to swarm forward.

A defensive howler from Llorente presented Watford with their only sight of goal in the first half, which Turkey midfielder Ozan Tufan blazed over on his full Premier League debut in the 28th minute.

There was no let-up from Leeds in the second period, with Dallas firing over and Foster doing well under pressure from another pin-point Raphinha corner.

Leeds were dominant, but still not precise enough with the final pass and with no end product, the usual anxiety crept in on the terraces.

Most of Elland Road breathed a huge sigh of relief in the 73rd minute.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier spilled a corner over his goal-line, but referee Hooper ruled out Watford’s ‘equaliser’ for Christian Kabasele’s foul on Liam Cooper.

Leeds twice went close to adding a game-clinching goal in the closing stages. Tyler Roberts’ shot was cleared off the line by Juraj Kucka and when the Leeds substitute followed up, his second attempt hit the crossbar.

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ISMAILA SARR EARNS WATFORD A POINT AT ST. JAMES’S PARK

An Ismaila Sarr equaliser denied Newcastle their first win of the Premier League season in a 1-1 draw at Watford.

The Magpies went into the game with just two points so far in the league, before Sean Longstaff’s curled 20-yard strike gave the visitors a 24th minute lead at Vicarage Road.

Newcastle looked on course for their first win of the season, finishing with 19 shots and with five on target, but were unable to add to their lead.

Instead it was Watford who levelled the contest, when Ismaila Sarr found himself unmarked to nod home at the far post for a 72nd minute equaliser.

The Hornets thought they had a winner in the 87th minute when Joshua King slotted the ball past goalkeeper Karl Darlow – but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.

The game had all the markers of a hard-fought relegation battle with Jarred Gillett awarding seven yellow cards on his maiden Premier League game in charge.

It was a moment of history for the Australian, who became the first referee from outside the UK and Ireland to take charge in the English top flight.

In the first 90 seconds of the match, Darlow was called into action when Watford broke down the right, with King playing in Emmanuel Dennis – who took a shot from a tight angle but saw it blocked by the keeper.

In the 24th minute, the ball was played to Longstaff from Allan Saint-Maximin, before he curled a shot from 20 yards into the top left-hand corner, past Ben Foster’s outstretched hands.

Watford had to wait to find an opening to try to level, but just after half an hour Darlow dived low to save a low effort from Sarr – who had driven through the Newcastle midfield to create the opportunity.

Just before the break, Newcastle had an ideal opportunity to double their advantage as Saint-Maximin was played through in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he tried to round Foster but the defence were able to get back, and although he found Longstaff, the goalscorer fired over the bar.

The second half was less frantic than the first, and there were no significant chances for either side despite a break from Watford when they had the numerical advantage, but Javier Manquillo was able to get back and dispossess King.

Foster was forced into a double save in the 65th minute, first to deny Miguel Almiron from range, and then from Joelinton’s follow-up.

Newcastle continued to press, with Foster making a save to deny Willock after he was played in by Saint-Maximin less than three minutes later.

However, the visitors were unable to make their possession count, and Watford found the equaliser in the 72nd minute.

Almiron had given away a needless corner, which was flicked on by King to the back post, where Sarr was unmarked and able to head the ball past Darlow.

In the 87th minute, King put the ball in the back of the net after Moussa Sissoko’s parried shot found the Hornets number seven, but VAR ruled the goal out for offside.

Both sides had opportunities in the remaining minutes but neither could find the breakthrough and it finished 1-1.

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CARABAO CUP: LATE GOALS GIVE STOKE VICTORY AT WATFORD

Stoke struck twice late on to see off Watford and reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup for a third season in succession.

Ashley Fletcher had equalised for the Hornets following Nick Powell’s opener but the Sky Bet Championship side would leave Vicarage Road victorious as Sam Clucas and Josh Tymon struck from distance to seal a 3-1 win.

Watford head coach Xisco Munoz changed his entire starting XI from the weekend win at Norwich but the majority of his fringe players failed to impress, while Stoke – showing eight alterations of their own – recovered from their loss at beleaguered Derby last time out.

With two unfamiliar line-ups the game started slowly before bursting into life just after the midway point of the first half.

Watford right-back Jeremy Ngakia was caught in possession by his own corner flag as Alfie Doughty stole the ball before crossing low for captain Powell to turn home from close range.

The goal seemed to wake the Premier League side from their slumber as both Adam Masina and Dan Gosling drew smart saves out of Adam Davies in quick succession shortly after Powell’s opener.

Masina was guilty of missing a fine opportunity to level, spooning over in front of goal from a Christian Kabasele knockdown.

The Watford left-back was the one popping up unmarked in and around the Stoke box but again fired off target as the ball broke to him on the edge of the penalty area.

Davies was again called into action shortly after the restart, shovelling away Fletcher’s header after the forward had been picked out by Cucho Hernandez.

Debutant Ozan Tufan was the next to be thwarted by Davies, with Watford now dominant and Stoke’s counter-attacks becoming a rarity.

Gosling fired badly wide after the visitors had gifted possession in midfield – but they were finally level soon after.

A shot from Hernandez was saved by Davies but this time the ball spun up and into the path of Fletcher, who finished from point-blank range.

They somehow failed to take the lead 10 minutes later, Hernandez hitting the post and Fletcher’s follow-up deflecting behind for a corner.

Those close calls would come back to haunt Munoz’s men as it would be Stoke who would hit the front once more.

Clucas had come on shortly after Fletcher’s equaliser and steered home from the edge of the box, a slight deflection taking the ball past debutant Rob Elliot in the Watford goal.

The winger would crack the crossbar with a fine long-range effort shortly after before the tie was wrapped up in more fortuitous circumstances.

Tymon broke clear down the left and seemed to miscue a cross which caught Elliot off his line, drifting in over his head to establish a two-goal cushion for the visitors, who saw out stoppage time to reach round four.

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ISMAILA SARR STARS ON PREMIER LEAGUE RETURN AS WATFORD EDGE ASTON VILLA IN FIVE GOAL THRILLER

Watford record signing Ismaila Sarr starred on his Premier League return as the Hornets held off a late challenge from Aston Villa to secure a 3-2 win.

Sarr had already set up Emmanuel Dennis for his first club goal for Watford’s opener before he found the net himself after an individual run down the right for his side’s second.

Debutant Cucho Hernandez added the home side’s third just moments after coming on but Aston Villa were able to reply through John McGinn’s long-range effort.

In added time, referee Mike Dean pointed to the penalty spot after a foul in the box, with debutant Danny Ings stepping up and making no mistake for his new club, firing the ball into the back of the net.

Sarr had joined Watford for their last Premier League campaign for a club-record fee in the summer of 2019 but struggled in a tumultuous season for the club, finishing with just six goals.

The following Championship season however, the 23-year-old finished with 13 goals to his name and impressed on his top-flight return, forcing Villa manager Dean Smith into an early half-time substitution after he had got the better of defender Matt Targett on a number of occasions.

It was a return to full stadiums for the fans, but the visiting contingent will not have been too pleased with their first look at a post-Jack Grealish Aston Villa, who looked lacklustre in midfield and had to wait until the 70th minute for their first shot on target.

Watford did not have to wait long for their first Premier League goal of the season, when debutant Dennis slotted the ball home in the 11th minute.

Captain Tom Cleverley had played in Sarr down the wing, but it was the Senegal international who did the work, driving down the right and getting ahead of Targett before picking out Dennis in the centre.

The 23-year-old’s first effort was blocked with cries of handball, but he made no mistake with the rebound, firing the ball under goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

However, just moments later, Sarr – who had been causing problems for the Villa defence all throughout the first half – wove his way down the right before shooting high and past Martinez to double the lead.

It was a frustrating opening 45 minutes for the visitors as they struggled to get forward and create space for their debutants at the top end of the pitch with Ings and Emiliano Buendia only seeing the ball sporadically.

Villa started the second half brightly, with one effort going across the face of goal and half-time substitute Jacob Ramsey firing a long-range effort over the crossbar, however their early energy did not turn into many clear-cut chances.

Smith’s side were still without a shot on target when Hernandez looked to have put the game past Villa just moments after coming on for his Premier League debut.

The 22-year-old Colombia international received the ball down the left and drove forward, opening up space before curling the ball expertly past Martinez to open his account for the season on his senior debut.

However, just three minutes later, Xisco Munoz’s hopes of ending his first game of the season with a clean sheet were over when another debutant, Leon Bailey, set up McGinn on the edge of the area, and the midfielder fired the ball into the top of the net.

Ings’ late penalty was not enough for the visitors, with just seconds remaining on the clock before the whistle blew at Vicarage Road as Watford secured a win on their return to the top flight.

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WATFORD SIGN NIGERIAN MIDFIELDER ETEBO ON LOAN

Watford have announced the signing of Nigeria central midfielder Peter Etebo on a season-long loan from Stoke City.

The 25-year-old moves to Watford in a deal that contains an option to make the signing permanent.

Etebo joined Stoke in 2018 and made 52 appearances for the Potters, scoring twice, while also spending time on loan at Getafe in 2019/20 and with Galatasary last season.

He has been capped 38 times by Nigeria, scoring twice, and becomes the Hornets’ eighth new arrival this summer after forward Dapo Mebude joined from Rangers earlier today.

Etebo will hope to make his Premier League debut when Watford host Aston Villa on Saturday 14 August.

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NIGERIAN FORWARD, EMMANUEL DENNIS JOINS WATFORD

Newly-promoted English Premier League club Watford FC made an official announcement on Monday that they have reached an agreement with Belgian side, Club Brugge for the transfer of Nigerian striker, Emmanuel Dennis.

Other details around the length of the contract and the financial implication are yet to be fully disclosed by the two parties.

The statement on Watford website Monday night read: “An agreement with Club Brugges has been reached for the transfer of exciting young forward Emmanuel Dennis, Watford FC is delighted to confirm.”

Dennis, 23, spent part of last season on loan in Germany’s Bundesliga with FC Köln but he failed to impress

The Nigerian forward first joined the Belgian top-flight side in the summer of 2017.

A scorer of 27 goals in less than 100 club appearances for Brugges, Dennis has featured in both the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League where he scored some famous goals; including against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

According to Watford, they are currently finalising ‘personal terms’ with the pacy striker – so far capped twice by Nigeria.

Born in the Northern Nigerian town of Yola, Dennis began his footballing quest in the country’s capital city with the Abuja Football Academy.

It was from the Abuja Academy that Dennis headed out to Europe for a professional football career in 201a 6 as he settled for the modest Ukrainian side, Zorya Luhansk despite the reported interest from a handful of othasclubs.

Watford have a rich history of Nigerian players with the likes of William Troost-Ekong and Isaac Success presently playing for the Hornets while Odion Ighalo can pass for a club legend at Vicarage Road.

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DANNY ROSE SIGNS FOR WATFORD ON A FREE TRANSFER

File photo dated 23-04-2019 of Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose applauds the fans. Issue date: Thursday May 27, 2021.

Tottenham defender, Danny Rose has moved to premier league returnee side, Watford on a free transfer. The North london club has released a statement to confirm this on Wednesday.

“We’ve said our goodbyes to Danny Rose already, so this is mostly just a confirmation of what we already know: Rose has left Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer and has now officially signed for Watford.”
the statement read.

This is actually the second time Danny’s gone to Watford — he spent the second half of the 2008-09 season there on loan in the Championship, where he played in seven matches as a midfielder under then-manager Brendan Rodgers. Amazing how the more things change the more the same names keep popping up in conversation.

Now that he’s on the wrong side of 30 I don’t know if he’ll be a lock-down starter at left back for Watford in the Premier League, but he’ll absolutely be in the rotation. Spurs play home to Watford on August 28, and away on New Year’s Day 2022.

Good luck to Danny, and for god’s sake please don’t score a worldly against us in August because that would both be thrilling and would make me very sad.

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WATFORD SECURE PROMOTION TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE AFTER WIN OVER MILLWALL

Watford have secured promotion to the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Millwall on Saturday.

Watford were relegated to the Championship last season but have secured an immediate return, with Ismaila Sarr’s penalty kick enough to see off Millwall at Vicarage Road.

Xisco Munoz’s side have been in superb form in 2021, winning 16 of their 23 Championship matches this calendar year.

Bournemouth’s home defeat to Brentford on Saturday meant that Watford needed only a draw against Millwall to secure promotion to the Premier League.

They did better than that, with Sarr’s goal from the penalty spot — his thirteenth in the Championship this season — enough to earn Watford their ninth win in eleven games and a return to the top flight.

Vladimir Ivic was appointed in the summer to instil discipline and organisation but the football brought little job, despite Watford grinding out results. He was sacked after just four months in the role, having won nine of 20 Championship games, with Watford fifth in the table.

Enter Xisco. The Spaniard did not bring much managerial experience when he arrived from Dinamo Tbilisi, but he did bring energy and motivation. Watford won four of his first five matches in charge and have been in fine form ever since a goalless draw with Coventry in February marked three league games without a win.

Watford hammered Bristol City 6-0 at Vicarage Road in their very next match and haven’t looked back since.

Sarr, a target for numerous Premier League clubs last summer, has been superb — while Tom Cleverley has led by example with veteran captain Troy Deeney missing for long periods.

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NORWICH CITY TITLE CELEBRATIONS ON HOLD AFTER DEFEAT TO WATFORD

Norwich City’s Championship title celebrations were put on ice as they lost 1-0 at home to second-placed Watford on Tuesday.

Dan Gosling’s 57th-minute goal earned the visitors the points to put them on the verge of joining already-promoted Norwich back in the top flight after one season.

Norwich have 90 points to Watford’s 85 with three games left.

Lyndon Dykes scored in the 89th minute with his sixth goal in seven games to send QPR eighth.

Fourth-placed Brentford’s slim automatic promotion hopes were all but dashed as they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Cardiff City to continue their slump in form.

The Bees, who suffered a late season collapse before losing to Fulham in the playoff final last season, have 75 points with four games to play, with Bournemouth on 74 and Barnsley on 71.

At the bottom, last-but-one Sheffield Wednesday staved off relegation for another day after beating Blackburn 1-0 while Wayne Rooney’s Derby County remained in danger after a 3-0 hammering at Preston.

Derby are on the edge of the drop zone, four points clear of Rotherham United — who have three games in hand — and Wednesday, whose hopes were kept alive by Josh Windass’s deflected winner.

Wycombe Wanderers are bottom, five points behind Wednesday.