Bournemouth vs Watford. Premier League.
Vitality StadiumAttendance10,501.
Sunday 20 August 2017 20:40, UK
Second-half goals from Richarlison and Etienne Capoue handed Watford a deserved 2-0 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Richarlison - signed from Fluminense in August - made the breakthrough after 73 minutes, the Brazilian scoring on his full debut for his new team.
And the visitors wrapped up the points four minutes from time when substitute Capoue scored a screamer from long range to hand new manager Marco Silva his first away win in the Premier League.
As a result, Watford are off the mark this season thanks to their first league win since April 1, but the Cherries have begun the campaign with two straight losses, scoring no goals in the process.
While the Hornets largely controlled the opening 45 minutes on the south coast, with Nathaniel Chalobah and Abdoulaye Doucoure dominating midfield, it was the home side who created the best openings.
However, Heurelho Gomes was on hand to deny the likes of Ryan Fraser and Benik Afobe, with smart stops, before Watford nearly went ahead in first-half stoppage time.
Richarlison showed some neat feet in a tight space in the box to bamboozle Adam Smith, only for fellow new boy Andre Gray to side-foot over the bar from just six yards out.
The chances kept on coming Watford's way after the break, though, with Chalobah in particular wasting one great opening after failing to score when faced with just Asmir Begovic to beat.
However, that miss was soon forgotten when the visitors did finally open the scoring through Richarlison, who found himself in the right place to tap home after Begovic and Charlie Daniels had failed to deal with Gray's low cross into the six-yard box.
Despite the introduction of Jermain Defoe, it was Watford who scored again with just minutes remaining as Capoue beat Begovic with a thumping 30-yard effort.
Courtesy of their win against Bournemouth, Watford ended a run of seven Premier League games without a victory (D6 L1).
Silva enjoyed his first away win in the Premier League in his 10th game on the road in the competition (W1 D2 L7).
Bournemouth have failed to score in consecutive Premier League for the first time since October 2016.
The Cherries have kept just four clean sheets in 2017 in the Premier League, fewer than any side to play in the top-flight both last season and this season.
The one-time Brazil U20 international was handed his first competitive start for Watford, following his £13m summer switch, with Stefano Okaka dropping to the bench, and boy did the youngster catch the eye on the south coast.
The 20-year-old was a constant threat to the Bournemouth back-line with his pace and quick feet, creating his side's best opening of the first half.
And the forward then got the crucial first goal with just 17 minutes to go to cap off an eye-catching appearance, with more surely to come from him this campaign.
Eddie Howe: I'm really disappointed from our perspective. I felt we started OK, but then lost direction in the game and it was no surprise to see Watford score really.
The momentum was with them at that stage of the game and it was disappointing as if we had just hung in there for a little but longer, it could have been different. I can't turn round and say that Watford did not deserve to win.
Marco Silva: What is important to us is we got three important points today. It is not because it is away, or at home, it is an important three points for us.
Of course it is fantastic if you can win away in the Premier League, as it is really difficult to do that, and we showed this football and commitment and this is most important to me.
Because if you play like we did today, with this level of organisation, the players believe in our football and idea and we are close to take good results.
Watford were brilliant today, a proper away team performance, and they made Bournemouth look very average today. They did not have any chances today. I cannot talk highly enough about them today.
When the game opened up at 0-0 and Bournemouth opened the game up, Watford picked them off and I thought they were outstanding. If you are a manager of a football team, then that is the ultimate away performance.
Bournemouth did not look like scoring, they looked a bit lost, they were not a threat, Defoe came on, but I cannot really remember him doing anything.
Bournemouth travel to Birmingham in the League Cup on Tuesday, before entertaining Man City in the league next Saturday.
The Hornets, meanwhile, host Bristol City in the League Cup on Tuesday followed by Brighton and Hove Albion next Saturday.
