Javi Gracia praises outstanding Watford performance after Cardiff win

Javi Gracia says Watford were "outstanding" as they produced a 5-1 win over Cardiff in the Premier League on Friday night.

Watford recorded their biggest win of the season against Neil Warnock's side as Gerard Deulofeu scored a hat-trick and Troy Deeney grabbed a double at the Cardiff City Stadium.

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Gracia was impressed by Watford's performance as they moved into seventh to bolster their hopes of playing European football next season.

He told Sky Sports: "It was a very good performance. To win here is not easy. To win like we did today was outstanding. I am very proud of all my players.

"Playing away we are getting good results. We knew it would be a hard game.

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"They changed their shape and they tried to do more compact and defend better but we found the spaces and scored different goals - in counter-attack and in possession games.

"Our players showed good qualities and scored lots of goals so I am happy. Before the game we knew it would be important to have mobility and attack the spaces."

Deulofeu was the first player to score a top-flight Watford hat-trick since 1986, but Gracia was mostly pleased with the Spaniard's selflessness to tee up Deeney for Watford's fourth.

He added: "It was important the three goals but in my opinion it was more important to assist after the three goals to be generous and pass it."

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