Watford vs Stoke match report: Jon Walters and Joselu goals secure impressive three points for Potters

Watford 1 Stoke City 2

(Getty)

Stoke City are suddenly everyone’s idea of a well-established Premier League club to emulate. They are certainly spending like one, having brought in Porto’s £18m midfielder Giannelli Imbula, who was excellent here; and even without the equally accomplished Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan Krkic, Mark Hughes’ side were deserved winners and remain on course for their highest finish since a fifth place in 1975.

A first goal of 13 passes, starting with the goalkeeper Jack Butland, illustrated the transformation from the Tony Pulis era, although its conclusive moment featured two good old Potteries stalwarts in Phil Bardsley, who crossed perfectly, and Jonathan Walters, coming in unnoticed at the far post.

Walters then made the second goal by returning a poor clearance from Heurelho Gomes for Joselu to lob over the retreating goalkeeper. And in between times Marko Arnautovic was only just offside before knocking in another fine Bardsley centre.

Watford were tardy in recovering their FA Cup spirit, Troy Deeney’s header from a cross by substitute Ikechi Anya coming too late to offer any real hope of avoiding a third successive League defeat. Fortunately they accumulated enough points earlier in the campaign to avoid any serious concerns about dropping back through the trap-door just as the television riches reach eye-watering new levels.

Troy Deeney celebrates his late goal which brought Watford back into the game (Getty Images)

“The performance was really bad,” their manager Quique Sanchez Flores admitted. “First half we started late and forgot the plan. They dominated the match for an hour. Maybe there’s a bad effect from something big like we did last week but I don’t believe they are thinking about the semi-final.”

Hughes is not unhappy that Stoke’s achievements have gone “a little bit under the radar” which minimises the possibility of his players getting carried away. But sitting in seventh place this morning they are entitled to contemplate a return to European competition. “With seven games to go we’re there or thereabouts,” he said. “We play teams in and around us, like West Ham in the last game. But we have to make sure we get the points before that.”

Watford: (4-3-2-1) Gomes; Nyom, Britos, Cathcart, Ake (Anya, 76); Behrami (Guedioura, 55), Suarez, Capoue; Jurado (Amrabat, 55), Deeney; Ighalo.

Stoke: (4-2-3-1) Butland; Bardsley, Cameron, Wollscheid, Muniesa; Whelan, Imbula; Walters, Affelay (Diouf, 84), Arnautovic (Ireland, 84); Joselu.

Referee: Craig Pawson

Man of the match: Wollscheid (Stoke)

Match rating: 6/10