MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 03:09:28| >> :600:333151:333151:
[monks data]
Attendance: 30,387
Cardiff City logo
Premier League | Gameweek 27
Feb 22, 2019 at 7.45pm UK
 
Watford logo

1-5

Bamba (82')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Deulofeu (18', 61', 63'), Deeney (73', 91')

Gerard Deulofeu scores three and sets up one as five-star Watford rout Cardiff

The Spaniard's treble was his first in English football.

Gerard Deulofeu's first hat-trick in English football saw Watford stroll to a 5-1 victory at Cardiff and climb to seventh place in the Premier League.

Deulofeu, recalled to the Hornets' starting line-up after sitting out the FA Cup win at QPR, fired Watford into a first-half lead before scoring twice in as many minutes just after the hour-mark.

Troy Deeney added further gloss with two more – his first league goals since the start of January coming either side of a Sol Bamba consolation.

Despite their second-half collapse, Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock will no doubt feel that his side should have been awarded a 42nd-minute penalty with the score at 1-0.

Josh Murphy had just made his way into the area when Daryl Janmaat clattered him from behind, but referee Simon Hooper was unmoved to frantic Cardiff appeals as he waved play on.

Cardiff welcomed back captain Sean Morrison after his four-game absence following appendix surgery, while there was a first start for January signing Leandro Bacuna.

Watford announced before kick-off that they had reached an "amicable agreement" with Everton in their dispute over Marco Silva.

The long-running saga had began when Everton targeted then Watford boss Silva following the sacking of Ronald Koeman in October 2017, but the Hornets have long been in a good place under Javi Gracia.

The heady heights of seventh was the prize for a Watford win, and the omens were good with Gracia's men having lost only one of their previous 10 games and fresh from reaching the last eight of the FA Cup.

Early Watford pressure saw Janmaat sidefoot over the crossbar after working a one-two with Deeney and Roberto Pereyra's deflected effort was comfortably held by Neil Etheridge in the Cardiff goal.

Troy Deeney celebrates scoring the fifth
Troy Deeney celebrates scoring the fifth (Simon Galloway/PA)

Ben Foster had to be sharper at the other end when Oumar Niasse reached Callum Paterson's clever chip over the visitors' defence, the Watford goalkeeper first blocking and then scrambling the ball away to safety.

Two minutes later the visitors were ahead when Morrison, Bruno Manga and Joe Bennett all tried, and failed, to dispossess Deeney and Deulofeu took charge of the loose ball to bury a low shot.

Deeney almost doubled the lead from 20 yards, this time Etheridge getting a hand to the shot, and Warnock was incandescent on the touchline when Murphy was felled and nothing was given.

Daryl Janmaat, left, clashed with Josh Murphy in the penalty area
Daryl Janmaat, left, clashed with Josh Murphy in the penalty area (Simon Galloway/PA)

Cardiff changed formation at half-time with Bacuna and Bennett operating as wing-backs, but Watford still looked the more polished side as Bamba blocked Deeney's goalbound effort.

The energy of substitute Junior Hoilett gave Cardiff brief hope, but Watford soon sprang a counter-attack and Deulofeu beat Manga to run half the length of the field.

Deulofeu rounded Etheridge with ease and two minutes later he burst on to Etienne Capoue's threaded pass to chip the Cardiff goalkeeper.

Gerard Deulofeu completes his hat-trick
Gerard Deulofeu completes his hat-trick (Simon Galloway/PA)

The Spaniard was not finished there, though, and he skipped through after 73 minutes to provide Deeney with the simplest of tap-ins.

Bamba came up with a consolation by bundling home from a goalmouth scramble eight minutes from time, but Deeney pounced again in the dying moments when Will Hughes set him up from close range.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Phil Blanche, Press Association Sport');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '7109b080-18d0-4e5c-af4d-fbdd4bc78256');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:club-news,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:match-reports,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Gerard Deulofeu scores three and sets up one as five-star Watford rout Cardiff'});

ID:351197: cacheID:351197:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:11949:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Emiliano Sala in action for Nantes in late 2017
Read Next:
Cardiff and Nantes agree deadline extension over first Sala payment
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Leeds UnitedLeeds38257670284282
2Leicester CityLeicester37264774334182
3Ipswich TownIpswich38249580493181
4Southampton36227773472673
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom381991059362366
6Norwich CityNorwich381871369541561
7Hull City371610115346758
8Coventry CityCoventry3715121059431657
9Preston North EndPreston37168134954-556
10Middlesbrough38166165352154
11Cardiff CityCardiff38165174351-853
12Sunderland38146184845348
13Watford381212145351248
14Bristol City38138174245-347
15Swansea CitySwansea381210164858-1046
16Millwall381110173650-1443
17Blackburn RoversBlackburn38119185164-1342
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth381011175462-841
19Stoke CityStoke38118193553-1841
20Queens Park RangersQPR381010183650-1440
21Birmingham CityBirmingham38109194259-1739
22Huddersfield TownHuddersfield38815154261-1939
23Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds38115223061-3138
24Rotherham UnitedRotherham38311243077-4720

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!