Watford continued their revival under Nigel Pearson with an impressive 3-0 win at Bournemouth took them out of the relegation zone and piled more misery on Eddie Howe.
Abdoulaye Doucoure, Troy Deeney and Roberto Pereyra gave the Hornets a deserved second away win of the season and saw them move out of the bottom three for the very first time this season.
It’s been an incredible rise for a team that looked dead and buried when they sacked their second manager of the season, but Pearson has given them hope, direction and more importantly points with this success their fourth win in five to take their tally to 13 points from the last possible 15.
Watford had everything a team down the bottom needs to suggest they’ll survive, with every player running their hearts out, winning most of their individual battles and having a definitely plan to work to – everything in fact that Bournemouth lacked as their terrible run continued.
💪 Troy Deeney IS Watford
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) January 12, 2020
💥 The skipper does it again v Bournemouth - Cherries in deep, deep trouble#BOUWAT pic.twitter.com/5XrGqnMZrq
From the moment debutant keeper Mark Travis’ mistake led to Doucoure’s opener, the confidence drained out of a team that has just one win in 11, with nine defeats, and just one point gained from a losing position all season.
Young goalkeeper Travis was starting as Bournemouth's injury problems continue to hurt them, and after an even first half his poor clearance led to the Watford opener three minutes before the break.
Bournemouth were guilty of trying to play their way out from the back when it was perhaps better, considering who was playing, to clear the danger, and it lead to them going in behind.
Given their record in recovering losing positions, the hosts never seemed likely to respond and it was mainly Watford in the second half, playing with the confidence they've now found with the appointment of Pearson and the return from injury of Deeney.
🐝 A sting in the tail of that first half as Watford go in ahead
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) January 12, 2020
🤦♂️ A debut to forget for Mark Travers
🍒 Bournemouth in big trouble again#BOUWATpic.twitter.com/vrS30IdE3i
The skipper led by example yet again and sealed the points with a thumping 65th minute finish in a moment the summed up the difference in the sides as he showed more hunger and desire to get to a bouncing ball ahead of three defenders to lash it home.
Pereyra's acrobatic third in stoppage time provided the correct margin of victory between the two sides as Bournemouth were condemned to remaining in the relegation zone - somewhere they'd not been since 2017.
The lack of fit players, fight, confidence, and goals will be of huge concern to Howe as his name now tops the list of managers in danger of losing their Premier League jobs next.