Watford Manager: Ighalo, Deeney Have ‘Amazing Connection’

Odion Ighalo gave Watford the lead, but Micah Richards levelled just before half-time, before Alan Hutton’s own goal gave the visitors the advantage and set up the dramatic closing stages.

Watford head coach Quique Sanchez Flores believes that goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has a concussion after he suffered a head injury during his side’s 3-2 win over Aston Villa on Saturday.

Garde conceded that Villa defended poorly for the opening goal, which he described as “difficult to digest” due to his players missing several chances to clear before Ighalo prodded home his eighth Premier League goal of the season, although he declined to apportion blame to individuals. Defender Jores Okore could make his first appearance of the season.

New Aston Villa boss Remi Garde is looking for defensive signings in the January window to stop his Villa side leaking goals in a bid to survive. This is not the way I want to play, we were a little bit shy. We have already played them away from home in the League Cup and lost 2-0.

Despite the result at Goodison Park, Garde felt Villa could take some encouragement from their second-half showing and he wants his players to begin in that same vein in front of their own supporters on Saturday.

Garde, a replacement for Tim Sherwood who was sacked last month, added: “There are a lot of points left so why can’t we do it?”

But Villa are not as bad as Swindon were. “You can be the best player in France, Spain or Italy but the way the game is played here, with how fast and physical it is and the speed and power, it does not matter how good your technical qualities are, sometimes it’s a bit too much”.

“They have flirted with relegation the last couple of seasons and there is only so many times you can do that before it is your turn”.

“I knew people in both ends and some of them messaged me before the game and said: “Today we’re not friends”, and that’s fine with me – but we will go to the bar now and say hello and go back to normal”. It was for four days and I turned up for one.

“We try to enjoy the present and we are trying to keep the players competitive”.

But when he rose to head home Jordan Veretout’s free kick, it unleashed a passionate celebration as he roared, hopped and skipped back to his position, whipping the crowd up as he went.