Arsenal beat Watford 3-1 to ease pressure on Wenger

Arsene Wenger has lavished praise on his Arsenal players for a solid performance away from home at Watford.

Arsenal’s three first half-goals ultimately prevailed, as despite Watford giving their all to get back in the game, the deficit was too much against an Arsenal side that looked back to their best.

“The first half we did well, scored three goals and could have scored more”.

Cech was again called upon to keep his side two ahead when he parried Jose Holebas’s long-range effort into the path of Odion Ighalo before recovering in time to keep out the follow-up.

For Arsenal it is a vital win, having lost at home on the opening weekend to Liverpool and been held to a goalless draw by Leicester City amid a familiar rash of injuries and supporter unrest at a lack of transfer business.

His pivot combination with Cazorla was outstanding, and Arsenal fans are cautiously optimistic that the pair can have a successful relationship in midfield this season.

It was revealed on Friday that Germany defender Shkodran Mustafi and Spanish striker Lucas Perez were undergoing medicals at the Emirates, and Wenger confirmed after Saturday’s win that the deals were done, which takes the club’s spending to nearly £100m since last season.

Leroy Fer pulled one back in the 80th minute after Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez had a 56th-minute penalty saved by Fabianski. Santi Cazorla stepped up and scored from the spot.

Arsenal title challenge will virtually be over if they lose against Watford.

Sanchez turned goalscorer just before half time when he turned in Theo Walcott’s cross but it needed goal-line technology confirmation before the Chilean could start celebrating his first goal of the season.

The Gunners broke the deadlock when Sanchez was knocked on the head in the area by Nordin Amrabat, and Cazorla slotted the resulting penalty down the middle. The third was a great connection between Arsenal’s two most expensive players ever, as Alexis read a great Mesut Özil run perfectly, and Özil sank the unmarked header into the back of the net easily.

Pereyra was introduced at the start of the second half for the hosts as the former Juventus man made his debut. Under his command, “Hornets” was played in the league for two matches. Janmaat’s cross was for from the greatest but it led to a game of pinball in the Arsenal box before Pereyra finally exerted some authority with a controlled finish from 10 yards.

Referee Kevin Friend was late in awarding Arsenal the penalty, after Alexis Sanchez was caught with a stray arm by Watford debutant Younes Kaboul.

“The first half was all Arsenal but the second half was all for us”.

Arsenal’s first win lifts them to seventh in the table, one point behind north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.