Santi Cazorla converted an early penalty after a clumsy foul by Nordin Amrabat on Alexis Sanchez and before Sanchez and Mesut Ozil effectively made the result safe with quick-fire goals before halftime.
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Mazzarri responded by introducing new signing Pereyra, and the former Juventus player needed just 11 minutes to mark his debut with a goal.
The Gunners scored three in the opening half and Wenger believes that they dropped physically in the second half, something that they would improve on as the season progresses. The good news kept on coming when, in his press conference after the match, Arsene Wenger all but confirmed the signings of Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez for a combined fee of around £52 million.
Sanchez, who looked lively throughout, made it 2-0 when he scrambled home from an accurate Theo Walcott ball into the box.
Many of Arsenal’s attacks in the first half came because he either lost out on the ball or was out of position.
Watford: Watford has only one injury problem with Djedje missing with hamstring problem.
According to The Sun, Wenger explored the possibility of bringing the 25-year-old to the Emirates during this summer’s European Championships.
His goal came after Etienne Capoue’s fierce strike was blocked, and Pereyra pounced and finished with his left foot.
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.
Although it was a spirited recovery, the damage was already done in the first half. This was rewarded in the 57th minute when in an nearly pin-ball situation inside Arsenal’s penalty area, Xhaka missed a good chance to clear and Pereyra scored with a calm side-footed finish.
“So I am very happy that he scored today because that is what he is trying to add to his game”.
Precisely when associations with Vardy were resolved, Wenger said: “Yes, I like that one. It’s hard to create one chance, we had a few”.
But the Frenchman appeared in good spirits as he discussed the impending arrivals of both Perez and Mustafi, who he insist are not panic purchases in response to recent fan unrest over the club’s transfer policy.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: “They will integrate into the team now and we will help them join the squad”. “Like everybody else, we are going to fight to win every game to be in the mix until the last kick”.
They visibly exhausted after the interval and Watford pulled a goal back as club-record signing Roberto Pereyra scored a debut goal, but the hosts could not find a way to set up a grandstand finish.
The visitors continued the second half as they left the first with some fine passing football, but Watford finally began to grow back into the game.
– Only Norwich City (10) have given away more penalties in the Premier League since the start of 2015-16 than Watford (9).
Chelsea maintained their unbeaten start to the season to move top of the Premier League as Leicester and Arsenal celebrated claiming maiden victories on Saturday.
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Arsenal put a much needed spring in its step ahead of the upcoming global break with a 3-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road.
