Ighalo was brought down for a penalty in the 86th minute which was converted as the equalizer by Troy Deeney, but Skipper Deeney then conceded a last-gasp own goal for Watford to go down.
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But Louis van Gaal’s side eventually made the breakthrough in the 11th minute when Memphis, making his first Premier League start since the 3-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal on 4 October, crashed home a sweet volley from Ander Herrera’s inch-perfect cross. Showed good versatility as Van Gaal mixed up his system; the 25-year-old went from left-back to left-wing-back following Herrera’s removal from play.
“The game against Watford should have been out of sight”.
“But with this team I don’t see any thrills”. It was hard to play with the wind in the first half, same for them in the second half, but this is football. But to get three points out of it was good. I’ve obviously got to work on that but it’s great to see Basti at the back post to stick one in at the end.
United were fast and pacy in their attack, connecting the dots with abundant passing between the players.
“Then I don’t look for another solution, but I did look for another solution in my team and I have kept Jesse Lingard for that option”.
But with Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and makeshift striker Marouane Fellaini all injured or ill and youngster James Wilson not match fit, Van Gaal played Depay through the middle.
The pair both stepped up to the plate by getting forward well, particularly in the first half, and providing the width that United could have been badly lacking without them.
They also threatened when Depay cut inside from the left and forced Heurelho Gomes into a diving stop with a shot from outside the box.
Bastian Schweinsteiger is hoping to lift the Champions League trophy one more time before he leaves Manchester United.
“It is very important to win, but it is not easy because every game you have to play you can not say we will beat them”.
Although Watford failed to make much of an impact in the first half, they looked livelier after the break forcing De Gea into a few smart saves, although United were also thwarted by Gomes who had a fine match in the Watford goal.
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“Antonio Valencia was operated on and Luke Shaw you know, and now Jones and Herrera, I think, are not available for Wednesday”, Van Gaal told United’s official webiste.
