But manager Remi Garde has not lost hope.
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The Watford skipper was booked for winding up Villa fans by celebrating his goal in front of the Holte End.
The Birmingham-born striker was invited for a trial at Villa as a teenager but by his own admission could not be bothered to attend.
And no Premier League team has ever avoided relegation having accumulated five points or fewer after 13 games of a season.
Villa came out to grab the equaliser but Watford goalkeeper Gomis was solid between the post. “I understand the supporters’ view, it is a big club but we need their support”. But it’s good fun.
A sustained spell of pressure followed from the home team but it was Watford who went ahead after 17 minutes as Ighalo pounced and slotted past Guzan after Watson’s shot rebounded off Ciaran Clark and the ball dropped nicely into his path. “Everybody seems to be – I wouldn’t say passing the blame – but they don’t want to run that extra mile and take responsibility”, Richards told the Daily Telegraph.
Villa’s former manager Tim Sherwood warned him in April about his conduct after photographs emerged of him allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide in a hotel room. “Hopefully they can pick up but if they don’t I’m not going to be crying, let’s put it that way”.
Watford capitalised on Villa’s low confidence and misfortune to play expertly on the counterattack in the second half after Micah Richards had cancelled out Odion Ighalo’s eighth goal of the season before the interval, when Villa were the better side.
At Leicester City it was a goalkeeping error that let them down, while an own goal from Troy Deeney in the final minute of normal time accounted for them against Manchester United. “I know that with every game we don’t win it becomes more and more hard”.
The 34-year-old was taken to hospital with head and neck injuries, but was given the all-clear after undergoing scans. “But I’m not silly”.
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Elaborating, the Spaniard said of his players, “They played really well, they gave high pressure for the first hour, we scored three goals and we are very happy”.
