Watford held Manchester United to a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in the Premier League. They see two points dropped after dominating the game from the very beginning. The Devils attempted 22 attempts but were unable to strike the back of the net. It’s a crucial juncture in Watford‘s bid for survival. The 4-1 victory for Watford in the return meeting in November was the final nail in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s coffin.

Resilient Watford against United

Ralf Rangnick’s United had a strong start this time and came close to scoring early on when Cristiano Ronaldo hit the inside of the post. After 15 minutes, Ronaldo had the ball in the net, only to be disallowed by an offside flag. Anthony Elanga burst into his best from the beginning. Bruno Fernandes had two wonderful chances in the first quarter of the game, one of which caused an excellent Ben Foster save and the other of which he steered wide. Old Trafford held its breath as Elanga threw Ronaldo through, anticipating the net to ripple. Foster forced the 37-year-old wide. His cross into the center was headed over by Fernandes, who might easily have scored a hat-trick in the first half hour.

Ronaldo was denied a penalty, after being knocked over by Hassane Kamara early in the second half. Paul Pogba and Elanga combined well moments later in an exquisite play; with the young Swede hitting wide instead of on target. Meanwhile, Watford began to give a bit more going forward with the introduction of Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis.

Rangnick made two aggressive substitutions in an attempt to win the game. This made Pogba the lone holding midfielder; working behind five strikers. United were unable to convert their chances despite the potential overload up front, as a tenacious Watford defended well. As the clock ticked towards stoppage time, Jadon Sancho fizzed a curler narrowly past of the far post.

Player Ratings

David De Gea – 6

He could’ve been seated for most of the game as he has very little to do.

Aaron Wan Bissaka – 7

Made the most of his chance after being recalled. Defended really well and saw plenty of the ball going forward.

Victor Lindelof – 7

Good distribution and won most of his individual battles, both on the ground and in the air.

Raphael Varane – 6

Had a quiet first-half but looked indecisive whenever Watford’s mercurial forwards had a go.

Alex Telles – 6

Although he advanced frequently, his final output was frequently insufficient. He deserved his chance, but he squandered it. Worse than Wan-Bissaka in terms of assault.

Fred – 6

Was in control of the game in midfield but tactically sacrificed with just under half an hour to play.

Nemanja Matic – 7

Played a key part in helping his side gain a footing in the game. It wasn’t his fault that his teammates couldn’t score, so he switched to a more offensive role.

Bruno Fernandes – 6

Captain for the day and played like a man on a mission, yet his finishing was disappointingly wayward. Should have scored at least one of his great chances.

Paul Pogba – 7

Difficult to fathom his role and it was key to United’s slick build-up play and his flick for Anthony Elanga was masterful. Inexplicably reverted to freestyle football at times

Anthony Elanga – 7

After his midweek goal, he’s clearly full of self-confidence. With straight running and deft passes, he created multiple opportunities. Unfortunately, he squandered a golden opportunity of his own.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 5

When he struck the post, he should have scored, and the early miss weighed heavily on his mind. Offside is flagged on a frequent basis. Could easily have come off. Self-confidence has been drained.

Substitutes

Jadon Sancho – 6
Threatened but couldn’t make it count.

Luke Shaw – 6
Put plenty of balls in to the box.

Marcus Rashford – 5
No game changing impact