Aston Villa v Watford: memories of a vital Villa win over Watford as the Hornets prepare to visit again

Ahead of Saturday’s visit of Watford, the noises coming out of Villa Park have all been about Aston Villa bouncing back from the disappointment of a dismal defeat at Newcastle United.

So BirminghamWorld took the chance to look back at another fixture against the Hornets which proved crucial in changing the course of Villa’s recent history.

When Aston Villa fought back from a goal down to sink Watford 2-1 in January 2020, few people outside of the West Midlands took particular note of the Premier League victory.

Furthermore, Villa would go on to take a paltry two points out of the next available 30, but nevertheless they would secure a dramatic final day survival by earning eight points from the final four games and stay up at the expense of Bournemouth and, you’ve guessed it, Watford.

However, had Villa not overturned a 1-0 deficit inflicted by their Birmingham City-supporting nemesis Troy Deeney in that key midweek fixture, then surely they would have returned to the second tier just a year after winning promotion.

It just felt like a key win and one which, despite their own dismal form that followed, kept them in with a realistic chance of avoiding relegation due to the equally poor form of Watford and Bournemouth alongside the doomed Norwich City.

Dean Smith’s Villa were without a recognised striker going into the game as then record signing Wesley was out injured for the season and Jonathan Kodjia had been sold days before – leaving winger Anwar El Ghazi to deputise up front.

For their part, Watford had already sacked two managers that season and came into the game with Nigel Pearson in charge and having inspired a turnaround in form which had seen the Hornets go six games unbeaten and inflict a 3-0 thumping on Villa at Vicarage Road less than a month earlier.

This was Watford’s chance to almost certainly leave Villa with too much to do in their battle to retain top flight status and the visitors were well on track to doing so when Deeney thumped home a brilliant header from Gerard Deulofeu’s cross.

Deeney saw a goalbound shot saved at point-blank range by Pepe Reina in the second half and this was the turning point as just a few minutes later Watford keeper Ben Foster could only parry a shot into the path of Douglas Luiz who could not miss from close range.

There was a complete shift in momentum and mentality as Watford retreated and were suddenly happy enough with a point, whilst the hosts sniffed the chance to take all three.

They did just that as, deep into injury time, Ezri Konsa’s shot flew past a despairing Foster via the aid of a deflection off scorer Tyrone Mings to spark bedlam in B6.

Villa had clinched a momentous win and, the rest, as they say, is history. Four games into the following season, Villa had a 100 per cent record and sat second in the table – well on the way to establishing themselves as a Premier League side again.

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