By Omar Moore
You Orns!
Let’s face it: Everton have long had Watford’s number. They “stole” the “Z Cars” theme as their anthem. Actually, Everton did not steal it — for they had it first — it only *feels* as though they took that from us.
Everton have been around longer (established 1878) than Watford (1881). They’ve knocked Watford out of cup competitions (most recently the 2019 Carabao Cup and most infamously the 1984 FA Cup Final), beaten us at Vicarage Road in staggering fashion (5-4 in Tony Coton’s Watford goalkeeping debut, also in 1984 and from 2-0 down in the Premier League in 2020.) Yet some of the most agonizing Watford losses have been at Goodison Park. That’s why last Saturday’s spectacular and most thumping comeback meant much more than even this photo shows.
Don’t get me wrong: Watford have won numerous games against Everton in their history. In 1982 Watford’s debut in the old Division One launched with a 2-0 win over the Toffees. There was also that wacky 4-4 draw at The Vic the following year. And in 2016 a cheeky back heel by Stefano Okaka got Watford off and running to a 3-2 triumph, among other Vicarage Road specials.
I just can’t help but dwell however, on the Goodison losses for the Golden Boys. Maybe because those Watford losses were so painful and agonizing. Season after season Watford would come away from Goodison Park empty, trudging on a three-hour journey back down to Hertfordshire with no points to their name or with two points dropped. I think of the 2-1 lead we had at Goodison in 2015 in the Premier League and surrendered for a 2-2 draw after twice being in front. There were the narrow 1-0 Watford defeats there in 2017 and 2019 in the Premier League. There was the dispiriting 2017 collapse there — Watford had gone 2-0 up only to lose 3-2 in the dying seconds after Tom Cleverley missed a penalty against his former club that would have given Watford a well-deserved point. Did I mention the 2-1 lead we had in 2019 before the 96th minute free-kick equalizer from Lucas Digne, following a foolish free-kick given away by Abdoulaye Doucoure (who plays now for Everton)?
All of this is to say that Saturday’s 5-2 Watford win at Goodison Park over Everton was so sweet, so satisfying and so scintillating. Not only because of the fantastic character shown in rebounding from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. Not only because the response and comeback was so swift and decisive and devastating. It was because that famous Saturday super wins made up for the pain of losing so many previous contests at Goodison Park. The place had become one of our bogey grounds. It was a near given that Watford would somehow find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But on Saturday a new look team with a new head coach ended the hoodoo in such a stunning way that Rafa Benitez hadn’t known what hit him. The script had been flipped.
I am not even going to get into Marco Silva, Richarlison and the rest of it.
Whenever I look at the photo above now I reflect more about the joy in the faces of these players — a joy that to me resonates even deeper than that euphoric moment frozen in time. This moment seemed to represent a release after decades of coming up short in Lancashire (specifically on the blue half of Merseyside.) The photo is an iconic forever moment: Joao Pedro and Emmanuel Dennis, two Watford substitutes who had immediate impact on Saturday, celebrating with aerodynamic joy. Watford finally turned Goodison Park their way, and in a massive instant that had them flying after being down 2-1. No team had scored four goals so late in a match after trailing so late in a match in the Premier League.
Watford showed that it was not how you start but literally how you finish. And no matter what, I can always say that Watford have beaten Everton at Goodison Park. Hoodoo no more.
youornswfc 