Watford vs Manchester City match report: Sergio Aguero's late header sees visitors snatch three points

Watford 1 Manchester City 2

Sergio Aguero's late header won the game (Getty Images)

Manchester City’s away form, which has been undermining their championship aspirations, finally took a turn for the better in Hertfordshire last night, when potential third defeat in four games on their travels was transfomed into improbable victory by two goals in the last eight minutes to leave them three points behind leaders Arsenal and one shy of Leicester City.

In the absence once more of their captain Vincent Kompany, still beset by calf problems, they always looked vulnerable, falling behind to an own goal by the unfortunate Aleksandar Kolarov. Yaya Touré equalised from a corner at the other end and Sergio Aguero, quiet to the point of silence until then, headed the winner.

It was clear from the start what a change there had been in both camps from the balmy days of summer. When Watford were beaten 2-0 at the Etihad at the end of August they were among the back markers, as expected, while City had won all their four games.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side extended their lead at the top by winning their next match at Crystal Palace but had not won on the road since then, their six subsequent away matches having yielded a mere four points.

Watford's Ben Watson celebrates forcing their opener (Getty Images)

With Nicolas Otamendi and Eliaquim Mangala as uncertain as ever at the centre of defence, the home side harried and pressed them relentlessly, forcing errors that brought three chances in the first 12 minutes.

Almen Abdi, a livewrie down the right flank, drove the first of them over the bar before Mangala’s weak header led to a corner after Otamedi’s block on Ighalo. Next Abdi found Ighalo for a lovely turn past the befuddled Otamendi, and Joe Hart was forced to save with his feet.

It took City 20 minutes to get into the game, at which point Kevin De Bruyne’s shot was pushed unconvincingly out by Heurelho Gomes, only just wide of Sergio Aguero. Jose Holebas, deputising at left-back for the suspended Nathan Ake, found De Bruyne as much of a handful as he had Chelsea’s Willian on Boxing Day, not least because of his faulty positioning.

Yaya Toure's strike brought the visitors back into the game (Getty Images)

The Greek was nowhere to be seen as David Silva was played into space and able to set up Fernandinho, whose shot was blocked by Gomes.

Fernandinho, often pushing forward, as well as covering up some of his team-mates’ deficiencies further back, was one of City’s more effective performers. Silva, drifting behind the slightly rusty Aguero, was another and the concern for Watford was what would materialise if that pair rediscovered the partnership they developed in high summer.

The start of the second-half was similar to the first period, with Ben Watson’s low drive pushed round a post by Hart and Bacary Sagna having to look lively to steer Watson’s dangerous cross away from Deeney.

The reprieve lasted only a few minutes, although there was one good chance for City in between. A positional interchange by De Bruyne, moving left, brought a corner that the unmarked Fernandinho met at the penalty spot, his powerful header just clearing the bar.

Then Ighalo’s refusal to accept the existence of a lost cause led to Mangala being forced into conceding an avoidable corner.

Watson dipped it into the near post where Kolarov nudged the ball past his own goalkeeper with a touch that a shaven-headed defender might have avoided. Thus ‘own goals’ became Watford’s third highest scorer of the season – with two.

City sent on Jesus Navas for Raheem Sterling, moving De Bruyne permanently to the left from where he supplied Yaya Touré for a side-footed shot over the bar and then brought a low save from Gomes.

Pellegrini’s decision to introduce a second striker in Wilfried Bony for Mangala was a positive change and an equaliser arrived seven minutes afterwards. Kolarov’s corner was met brilliantly by Touré’s left-footed volley into the net.

Three minutes later Aguero, having had fewer touches than almost any other player before the interval, headed in Sagna’s cross for a hardly deserved winning goal. For the second successive match in a week, as against Spurs on Monday, Watford had lost at the death.

Watford: (4-4-2) Gomes; Nyom, Cathcart, Britos, Holebas; Abdi, Capoue, Watson, Jurado;Ighalo, Deeney.

Manchester City: (4-2-3-1) Hart; Sagna, Otamendi, Mangala, Kolarov; Yaya Toure, Fernandinho; De Bruyne, Silva,Sterling; Aguero.

Referee: Martin Atkinson

Man of the match: Watson (Watford)

Match rating: 7/10