Watford’s comeback spoils Jiménez & Wolves’ FA Cup Final dream!
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hopes of reaching the ninth FA Cup Final in team history came to a halt after Watford completed a 3-2 comeback victory in extra-time at Wembley Stadium. Watford will play Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side next month for the title.
The teams exchanged decent opportunities during the initial 30 minutes, but the first real threat didn’t come until minute 35 when Leander Dendoncker’s shot attempt from outside the box took a slight deflection off a Watford defender and forced Heurelho Gomes to make a spectacular save to keep his sheet clean. The save, however, would come in vain, as just one minute later, Wolves would strike. Diogo Jota’s cross from the left side found a running Matt Doherty who lost his defender and headed the ball into the back of the net to give the Wanderers the 1-0 lead.
The lead gave Nuno’s men a boost of confidence and his team continued to push forward. Only three minutes later Diogo Jota had a shot from outside the 18-yard box that went just to the right of Gomes’ post. In stoppage time, the Hornets nearly answered back as Andre Gray was able to get a shot inside the small box, but Wolves’ Conor Coady put his body in harm’s way to deflect the ball and send the teams to the lockers with Wolverhampton still leading 1-0.
Wolverhampton came out of the break in search of a second goal, and just three minutes into the second half, Jiménez made run into the box was able to send off a shot attempt that was brilliantly saved by Gomes.
As the team from the West Midlands continued to push forward, their persistence paid dividends in the 62nd minute. Matt Doherty’s cross inside the box found Jiménez inline with the last Watford defender and the Mexican striker brought the ball down with his chest and struck it ferociously as he was falling to score the second goal of the game for Wolves. During the celebration, Raúl put on a Wolverhampton luchador mask to the delight of the fans.
The two-goal lead forced the Hornets to make some adjustments, but despite that, Wolves continued to challenge the midfield and made it difficult for Watford to create opportunities.
Things fell apart for Wolves in last 15 minutes
The last 15 minutes of the game saw the field open up as Watford had to play with more risks to get a goal. Second half substitute, Gerard Deulofeu, who had been controversially left off from the starting lineup, took advantage of the Hornets risks in the 79th minute when placed a beautiful ball in the far right corner of John Ruddy’s goal to cut his team’s deficit to one goal.
The goal changed the dynamic of the game and forced Wolves to make some changes as the team was anticipating an all-out Watford attack. The last five minutes were as intense as any football game can be. In the second minute of stoppage time, Leander Dendoncker’s foul on Troy Deeney inside the 18-yard box would force the VAR to review the play, and as expected, Watford got a penalty awarded the Deeney would convert it to send the game to extra-time.
Both teams came out looking for the winning goal in the first few minutes of extra-time, but unfortunately for Wolverhampton, not being able to close out the game in regulation proved to be their demise.
The game-winner would come at the end of the first extra-time when Deulofeu scored once again on a right footed shot from the right side of the box on a play that started on a back-and-forth with Andre Gray. The goal demoralized Wolves, and they struggled to create more opportunities.
Despite giving a final push, Wolverhampton was unable to convert any of their last opportunities, and the Hornets completed the 3-2 comeback on their way to their second FA Cup Final appearance when they lost to Everton in 1984.
