Watford and West Ham United met at Vicarage Road in Saturday's late kickoff in the Premier League.
It took Watford just three minutes to make the breakthrough on home soil, with Troy Deeney registering from the penalty spot after Cheikhou Kouyate had felled Mauro Zarate.
West Ham levelled in the 73rd minute through Andre Ayew, however, and held on for a deserved point despite losing Michail Antonio to a red card late on.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.
Evening all! Sports Mole's live Premier League coverage continues from Vicarage Road as Watford welcome West Ham United in what should be an open and entertaining affair. Watford (13th) would move above West Ham (10th) with all three points here, although the Hammers have only lost one of their last five in the league and are seemingly heading in the right direction. Stay tuned for live updates!
After a run of just one win in 22 league games against West Ham, Watford have won two of the last three fixtures between the two teams – including a 4-2 victory when they travelled to the London Stadium for the reserve league match back in September. That said, Watford have actually never won back-to-back league games against West Ham. Will that change tonight? We will soon find out.
Watford's 2-0 victory in the corresponding fixture last season, meanwhile, ended a run of 11 league games without a win over West Ham at Vicarage Road. The Hornets have indeed won three of their last four Premier League meetings with West Ham, although two of those successes came on the road.
Right, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news from Vicarage Road. Both of these teams have had two weeks to prepare for this match so freshness will not be a problem...
TEAMS!
WATFORD: Gomes; Janmaat, Kaboul, Britos, Holebas; Cleverley, Behrami, Capoue; Zarate, Deeney, Niang
WHAM: Randolph; Kouyate, Fonte, Reid; Feghouli, Noble, Obiang, Cresswell; Lanzini, Antonio, Snodgrass
Watford have made two changes to the team that started their 2-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out, with Daryl Janmaat and Valon Behrami taking the places of Craig Cathcart and Sebastian Prodl. Troy Deeney will again captain the Hornets from a forward position, while M'Baye Niang keeps his spot in the XI. It is once again a 4-3-3 formation for the capital side here.
West Ham, meanwhile, are unchanged from their 2-2 draw with West Brom last time out. It had been thought that Andy Carroll could make the bench despite a hamstring problem, but the striker is left out altogether. As a result, Michail Antonio will again operate through the middle in what is a 3-4-3 formation, with Manuel Lanzini and Robert Snodgrass supporting the Englishman from wide positions.
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So there we have it. The two teams are in and we are now just about 25 minutes from kickoff on this mild early evening in Watford. I shall speak about the home side a little bit later, but let's first focus on the visitors West Ham. It has been quite a strange season for the Hammers with plenty of ups and downs, but they currently sit 10th in the Premier League table after 25 matches.
Even the most ardent of West Ham supporter would have found it diffiuclt to back their team pushing for a European spot this season, but they have eighth-place West Brom in their sights. Slaven Bilic's side have actually only lost one of their last five in the league, although that was a heavy 4-0 defeat to a rampant Man City team earlier this month, when they were utterly dominated.
The Hammers have beaten Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton – scoring three goals in each match – since the turn of the year, but they were held to a 2-2 draw by West Brom at the London Stadium last time out. It is now two weeks since Bilic's side last played and a trip to Dubai has allowed the squad to recharge their batteries ahead of their final 13 league matches.
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After this match, West Ham will welcome Chelsea on March 6, before travelling to Bournemouth and hosting Leicester before the end of the month. The Hammers only have league football to focus on in the final months of the season and they will be looking to push into the top half of the table, although a poor run of results could easily see the capital club slip down the division.
As for Watford, the Hornets ended a run of seven Premier League games without a victory when they won 2-1 at Arsenal on January 31. Walter Mazzarri's side then recorded a 2-1 success at home to Burnley, but will enter this match off the back of a 2-0 defeat at Man United last time out. That result has left the team in 13th position in the table – just two points off 10th-place West Ham.
Like West Ham, Watford only have Premier League football to focus on after losing to Millwall in the FA Cup last month. In terms of what is ahead for the London side, they will welcome Southampton in their next league match on March 4, before travelling to Crystal Palace on March 18. Relegation should not be a concern, with nine points currently separating them from the bottom three.
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There were suggestions that Mazzarri was under pressure at Vicarage Road during the team's poor run of form, but the Italian was backed in the January transfer window and among those to arrive were Mauro Zarate and M'Baye Niang, who will both be hoping to harm West Ham tonight.
PREDICTION! I fancy a score draw at Vicarage Road. I am not sure that I trust either of these defences, and both teams certainly have firepower in the final third of the field. I am hoping for an open and entertaining clash in the English capital. Score prediction? Let's go for Desmond (2-2).
KICKOFF! West Ham kick things off at Vicarage Road...
... there are some empty seats in the home end tonight, but the West Ham supporters are in fine voice. You would have been pushed to get an away ticket for this match. I have predicted goals and plenty of action here, which of course means that it will be a dull and painful goalless draw.
PENALTY WATFORD!
Watford have a penalty in the second minute of this match as Kouyate bundles into the back of Zarate. It was a really clumsy challenge from the defender and the referee was in no doubt!
GOAL! Watford 1-0 West Ham (Deeney, pen)
Deeney sends his spot kick into the corner of the net! Super spot kick!
CLOSE! Niang looks to break the top of the net with a thumping effort from distance, but the ball flies over the crossbar. Watford are very much on the front foot here.
There has hardly been time to take a breath in this match, such has been the tempo on display. Watford are all over West Ham like a rash as they seek a second goal, and the Hammers really need a period of possession just to settle things down. It has been full-throttle from the first minute.
Better from West Ham in the last couple of minutes as they start to threaten in wide positions. Antonio delivers a low cross into the Watford box which causes all sorts of panic, but Britos manages to turn the ball away. For a moment, it looked as if that might have been heading past Gomes.
As it stands, Watford are moving above West Ham and into ninth position in the table. However, I would be very surprised if we had seen the last of the goals in this match. Watford took the lead in the third minute through that Deeney spot kick, but it has been a decent response from the visitors here.
Capoue has a low strike deflected wide of West Ham's post as the hosts threaten a second.
Capoue again tries his luck for the home side after turning on the edge of the West Ham box, but his effort is just wide of the post. As expected, this a very, very open game of football here.
You just get the feeling that the next goal - if there indeed is one - could be vital here. I do not trust either of the defences on display, but a second goal for Watford would make things very complicated for West Ham. It must be said that the opening 18 minutes of this match have flown past.
CHANCE! Super chance for West Ham as Feghouli wins the ball off Holebas before setting up Snodgrass inside the Watford box, but Kaboul is across to make a super block!
I fancy West Ham to hit back in this match if the same pattern continues. Watford cannot seem to keep hold of the ball at the moment as the visitors continue to suffocate the midfield area. It is a very interesting tactical battle between two formations which are not often seen in England.
Play resumes at Vicarage Road after Zarate receives some treatment following a tangle with Feghouli. Zarate, against his former club, has had a very busy 24 minutes tonight.
Antonio means business for the visitors tonight as the Englishman continues to cause Watford problems with his pace and power. The problem, however, is that West Ham do not have a target inside the home side's box. Andy Carroll would have been absolutely perfect for this match.
Little over 15 minutes of the first period remaining at Vicarage Road, and Deeney's penalty still separates the two teams. Antonio continues to cause problems for the Watford back-line, but West Ham's latest attack comes to an end when the forward is penalised for a foul on Kaboul.
West Ham's free-flowing forward-line continues to threaten as Antonio slips in Snodgrass and the number 11 looks for a low cross into Lanzini, but Gomes is on hand to claim once again.
Snodgrass's wild effort from distance is always moving wide of Gomes's post.
I am trying not to sound like a broken record, but West Ham are really missing Carroll tonight. Antonio has impressed in the centre-forward role once again, but the Hammers have no focal point when Antonio decides to move into wide positions. Watford still lead on home soil here.
Not an awful lot to report in terms of chances in the last few moments, while the referee has been forced to intervene following a number of late challenges. Bit of an untidy game at the moment.
BOOKING! Janmaat (Watford) is booked for chopping Antonio to the deck.
Lanzini fires the resulting free kick straight into the stands. Absolute waste!
Not much of an atmosphere inside the stadium at the moment. Even the West Ham supporters are pretty quiet, and in truth, that is reflecting a period of the match which has lacked quality and care.
Antonio again uses his strength to break into the Watford box, but the forward's final effort is blocked behind. The pace and power from Antonio has been absolutely frightening here.
Possession football from West Ham in the last few minutes as they look to work the ball into forward positions, but Gomes remains untroubled between the sticks. Antonio has been the standout player in the first period, but he needs much more from his West Ham teammates here.
Poor from Holebas as the Watford defender breaks into the Watford box, but fails to pick out a teammate and the visitors can clear their lines. Niang was in absolute acres of space there.
CHANCE! Wonderful chance for the visitors to level as Gomes palms a low Cresswell cross straight into the Watford box, but Snodgrass just cannot convert and Watford clear!
Some real concern here as Zarate hits the deck and stays there.
The stretcher and oxygen is on for Zarate and there is concern around the stadium.
Zarate is going to be replaced and it looks like a serious injury for the attacker, who won Watford's penalty in the second minute. It is still not entirely clear what happened to the 29-year-old.
Zarate is still on the deck receiving some treatment, but he has been put on the stretcher and will soon leave the field. The Argentine's leg is in a brace and that is surely his season finished.
The medical team are, rightly, taking their time dealing with his incident.
The stretcher is finally leaving the field to applause from the whole stadium...
... WATFORD SUB! Doucoure replaces Zarate for the home side.
BOOKING! Antonio (West Ham) is booked for a late challenge on Behrami.
HALF-TIME: Watford 1-0 West Ham
So there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Watford leading West Ham 1-0 courtesy of a penalty from Deeney in the third minute of action. West Ham have had chances to level the scores at Vicarage Road, but wasteful finishing sees the Hornets lead at the interval here.
STATISTICS! West Ham have dominated the possession with 65%, but the Hammers failed to hit the target with any of their six attempts in the first period. Watford, meanwhile, only hit the target once from their five attempts, but that brought the game's opening goal from Deeney. Two yellow cards to report - Janmaat (Watford) in the 36th minute and Antonio (West Ham) in first-half stoppage time.
BENCH WATCH! Watford have already been forced into one change - Doucoure taking the place of Zarate, but the likes of Okaka and Success are still available for the home side tonight. As for West Ham, head coach Bilic has forward options in the shape of Andre Ayew, Calleri and Fernandes.
RESTART! Watford resume the action on home soil...
... no changes from either side at the break, which is not too much of a surprise. However, I suspect that both managers will already have alterations in mind as the second period develops here.
You just get the feeling that West Ham need to score the next goal in this match if they are to stand a chance of securing a positive result. I fancy West Ham to net in this second period, but can I see them scoring at least twice? Difficult to say. Deeney's penalty still separates the two teams here.
Penalty shout for West Ham as Kouyate goes down inside the Watford box under pressure from Niang, but the referee is not interested. Instead, the free kick goes to the home side.
WATFORD SUB! Cathcart replaces Janmaat in Watford's second change.
It is understood that Zarate is en route to hospital to have a scan on that knee injury that he picked up in the latter stages of the first period. On first look, it did appear to be a really nasty one.
Players are dropping all over the place at the moment as Feghouli hits the deck under little pressure, which suggests that it could be some sort of pull for the former Valencia attacker.
Feghouli is back on his feet and the show goes on at Vicarage Road.
We are entering the stage of the match where West Ham manager Bilic will be considering changes. He has options in the shape of Ayew, Calleri and Fernandes, and it will surely not be long before the Croatian looks to his bench. Something needs to change in the final third for the away side here.
Little under 30 minutes of the second period remaining at Vicarage Road and and Watford still lead courtesy of that early spot kick from Deeney. However, the visitors are really knocking on the door now.
SAVE! Gomes turns a Fonte header just wide of the Watford post.
Watford just cannot keep the ball at the moment as West Ham continue to dominate the football and threaten in the final third of the field. Surely an equaliser for the Hammers is on its way here.
BOOKING! Kouyate (West Ham) is booked for a late tackle on Niang.
WEST HAM SUB! Ayew replaces Snodgrass for the away side.
Watford are not really offering anything going forward at the moment, with West Ham the team passing and probing in the final third of the field. Little over 20 minutes remaining at Vicarage Road.
CHANCE! Stunning chance for West Ham once again as Cresswell picks out Antonio with a super cross from the left, but the attacker's header is somehow wide of the post!
BOOKING! Cleverley (Watford) is booked for dissent.
Lanzini fires over the crossbar after working a yard outside the Watford box.
Calleri is off the bench for West Ham and will soon join the action on the field...
... GOAL! Watford 1-1 West Ham (Ayew)
Oh my word! West Ham finally level the scores as Ayew taps home from close range after a stunning strike from Antonio hit both posts and dropped to the Ghana international!
Watford have offered absolutely nothing in this second period, and West Ham deserve to be level. There is no doubt about that. Still more than 15 minutes for either team to go and win this though.
Watford have woken up since conceding the equaliser, but West Ham are so dangerous on the counter-attack, especially with Ayew joining Antonio in the final third. Cresswell breaks down the left and delivers a low cross towards the near post, but Gomes is on hand to claim.
BOOKING! Doucoure (Watford) is booked for a foul on Lanzini.
WATFORD SUB! Success replaces Niang for the home side.
BOOKING! Holebas (Watford) is booked for a foul on Lanzini.
In truth, a point apiece would not be the worst result for either side tonight. Watford impressed in the early stages of the match, but West Ham have absolutely dominated this second period.
RED CARD! ANTONIO!
West Ham are reduced to 10 men as Antonio picks up his second booking for handball.
Watford are the team pressing for a winner as they look to use their man advantage here.
CHANCE! Britos heads wide of the West Ham post from close range!
Stunning defensive clearance from Holebas as the Watford defender gets up above Feghouli to prevent a Cresswell cross reaching the former Valencia attacker. Brilliant defending there.
We are into the first of three additional minutes here.
WEST HAM SUB! Fernandes replaces Lanzini for the visitors.
CHANCE! Success turns just wide of the West Ham post following a scramble inside the West Ham box. Bodies flying everywhere, but the score stays 1-1!
FULL-TIME: Watford 1-1 West Ham
So there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Watford and West Ham sharing the points at Vicarage Road - what a brilliant game of football. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for the live action once again. Until next time!
