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Championship | Gameweek 32
Feb 24, 2021 at 7.45pm UK
Ewood Park
Watford logo

Blackburn
2 - 3
Watford

Elliott (43'), Brereton (82')
Rothwell (34')
FT(HT: 1-2)
Pedro (25'), Sarr (38'), Sema (60')

Xisco Munoz lavishes praise on Joao Pedro

The striker made a big impact against Blackburn.

Watford boss Xisco Munoz praised "exciting" Joao Pedro after the forward scored one and set two up in the 3-2 win at Blackburn.

The 19-year-old's ninth goal of the season – a delicate lob – set the Hornets on their way, before his shot was eventually turned home by Ismaila Sarr for Watford's second.

Harvey Elliott halved the deficit before the break but Joao then played in Ken Sema for Watford's third, with the visitors holding on after Ben Brereton's goal late in the second half.

It was Watford's first win at Ewood Park since September 2000 – a year before Joao was born.

And after Watford's seventh victory in 10 outings, which left the club level on points with second-placed Brentford, Xisco praised Pedro's work.

He said: "I think he needs to continue to score. We know Joao Pedro is an exciting player, he's a brilliant striker, and I know also he scores a lot of goals.

"I repeat, I have a very good squad but I am happy with Joao because right now, he's working hard and also in defence, because he does very good things for the team in defence and offence.

"The second goal also was excellent. All the players moved the ball well. This is our work, we need to continue. We need to keep improving and try to play better.

"In the first half, we had control of the game. In the second half, it changed a little bit but we had the chances in transition to try and kill them off. We scored three times and had important chances in the second half to close the game. I think that we can mature better in the game."

Blackburn are firmly in mid-table after a fifth straight defeat for the first time since April 2012.

Tony Mowbray conceded his side came up against a "very good team" despite conceding "soft" goals.

He said: "Watford are a good team. All over the pitch they have got experience. We gave it our best shot. We always looked a threat on transition.

"I think (Adam) Armstrong is looking every inch a Premier League footballer. He's a real threat. I thought Harvey Elliott was really good tonight.

"Sometimes good teams pick the right pass, they turn you round at the right times, and yet the goals we lost were pretty soft really. The first one is just a lob over the top that didn't bounce and the keeper got caught in no man's land.

"Another day it would bounce straight through to him. Maybe they played the conditions a little bit better than us, and yet we could have got an equaliser late on.

"I thought the team competed really well for the vast majority of that game. We have to accept it's another defeat to a very good team."

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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd39267656292783
2Leeds UnitedLeeds392312478275181
3Burnley392215253114281
4Sunderland392012756371972
5Coventry CityCoventry39178145651559
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom391318848351357
7Middlesbrough391691459491057
8Bristol City391415104942757
9Watford39158164751-453
10Norwich CityNorwich391313136154752
11Blackburn RoversBlackburn39157174241152
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds391410155460-652
13Millwall391312143740-351
14Preston North EndPreston381017113944-547
15Queens Park RangersQPR391112164553-845
16Swansea CitySwansea39129184051-1145
17Portsmouth39129184761-1445
18Stoke CityStoke391012174052-1242
19Oxford UnitedOxford Utd391012174057-1742
20Hull City391011183948-941
21Cardiff CityCardiff39913174363-2040
22Derby CountyDerby38108204051-1138
23Luton TownLuton39108213560-2538
24Plymouth ArgylePlymouth39713194077-3734


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