Football
2018/2019 English Premier League
WAT 
1
FT
 WOL
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Reuters 5y

Wolves avenge FA Cup heartbreak with 2-1 win at Watford

Wolverhampton Wanderers got some revenge for a stinging FA Cup semifinal defeat by Watford as they beat them 2-1 in a lively Premier League clash on Saturday.

They also stayed in contention for a Europa League berth, seventh in the table on 54 points from 36 games, four ahead of closest challengers Everton and Watford.

Having thrown away a two-goal lead in their 3-2 Cup defeat by the Hornets at Wembley, Wolves enjoyed better fortunes this time after goals by Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota gave them the win at Vicarage Road.

Visiting coach Nuno Espirito Santo singled out the scorers.

"Jota and Jimenez have been working really hard," the Portuguese manager told the BBC. "I truly believe the more time they spend together the more good things will happen.

"It feels good because the boys worked hard against a very tough and difficult opponent.

"Maybe I'm the only one in the country that knows that seventh position doesn't guarantee anything. It's not about finishing as high as possible, but it's about finishing as well as possible."

Wolves are at home to relegated Fulham before they visit title-chasing Liverpool in their final game, hoping that results in other competitions go their way in order to snatch a Europa League spot.

Jimenez had a close-range effort cleared off the line before he fired the visitors into a 41st-minute lead with a close-range header at the far post, after livewire Jota had delivered a superb cross from the left.

An awful back-pass by Ryan Bennett gifted Watford a 49th-minute equaliser as Andre Gray scored his fifth goal in the last seven home games when he rounded goalkeeper Rui Patricio and slotted home from 13 metres.

Another howler, by Watford keeper Ben Foster, settled the contest barely a minute after Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho's deflected piledriver from 25 metres sailed narrowly over the crossbar.

Foster was left stranded after misjudging a lofted long ball from the halfway line by Ruben Neves and Jota steered it into an empty net with a fine first-time shot in the 77th minute.

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