Thank you for joining me!
Enjoy the rest of your Mother’s Day comfortable in the knowledge that Arsenal are three points better off.
Do not fear, Daniel Harris is here to talk you through Bournemouth versus Spurs.
- Mustafi, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan on target
- Cech earns 200th Premier League clean sheet
Updated
Sun 11 Mar 2018 11.40 EDT
First published on Sun 11 Mar 2018 08.30 EDT
Live feed
Key events
It is nice to say that Arsenal are looking up in the league but they are set to finish sixth, so it really is all about the Europa League as it is their only route in the big show, ie the Champions League, and without it their season will ultimately be a failure.
Arsenal face the simple task of seeing off Milan in the Europa League on Thursday but then they do not play until April 1, so they have plenty of time to ensure themselves over the coming weeks.
Hector has brought some cracking banter.
Looks like you couldn't see today either @T_Deeney 😂 https://t.co/GdTixJBdzx
— Héctor Bellerín (@HectorBellerin) March 11, 2018
Why wait until Monday?
Well done, Pete.
200 - Petr Cech is the first goalkeeper in Premier League history to keep 200 clean sheets, with 38 of those coming for current club Arsenal (162 for Chelsea). Guardian. pic.twitter.com/Nr6TAU1V7p
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
Watford had their moments but never looked clinical when there chances arose, missing a couple of good ones but found Cech in fine form, which did not help their cause as they look set to meander towards the summer.
Cech looks to be a happy and relieved man as he goes around hugging everyone on the pitch, receiving worthy congratulations in return. It was a good day to do it as he was fully merited, he enjoyed two great saves from open play and then he read Deeney’s penalty to ensure nothing would get past him.
Full-time: Arsenal 3-0 Watford
Petr Cech has 200 Premier League clean sheets! Which is nice. Also, Arsenal have won back-to-back games, so things really are looking up. The scoreline makes it look like it was a simple victory but at 1-0 and 2-0 there were times Watford looked like they could get back into it but after the penalty save it was all over. Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang combined well throughout, not to mention Ozil and Elneny being superb, so it was a good day for the club.
Verdant takes a shot in the dark...
He says: “Guess Deeney left his cojones at home tonight!”
90 min: Xhaka pulls down Hughes and then just shouts at Martin Atkinson, which understandably results in a yellow card, then he goes back for more. Calm down, Granit.
88 min: Now we are all just waiting to see if Cech can maintain his clean sheet in order to become the first Premier League goalkeeper to notch 200 games in which he has not conceded.
86 min: Arsenal almost add a fourth as Wilshere bides his time before sending a pass through for Welbeck who strikes the ball well enough but it is too close to Karnezis and he calmly palms it away.
Richard has emailed in...
He says: “Deeney is an Arsenal fan at heart - top motivator”
What a a signing, United do not know what they are missing.
5 - Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been directly involved in five goals in his first six @premierleague appearances for Arsenal (one goal, four assists); just one fewer than in his 15 games for Man United this season (one goal, five assists). Rejuvenated. pic.twitter.com/v0IjxJWWUY
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
84 min: Mariappa’s chip into the area found Okaka but he cannot control it and there is a bit of a scrum and the ball is poked towards Cech who gladly smothers it.
83 min: Nearly some comedy in the Watford box as a cross from the left is chested down by Holebas only for Welbeck to almost lay a foot on it, instead the panicked defender just about managed to clear it.
80 min: Deeney has just trod on Xhaka’s right foot, much to the Swiss midfielder’s chagrin. The Arsenal fans are amusing themselves by singing “Deeney, what’s the score?” which is lovely banter, it really is.
Goal! The Dortmund connection is really working for Arsenal as good work down the left sees the ball played into Aubameyand in the box, who spins on the ball and lays it into Mkhitaryan for him to take a left-footed shot from 15 yards, a deflection bamboozled Karnezis and the game is now over. Mkhitaryan was then immediately replaced by Wilshere.
Goal! Arsenal 3-0 Watford (Mkhitaryan, 77)
A cool finish from the Armenian.
76 min: Arsenal might want to rethink their interest in Doucoure after he just tried to find a team-mate but instead sent the ball straight out of play for a goal-kick and not within 20 yards of anyone in a yellow shirt.
75 min: Alan Smith says “this game is kind of going nowhere”. Some of us are trying to keep people’s attention. Help a guy out, Al.
73 min: Mustafi walks off and is replaced by Chambers who will be the latest man for Deeney to rub up the wrong way. The Arsenal back four is now Maitland-Niles, Holding, Chambers and Kolasinac, not exactly their first choice defence.
71 min: Watford break on Arsenal and Richarlison gets to the byline but his cross is well read by Mustafi who flicks it away and Janmaat failed to control a shot. Mustafi’s game might be done, though as he seems to have hurt himself while defending.
69 min: Arsenal’s tails are up here and they will be looking to complete the job soon rather than live on the edge of the most dangerous scoreline in football.
About time, Petr.
2011 - Petr Cech has saved a penalty in the @premierleague for the first time since February 2011, whilst playing for Chelsea against Fulham. Cojones. pic.twitter.com/Q5P1ljk5Gv
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 11, 2018
66 min: The Arsenal fans are really up for this after Mkhitaryan has a penalty appeal turn down, not to mention the fact their target of hate Deeney missed a pen. To add to it, Holebas has now been booked for fouling the Armenian, so it’s all happening. Welbeck is on for Iwobi now and Okaka replaces Pereyra.
Sign up to The Fiver, the Guardian’s free and funny daily football email.
63 min: Femenia has departed for Watford and Will Hughes is on in his place. Well that was an interesting few minutes, hopefully we all get a few seconds to get out breathe back.
PENALTY SAVE!
Deeney walks up, to a chorus of boos, and then sends the penalty to the left but Cech reads it and palms it well clear, much to the enjoyment of the home fans! Could the Czech get his 200th clean sheet now!
PENALTY! Maitland-Niles takes down Pereyra as the Watford man wandered past the defender who stood still and took him down.
Goal! Mkhitaryan knows Aubameyang the best from their time together at Dortmund, so when the Armenian was running at the Watford defence he seemed to know which move the Gabonese striker would make, which he ultimately did, before rounding the goalkeeper and tapping home.
Goal! Arsenal 2-0 Watford (Aubameyang, 59)
Great movement and finish from Aubameyang.
57 min: Watford are bringing plenty of cunning to their set-pieces as they work the ball into more dangerous positions, almost resulting in a goal but the ball is turned away for a corner, which Holebas sends over everyone!
55 min: Mustafi goes into the book for crudely taking down Richarlison after arriving a couple of minutes late for a challenge. The Brazilian was getting away from and would have been through on goal so it was sensible from Mustafi.