Premier League
ARSENAL 2 (Cathcart OG 81, Ozil 83)
WATFORD 0

ARSENAL overcame their “first half nerves” to seal their seventh win on the spin in all competitions with a 2-0 victory over Watford.

An own goal from Watford’s Craig Cathcart and a close range finish form Mesut Ozil gave the Gunners a flattering 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon (Saturday).

After the game Arsenal boss Unai Emery admitted that his side had managed to take all three points despite being far from their best, adding that his players were “a little nervous” in the opening 45 minutes.

“We knew before the match it would be a very difficult match, but also, we needed to be competitive,” said the Spaniard. “The ball was near our box for a lot of moments and the rhythm of the match is not particularly what we want.

“I think our players on the pitch in the first half were a little nervous and we need to continue being calm. In the first half we were speaking about needing to continue improving things on the pitch.

“Then at the end our moment showed. We found our efficiency to score two goals, and this was decisive against a very good team.”

The home side scored two late goals in as many minutes to record their fifth win in the Premier League in a row. It could have, however, been a much easier afternoon had they taken one of their early chances.

Just five minutes into the match Alexandre Lacazette went down in the box following a cumbersome challenge from Christian Kabasele. To his credit the Arsenal forward gallantly tried to stay on his feet, before going down just in time to see referee Anthony Taylor wave for a goal kick.

Lacazette then squandered a golden opportunity after stealing the ball off Cathcart, before racing through and lifting his effort wide of the far post.

On the stroke of half time Petr Cech was forced off with a hamstring injury, which Emery said would keep the shot-stopper out of action for “maybe two of three weeks”. He won’t be too troubled, however – especially after seeing Cech’s replacement, Bernd Leno, make a series of exceptional saves.

The 26-year-old German made a brilliant low fingertips save to deny Troy Deeney just minutes into the second half. Then he raced off his line to stop Andre Gray from opening the scoring for the visitors.

Substitute Isaac Success also came within inches of giving Watford the lead, racing one-on-one with Leno before firing his shot narrowly wide.

The decisive moment in the match came just after the hour mark when Alex Iwobi came on to replace Aaron Ramsey, who left the field shaking his head.

The Nigerian international sparked Arsenal into life. It was his driven low cross from the right that resulted in the opening goal just six minutes from time – Cathcart inadvertently putting the ball past his own keeper after being put under pressure by Lacazette.

Two minutes later Iwobi was involved in a one-two with Lacazette, who delivered a low cross for Ozil to side-foot home.

ARSENAL: Cech (Leno, 45+3), Bellerin, Holding, Mustafi, Monreal, Torreira, Xhaka, Aubameyang (Welbeck, 77), Ozil, Ramsey (Iwobi, 63), Lacazette
Subs not used: Lichtsteiner, Kolasinac, Guendouzi, Mkhitaryan

WATFORD: Foster, Navarro (Femenia, 84), Cathcart, Kabasele, Holebas, Hughes, Capoue, Doucoure, Pereyra, Deeney, Gray (Success, 72)
Subs not used: Gomes, Mariappa, Masina, Sema, Chalobah

Attendance: 60,019