3 takeaways from Arsenal's comprehensive victory at Watford
Arsene Wenger's men countered a slow start with a clinical second half to defeat Watford 3-0 Saturday, with goals from Alexis Sanchez, Olivier Giroud, and Aaron Ramsey.
Here are three takeaways from Arsenal's 15th away win in 18 tries in all competitions:
Aaron Ramsey has finally scored a goal
After the longest goalless spell of his career, Ramsey scored his first since April to give the Gunners a 3-0 advantage at Vicarage Road.
A marauding run from right-back Hector Bellerin eluded an on-loan Nathan Ake before the pacey Spaniard put it on a platter for the Welsh international, who had little more to do than fire it directly at Heurelho Gomes. The former Tottenham 'keeper was unable to corral the shot as it trickled beyond his grasp and into the goal to the relief of Ramsey and the elation of his teammates.
27 - Aaron Ramsey has scored his first Premier League goal of the season with what was his 27th shot (inc. blocked). Wait.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 17, 2015
The international break took an early toll on the Gunners
Arsenal led all Premier League clubs with 10 players away during the latest international break, which was emblematic of their slow start Saturday. Sanchez, Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, and Santi Cazorla all looked laboured before the interval, as all five played integral roles in their country's matches over the last week.
The second half was the polar opposite of the first, as the aforementioned met the pace of the game, running the Hornets ragged with crisp interplay and a sense of urgency.
Mesut Özil has now registered 6 assists in the Premier League this season, no player has more. pic.twitter.com/Z2dWaHyl19
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 17, 2015
Sanchez scored and was his perpetually menacing self, but it was Ozil who was a typically languid yet terrorizing presence.
Watford's two-pronged attack threatened on the counter-attack
To their credit, despite a lopsided scoreline, Watford did possess a threat - especially during the opening interval, when strike duo Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney led several counter-attacks.
Ighalo's pace troubled a stagnant Per Mertesacker, as the Nigerian international tried time and time again to lay the ball off for Deeney, only for the likes of Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal to help the towering German eradicate any efforts made by the Watford attack force.
Even after failing to finish Saturday at Vicarage Road, with a slew of injuries to Bournemouth and the horrid form of Sunderland, Newcastle, and Aston Villa, Ighalo and Deeney should be enough to keep Watford up this season.