A strong second-half showing was very nearly rewarded with a point but Watford finished empty handed after being sunk by a late Manchester United winner in a 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road.

After a poor opening period in which they trailed to Memphis Depay’s 11th-minute opener, the Hornets improved in the second half and got their rewards with four minutes remaining when Troy Deeney converted a penalty after Odion Ighalo had been fouled by Marcus Rojo.

But the home side, and Deeney in particular, were once again reminded how soon fortunes can change when Bastian Schweinsteiger’s effort from a tight angle was turned across his own goalline by the skipper in his last-ditch efforts to try and clear.

The Hornets were disappointing in the first half. They looked nervous at times at the back, struggled in possession and could have no real complaints at being behind at the interval after Memphis Depay had volleyed in a fine Ander Herrera cross in the 11th minute.

The home side continued to look shaky in the opening stages of the second period but visibly grew in confidence after David de Gea had been forced into his first save of note by Deeney.

Watford then looked the more threatening of the two sides as Odion Ighalo and Deeney had further opportunities before de Gea made an outstanding save to keep out an Almen Abdi effort.

Having named an unchanged line-up for the last three matches, Quique Sanchez Flores made the one change from the team that lost 2-1 at Leicester City last time out with Jose Manuel Jurado making his return from a near two-month injury lay-off in place of Nathan Ake, meaning Ikechi Anya moved to left-back. There was also a first appearance on the bench for Obbi Oulare.

Watford Observer:

United’s problems coming into the game had been well documented and Louis van Gaal made four changes from the team that defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-0 before the international break, three of which were enforced.

Michael Carrick and Anthony Martial were ruled out through injury, Wayne Rooney was ill and Marcus Rojo dropped to the bench. In came Phil Jones, Memphis, Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin. Such were the Red Devils’ lack of recognised options, youngsters Marcus Rashford and Sean Goss were among the replacements.

The visitors started positively with Ashley Young, on his playing return to Vicarage Road, bursting forward from right-back to feed Juan Mata on the same flank but he was unable to pick out a teammate with his cross.

Watford Observer:

There was an anxious moment for Allan Nyom in the fourth minute when, under no real pressure, he sliced an attempted clearance over his own goal and onto the roof of Heurelho Gomes’ net.

Young fired over and bursting forward as United continued to shade the opening exchanges, with their opponents struggling to keep hold of possession for any length of time.

The last thing Watford needed was for the visitors to get the boost of an early goal but that was exactly what happened in the 11th minute.

United built down the right before the ball was worked to Herrera and he swung over a fine cross and Memphis got in between the Hornets defenders to volley past Gomes from around eight yards to make it 1-0.

Watford Observer:

The home side continued to be sloppy in many aspects of their play but in the 21st minute they spurned a good opportunity to get back on terms.

Young was caught in possession by Etienne Capoue, who broke forward as the home side found themselves two-on-two. The Frenchman’s pass to Ighalo was a little behind him, but the striker got the ball under control, left Schweinsteiger trailing with a turn but then slashed his attempted finish wide.

United’s injury problems were exacerbated four minutes later when Herrera was forced into an early exit and was replaced by Rojo, but soon after the visitors could have doubled their lead when Nyom made a hash of a clearance and Schneiderlin hit a dipping volley from the right side of the penalty area narrowly over the top.

Watford Observer:

Watford had another let off in the 32nd minute when a corner from the right was flicked on at the near post and the ball travelled right across the six-yard box as Deeney just managed to get a touch to prevent Schneiderlin turning it in.

The Hornets had not been able to create a great deal going forwards but they did fashion an opportunity four minutes later when Nyom managed to keep the ball in play before breaking clear to send in a cross which was cleared to the edge of the 18-yard box where the on-rushing Capoue hit a powerful drive over the top.

Back came United with Memphis cutting in off the left before striking a 20-yard right-footed shot which Gomes had turn behind at his near post.

The Golden Boys goalkeeper could have been the architect of his downfall a minute before the break when his poor clearance found Memphis, who slipped it through. But Gomes was able to get there first as the flag was raised for offside as the home side went into the break with a lot of work to do in their efforts to get back on terms.

Flores made a change at the start of the second half and it wasn’t a great surprise. Jurado had struggled to have any impact on proceedings and was replaced by Ake, who could consider himself to have been left out of the starting XI in the first place.

Watford Observer:

But more sloppiness from the Golden Boys saw them play themselves into trouble within two minutes of the restart as Capoue gave the ball away to Memphis, who ran at the defence before sliding the ball to Jesse Lingard and his rising drive forced a good save out of Gomes to push it behind.

The visitors continued to push on in the early stages of the second half as they remained in control of the game but in the 56th minute De Gea was forced into his first meaningful involvement in the contest.

Deeney and Ake combined to impressive effect down the left as the substitute pushed forward, laying the ball into the area where a stretching Ighalo managed to a get a touch back for Deeney to hit a rasping drive which the keeper could only parry up and out into the air.

Boosted by this, the Hornets started to look more confident going forward and a Ben Watson corner from the right created another opening as the ball was helped on by Miguel Britos but Ighalo’s effort on the turn was blocked.

Watford Observer:

Both sides made a change in the 69th minute as Juan Carlos Paredes replaced Nyom, while Paddy McNair came on for Jones.

But Watford were so nearly level a minute later. And the reason they weren’t was due to a fabulous save from De Gea.

United struggled to clear their lines as Deeney headed the ball on in the air and it landed at the feet of Abdi, who struck a low, right-footed shot that was deflected and appeared destined for the bottom corner until the Spaniard demonstrated fantastic reflexes to push it around the near post.

Another chance came and went soon after as Ighalo got the better of Chris Smalling to latch onto a ball forward but Deeney struck a first-time half-volley straight at de Gea from the edge of the 18-yard box.

Van Gaal made his final change in the 79th minute as Andreas Pereira came on for Mata but United could have made the game safe when a fine pass forward put Lingard in on goal. With Gomes stranded, the United youngster tried a lob but the keeper read his intentions and saved.

It was to prove a costly miss as within a matter of minutes referee Bobby Madley made a big, but correct decision.

It arose when Deeney headed on to Ighalo, who shielded the ball from Rojo and then had his foot taken away as the United defender tried to win the ball.

The referee thought it before pointing to the spot and Deeney confidently did the rest, blasting the ball down the middle of the goal to make it 1-1.

Watford Observer:

It looked like Watford were set to claim a point but there was to be a nasty sting in the tail for the home side.

The Hornets looked like they had escaped when Gomes made a fine save, diving to his right to keep out a Smalling flick from a corner. But from the resultant set piece, the Hornets were unable to get the ball clear and after Gomes had got down to get his hand to a shot, Schweinsteiger turned the ball back across the six-yard box from a tight angle and in trying to block it, Deeney could only help the ball across his own line.

Watford Observer:

Even then, the Golden Boys might still have snatched a point at the death but Ighalo’s half-volley on the turn was struck straight at De Gea as United snatched a 2-1 victory to go top of the Premier League, at least for a few hours.

Watford: Gomes; Nyom (Paredes 69), Cathcart, Britos, Anya; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Jurado (Ake 46), Deeney; Ighalo. Not used: Arlauskis, Oulare, Guedioura, Ibarbo, Diamanti.

Manchester United: De Gea; Young, Jones (McNair 69), Smalling, Blind; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Mata (Pereira 79), Herrera (Rojo 25), Lingard; Memphis. Not used: Romero, Darmian, Rashford, Goss.

Bookings: Young for a foul on Paredes (74); Lingard for dissent (76).

Attendance: 20,702 (2,113 away fans).

Referee: Bobby Madley.