Watford come from behind twice to thrash Everton

The travelling fans might have feared the worst when Tom Davies put the hosts ahead with the game’s first shot on target, but a scrappy King goal provided a shot in the arm that inspired a greater performance full of fight and character that rattled Everton and forced them into making sloppy mistakes that eventually cost them dearly.

A lapse in intensity and concentration in the second half allowed former Hornet Richarlison to head in, but a second equaliser from Juraj Kucka was followed up by two more from King, who left Everton on a free at the end of last season, and another from Emmanuel Dennis to wrap up a sensational performance on Merseyside.

True to his nickname, the Tinkerman tinkered with his squad following the thrashing against Liverpool last weekend, with King brought back in after recovering from his knee injury to lead the line in a 4-3-3.

Ozan Tufan started as an attacking midfielder, with Danny Rose out of the matchday squad due to a knock picked up in training, while Jeremy Ngakia was deployed at right back in place of the injured Kiko Femenia. New arrival Nicolas Nkoulou was included on the bench.

In his pre-match comments, Ranieri said that improving his side’s defending was paramount to their success this season.

His message initially fell on deaf ears with the Toffees scoring with only two minutes on the clock in what was another defensive horror show from the Hornets.

With Ngakia nowhere to be seen, Demarai Gray broke down the visitors’ right and was able to shake off the attention of William Troost-Ekong far too easily, before cutting back for Davies, who side-footed into the net under little pressure.

Another of Ranieri’s key pre-match messages was about Watford’s need to respond to any negativity, be that to defeats or conceding goals in matches.

Yet an immediate response was not forthcoming and Ben Foster had to react well to deny Andros Townsend, whose shot from the edge of the area on the end of a string of slick passes looked destined for the roof of the net.

Anthony Gordon headed wide from an unmarked position shortly after, with the Toffees recycling possession out to the right-hand side.

Watford did manage to produce the response their head coach would have wanted not long after, with King claiming a first goal for his new club that resulted from a foul awarded in the right-hand corner quadrant.

Adam Masina, the last person to score directly from a free kick for the Hornets, whipped in an inviting delivery and Craig Cathcart’s flick was prodded home at the back post by the striker, against his former club.

The referee’s assistant initially ruled the goal out for offside, but VAR intervened, with Gray’s right leg playing the forward onside.

The equaliser had shocked the hosts, who immediately lost a lot of the swagger with which they had started the match, leading to groans of frustration around Goodison Park.

However, they were still able to fashion one or two half chances, with Townsend first putting in a dangerous cross that no one in blue was able to get on the end of, before trying his luck with a shot after skipping away from Kucka and only just missing the far post.

Moussa Sissoko produced a similar result with an effort soon after. A cross into the box was half cleared by Ben Godfrey, but the skipper’s first-time effort zipped wide of Jordan Pickford’s goal.

Cucho Hernandez might have come closer to scoring on the half hour mark had Michael Keane not intervened to head his curling effort behind, after the Colombian collected King’s infield pass on the end of a positive run from the right.

With the away side making more of the open nature of the match, Everton tried to impose themselves and wrestle back some of the control they had enjoyed in the early stages.

Allan’s effort from distance flew wildly over the top before Gordon was adamant he should have been awarded a penalty after a risky looking challenge from Kucka only resulted in a goal kick.

As the half moved closer to its climax, Watford found themselves sitting deeper than perhaps they would like, with chances at the other end drying up.

However, that was no excuse for Ismaila Sarr’s waste of a shot from absolutely miles out on the end of a promising looking counter-attack, with King further up the pitch, a much better option.

Where Sarr had failed, Kucka came closer to succeeding in stoppage time at the end of the half after Hernandez found him with a ball infield from the left. The Slovak’s shot was hit with greater accuracy, but still failed to hit the target and the sides went in level at the break.

Everton’s frustrations continued into the second half, despite them having the better of possession.

Their creativity issues were summed up when Allan threw himself to the ground in the penalty area in a desperate attempt to buy a penalty, only for referee Graham Scott to book him for simulation.

Though Watford’s possession was limited, they were still looking dangerous and King should have put them ahead just before the hour mark when Sarr put a chance on a plate for him after skinning Lucas Digne, only for Pickford to smother the opportunity from close range.

It was a miss they might have lived to regret with a former Hornet regaining the initiative for the hosts almost immediately after.

Richarlison was introduced to provide some added firepower and he headed Keane’s searching ball into the box beyond the on-rushing Foster shortly after joining the game.

Ranieri tried to redress the balance by bringing Joao Pedro and Dennis on for Tufan and Sarr, but it was Kucka who nearly restored parity with a thumping effort from range that stung Pickford’s gloves.

Richarlison continued to cause problems for Watford, first by drawing a foul from Dennis for which the Nigerian picked up his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning he will now serve a suspension.

The Brazilian then drew another foul closer to goal from which Digne crossed and Keane rose highest, but headed just wide.

Soon after that, the game turned completely on its head.

Pedro's darting run into the box was flicked behind for a corner, which resulted in the Hornets claiming their second equaliser of the match, Hernandez's delivery powered home in the centre by Kucka.

Then just minutes later, a loose ball was collected by Pedro, who fed Dennis out on the right. He in turn found King, who had the freedom of the Everton penalty area and was able to pick his spot and fire past Pickford.

Dennis and Kucka had further chances to inflict more misery on the Toffees, but the former fired just wide, while the latter was unable to repeat his headed heroics and instead found the Sir Philip Carter Park Stand behind the goal.

However King was able to complete his hat-trick in the 87th minute when some shoddy defending from the home side allowed him all the space he needed to control the ball and beat the England goalkeeper for a third time.

Dennis then added further gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time when he also made the most of yet more dreadful Everton defensive work to slot into the bottom corner and crown a memorable afternoon.

TEAM: Foster; Ngakia (Nkoulou), Troost-Ekong, Cathcart, Masina; Kucka, Sissoko, Tufan (Pedro); Sarr (Dennis), Hernandez, King
SUBS: Bachmann, Louza, Cleverley, Gosling, Fletcher, Sema