It was a tightly contested encounter that could’ve gone either way. The visitors put up a well-organized, physical, and strong display against the Gunners – many would say Watford deserved to take at least a point from the game.

Arsenal, however, managed to scrape through at the end, clinching three points to ascend to the fifth spot on the Premier League points table.

Watford toiled hard through the 90 minutes, but lacked the finishing and the luck to get a result from the encounter.

Let us look at three reasons behind Arsenal’s victory on Saturday:

#3 Solid display by the goalkeepers

The North London side needed both their goalkeepers to keep a clean sheet against the Hornets. Petr Cech, who has started all of Arsenal’s matches in the league this season, made a couple of important saves in the first half.

However, the veteran goalkeeper had to be substituted after pulling his hamstring in the 45th minute. Effectively, German international Bernd Leno made his Premier League debut for the Gunners and dished out an impressive performance in the second half.

The 26-year-old made three important saves that were pivotal in keeping Arsenal in the tie. He looked commanding in the box, dealt well with set-pieces and returned three successful long-balls in his 45-minute performance. Overall, it was a memorable league debut for the Bayer Leverkusen recruit.

#2 Introduction of Alex Iwobi

The Nigerian international, who was brought in to the action at the expense of a misfiring Aaron Ramsey in the 63rd minute, turned the tables for Arsenal against Watford.

His pace, dynamism, and agility provided natural width to the Gunners’ attack. He was quick on the ball, took players on consistently and peppered the Hornets with his energetic display.

The 22-year-old played an integral role in the build-up to both the goals, breaking the spine of Watford’s defence. With consistent performances in the past couple of weeks, Iwobi has made a strong case to start ahead of Ramsey against Fulham next week.

#1 Lack of end-product from Watford

Lack of clinical finishing, coupled with bad fortune, saw Watford return goalless from the North London fixture. They threatened Arsenal’s shaky backline throughout the game and at times, looked likely to nick a win from the encounter.

They created nine chances and had four shots on target in the 90 minutes, but failed to convert any of them into a goal.

Their best chances in the game came through a strong strike from Troy Deeney that extracted a good save from Leno, and a chip from Isaac Success that hit the far post. The score remained 0-0 though, and once Arsenal got the second half chances, they were able to capitalize.

The Gunners now have fifteen points in seven Premier League games, with two losses and five wins under their belt.

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