Wolves and Watford assets underline goal threat in FA Cup classic

Two clubs with a Double Gameweek 35 served up a thrilling FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Sunday, with several Fantasy assets catching the eye.

Watford came back from 2-0 down with 12 minutes of normal time to go to beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 in extra time and there were some familiar names who registered attacking returns in this five-goal epic.

Watford 3-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Goals: Gerard Deulofeu (£5.7m) x2, Troy Deeney (£5.9m) | Matt Doherty (£5.3m), Raul Jimenez (£6.8m)
• Assists: Andre Gray (£5.9m) | Diogo Jota (£6.1m), Matt Doherty

Gerard Deulofeu (£5.7m) came off the bench to score twice at Wembley as Watford rescued victory from the jaws of defeat.

The former Everton midfielder, as was perhaps anticipated after the 4-1 win over Fulham in midweek, lost his place in Javi Gracia’s starting XI after a lengthy run in the first team but the benching seemed to motivate the Catalonian attacker, as the Hornets’ boss discussed in his post-match press conference:

We knew when we started with other players, Gerard would be important during the game. I knew it with more spaces.

All the players are showing they deserve to play and it is not easy to choose the moments for all of them. I try to choose the best moment for everyone.

He was angry and I like to see my players with that attitude. When they felt angry in those moments to show what they are able to do. He helped the team, scoring two important goals today, the first with high quality. It is not a surprise for me because I see him in all the training sessions.

He always accepts the decision. He knows we have other players in the same situation. I suppose he was angry in that moment because he wanted to play in the semi-final. He has played in almost all the games before and he wanted to help the team.

Deulofeu’s first strike was a superb, curling chip that dragged Watford back into the game in the 79th minute and indeed was the first shot on target that the Hornets had all game.

Troy Deeney (£5.9m) had forced extra time with a last-gasp penalty before Deulofeu capped off a memorable comeback by finishing a fine breakaway move in the 104th minute of an absorbing contest.

Andre Gray (£5.9m), who registered the assist for Deulofeu’s second goal, was given the nod to start alongside Deeney in attack but wasted two gilt-edged chances in the first half – although Conor Coady (£4.5m) deserves a lot of credit for getting back to block one of those shots.

Gray was far from awful and worked hard for the cause but the fact that he didn’t quite grasp his chance on a rare start would perhaps bode well for a swift return to the starting XI for Deulofeu.

The picture was further clouded, however, when the ex-Barcelona midfielder limped off in the second half of extra time.

Jose Holebas (£4.8m) and Kiko Femenia (£4.2m) were also forced off with unspecified problems, with Gracia saying after the match:

I had to do different substitutions because my players ask me. Gerard is one of them, Kiko Femenia was injured as well. All of them are very, very tired.

Gerard I think, his ankle.

Having caught the eye from an attacking perspective in both Gameweek 32 fixtures, Abdoulaye Doucoure (£5.9m) didn’t quite deliver on that front at Wembley.

Two of the midfielder’s three attempts were from outside the box and blocked, with his other being a header that drifted wide.

Watford’s midfield in general didn’t particularly excel, with Will Hughes (£4.9m) being substituted without registering a shot or key pass and Roberto Pereyra (£6.0m) fading after a bright start.

Deeney was a real handful, though, creating twice as many chances than any of his team-mates and showing real… nerve to score from the spot in injury time.

The attackers on both sides were arguably the stars of the show, with Diogo Jota (£6.1m) and Raul Jimenez (£6.8m) producing excellent displays after a relatively quiet start and further cementing their places in our thoughts ahead of Double Gameweek 35.

Jimenez’s goal was superb, with the Mexican striker chesting down a diagonal ball from Matt Doherty (£5.3m) and volleying beyond Heurelho Gomes (£4.2m) to put Wolves 2-0 up.

Jota’s runs caused Watford’s backline plenty of problems and drew several fouls, while no Wolves player recorded as many key passes as the Portuguese midfielder.

One of the chances that Jota created led to Wolves’ opener, with Doherty getting on the end of the Portugal international’s teasing cross to nod his side in front from close range.

As if Fantasy managers needed another reminder of Doherty’s goal threat after a slightly barren run in FPL, this was it.

There will be understandable frustration that Doherty has saved his attacking returns for the FA Cup again, of course: the Irish wing-back has four goals and three assists in the competition since the third round took place in January.

In that time, he has only two assists and one clean sheet to show for his efforts in FPL.

Jonny (£4.3m)’s shot count may have bettered Doherty’s but his two attempts on goal came from distance and underscored again just how much more potent a threat the Ireland international is in the opposition box.

While there was plenty to encourage Fantasy managers regarding the on-field performances of key Wolves assets, the West Midlands club may take a while to recover from the psychological damage that this heartbreaking defeat inflicted.

Speaking after the game, Nuno Espirito Santo said:

We’re disappointed, sad. We are, the players are, the fans are. It is a very tough moment. A moment of real pain and disappointment.

The feeling that we have is that we had it. But it went away from us. We’ve got to look at it. We have to realise in the last minutes of the game we should manage it better.

It’s disappointment. It’s pain. You are not happy. There’s silence, of course. But at the same time unity, over all that we’ve done in this competition.

Watford XI (4-4-2): Gomes; Femenia (Janmaat 109′), Mariappa, Cathcart, Holebas (Masina 98′); Hughes (Deulofeu 66′, Kabasele 113′), Doucoure, Capoue, Pereyra; Deeney, Gray.

Wolves XI (3-5-2): Ruddy; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Jonny, Neves (Bennett 86′), Dendoncker, Moutinho (Traore 101′), Doherty; Jota (Cavaleiro 89′), Jimenez.