Watford shock Arsenal in FA Cup with Adlène Guedioura thunderbolt

Watford earned themselves a trip to Wembley in the FA Cup semi-finals with a display of marauding forward play that left Arsenal shellshocked and out of a competition they were aiming to win for the third season in succession

Arsène Wenger had been right to flag up the danger of Watford’s pairing of Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney. Their application and accuracy led the way for the team constructed by Quique Sánchez Flores. The damage they caused was spectacular, and there was a moment for the Hertfordshire team to cherish as Adlène Guedioura scored what turned out to be a blistering matchwinner. Arsenal’s centre-halves, who strained for composure and communication, face Messi, Suárez and Neymar on Wednesday night and their confidence is already shredded.

Watford’s joy was unfettered at the end of it all and rightly so. What a coup to accompany a promising Premier League season. Their players danced in front of their supporters come the final whistle. Even some of the home fans felt able to applaud them off, appreciative of their efforts on the day.

Any suggestions that the FA Cup might have been lagging on Arsenal’s list of priorities this week were dismissed by the strength of Wenger’s team selection. Alexis Sánchez and Mesut Özil were back in a lineup that was in no way chosen with a fraction of an eye on Barcelona and the Champions League. But the brutal truth is that they were not clinical at either end against Watford and paid a heavy price.

A frenetic and at times sloppy first half fell into a pattern of Arsenal snatching at chances and Watford, whose threat was evident whenever Ighalo was found on the break and able to burst at speed in the general direction of Arsenal’s centre-backs. He seemed to lack a little incision in the early exchanges but that wouldn’t last long.