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“They understand how to attack the space’ – Watford’s Munoz delighted with Sarr & Dennis combination
The Spanish tactician hails the combination of the two African players after the Hornets picked up their first win of the season
Watford coach Xisco Munoz was delighted to see how Ismaila Sarr and Emmanuel Dennis worked together to hand his team a 3-2 win in their Premier League opener against Aston Villa on Saturday.
It was Dennis who opened the scoring in the 10th minute after combining well with Sarr, before the Senegal winger added the second in the 42nd minute after receiving a pass from the Nigeria international.
Watford then raced into a 3-0 lead when Cucho Hernandez scored in the 67th minute and despite a late rally by Villa, with goals from John McGinn in the 70th minute and new signing Danny Ings from the penalty spot in stoppage time, Watford held on to bag maximum points.
After the win, what caught the eye of the Spanish tactician is how Dennis and Sarr combined neatly during the game and insists his side should have scored more goals.
“The most important thing is the team understands each other,” Munoz told the club’s official website.
“We tried to create space for (Emmanuel) Dennis and [Ismaila] Sarr. It was a brilliant game as we could’ve scored more.
“We know how well he [Sarr] can play, and we know he is a top player. If he has space, he can beat anyone. I think Sarr, Dennis, and [Ken] Sema understand how to attack the space, especially today [Saturday].”
His sentiments come after Nigeria midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo praised the qualities of Sarr and Dennis after the win.
Etebo, who was making his debut for the Hornets alongside compatriots William Troost-Ekong and Dennis said: “It’s very important as a team to score first and when you get an early goal it motivates everyone, keeps the positive vibes going and everyone keeps pushing.
“I’m happy for my Nigerian brother [Dennis] and Sarr as well. They did well, you can see they’ve got good pace, they run forward and are direct players.
“This is the start of the season. I’m happy that we got the win, congratulations to my teammates, but it’s a long season so step-by-step we have to keep going.”
Etebo, who signed for Watford from Stoke City continued: "This is just the beginning. Like the gaffer said, we need everyone. Everyone needs to stay together, be positive. It’s teamwork and there are lots of games to be played. This is just one game and there are a lot of games to go.
“It’s a thing of joy because we have gone nearly two years with no fans, but when they are in the stadium they lift up the team. It’s amazing.”
Watford will next face Brighton & Hove Albion on August 21.
