After throwing away all three points in stoppage time at home to Newcastle in their last game, Everton snatched all three in the 90th minute when Theo Walcott scored from close range to earn 10-man Everton a 3-2 win after being 2-0 down.
Everton started the game slow and went a goal behind in the 10th minute when Adam Masina scored his first goal of the season. Abdoulaye Doucouré played a lovely cross-field pass which was controlled expertly by former Everton player, Gerard Deulofeu. The Spaniard was closed down by Djibril Sidibe and Theo Walcott, Deulofeu played a simple pass into the feet on Masina as he entered the area, and he drilled the ball low across goal into the bottom corner.
Watford’s second of the game was a gift. Fabian Delph played a blind pass straight to the feet of Watford captain Troy Deeney, he played in Roberto Pereyra and he placed the ball past Pickford to double Watford’s lead with only three minutes of the first half remaining.
Everton had never won a league game when conceding first under previous manager Marco Silva, and it looked like this would be another write-off, but as the clock hit 45 Everton got themselves back into the game.
With their first corner of the game, Lucas Digne’s inswinger was met by Yerry Mina, and after a scramble in the 6-yard box, the Colombian poked in the ball.
From the kick-off, and Everton won another corner, this time from the other side and it was Gylfi Sigurdsson’s turn to pick out the Colombian, and that he did. He escaped his marker at the far post and headed past Ben Foster to make it 2-2 in the last minute of stoppage time.
With four goal in the opening 45, the second was set up for a fantastic end to end game and it was Everton who started the second on the front foot, dictating play but couldn’t create any meaningful chances, as everything the tried was cleared by the Watford defence.
Fabian Delph who was brought in during the summer transfer window was described as the leader they needed on the field, and after gifting Watford the second goal in the first half, his game went from bad to worse when he was shown a second yellow with 20 minutes to play.
His first was for a tackle from behind on Pereyra despite winning the ball, his second was very harsh. Etienne Capoue was shielding the ball on the touchline, Delph tried to get his foot to the ball but took only the boot of Capoue, sending the 6’2” midfielder crashing to the ground as if he had been shot.
Fabian Delph pleaded his innocence, but referee Craig Pawson produced the second yellow, followed by the red. Everton introduced Michael Kean for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, pushing Mason Holgate into midfield and if offered a point, would probably take it with 20 to go.
The pressure was now all on Watford to get the winner, especially after throwing a 2-goal lead in the first half, and manager Nigel Pearson introduced Isaac Success and new signing Ignacio Pussetto, but it was Everton who got the winner in the 90th minute.
Adam Masina who gave Watford the lead was dispossessed by former Watford man Richarlison, he raced down the left with the ball inviting two Watford players to try and close him down, he played the ball across goal for Moise Kean, but the Italian completely mistimed his shot, but Theo Walcott was on hand at the back post to steal all three points for Everton.
