Manchester United vs Watford LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction today
Follow all the latest updates as the hosts look to keep up momentum in the top-four race
It may still be the case that Manchester United have only lost once since the 4-1 defeat at Vicarage Road which led to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and Ralf Rangnick’s interim appointment but draws like these are slowly eroding hopes of playing in next season’s Champions League.
Solskjaer’s conquerors Watford, under new management themselves, will celebrate this goalless draw at Old Trafford, even if the point does little to help Roy Hodgson’s side in their battle against the drop. It was yet another afternoon when United had their chances but did not take them.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s form is especially concerning. The Portuguese looked every inch the 37-year-old centre-forward that he is and may be contemplating whether he can stomach a season outside of European football’s elite competition. If he decides not, that may be the best thing for all parties concerned.
United remain fourth, two points clear of fifth-place Arsenal, but have played three games more. And worryingly, this visit of a Watford side sat second-bottom could be viewed as the last in a run of favourable fixtures dating all the way back to early December.
After next week’s derby at the Etihad, top-four rivals Tottenham pay a visit with the return leg against Atletico Madrid following three days later. Even if the subsequent trip to Anfield is postponed due to the FA Cup quarter-finals, as seems likely, Rangnick is entering a defining period. Follow reaction from Manchester United vs Watford below and coverage of Everton vs Man City:
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
63 mins: Jadon Sancho is now on for Manchester United replacing Fred. Christian Kabasele and Ken Sema come on for Watford replacing Jeremy Ngakia and Josh King.
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
60 mins: Manchester United just can’t score. Hassane Kamara had an effort from range fired high and wide before United put together a fine attack. Pogba comes in from the left and gives the ball to Elanga. He loses it but the ball bounces out to Fernandes. He drives up to the byline and darts inside before cutting the ball back to Ronaldo. He meets it in space with a first time shot but fires his chance at Elanga and the ball hits his teammate, bouncing wide for a goal kick.
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
56 mins: Chance! Anthony Elanga starts a move for Manchester United who work the ball over to Bruno Fernandes on the inside right. He floats the ball into the box for Elanga but he fires wide from six-yards out.
Brighton 0 - 1 Aston Villa: Matty Cash booked for showing T-shirt in support of family in Ukraine
Aston Villa defender Matty Cash was shown a yellow card on Saturday for displaying a message in support of his Poland international teammate caught up in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Tomasz Kedziora plays for Dynamo Kyiv and is thought to be still in the city with his family as the Russian army descends on the capital.
On Saturday morning, the Polish national team released a statement announcing they would boycott their World Cup qualifying play-off semi-final with Russia next month, and it also included a message of support for Kedziora.
Aston Villa’s Matty Cash booked for showing T-shirt in support of family in Ukraine
Taking charge of only his third Premier League match, referee John Brooks showed Cash a yellow card
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
53 mins: Alex Telles finds Paul Pogba in the box but he’s closed down by four defenders as he tries to weave his way into a position to shoot. He loses the ball but United recover it quickly. Pogba drifts out to the left side of the box and receives it back. His deflected ball into the box comes to Ronaldo who wins the ball but gets clattered by Kamara. United want a penalty but they don’t get one.
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
50 mins: Chance! Nemanja Matic dinks the ball into the left side of the penalty area as Paul Pogba gets in behind. He meets the ball on the volley and hits a side-footed shot back across the box but sends it wide of the far post!
Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
48 mins: Paul Pogba wins the ball in midfield and flicks a pass over the top for Cristiano Ronaldo who makes a run in behind Craig Cathcart. Jeremy Ngakia comes across to close him down but the offside flag goes up as Ronaldo’s shot loops over the goal.
GOAL! Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Burnley (Milivojevic OG, 46’)⚽️
46 mins: 38 seconds into the second half at Selhurst Park and Burnley have an equaliser. A long ball from Conor Roberts comes to Wout Weghorst who flicks it up to the byline for Aaron Lennon. He fizzes the ball into the box and it strikes Luka Milivojevic and finishes in the back of the net.
Second half: Man Utd 0 - 0 Watford
Kick off: The players are back out at Old Trafford for the second half. No changes from either team as Watford get the ball rolling again.
Fifa facing pressure to ban Russia from 2022 World Cup
Fifa is facing increasing pressure, both from governments and within football, to exclude Russia from the World Cup 2022.
Reports on Saturday stated that the UK government was going to make further moves on the world governing body, through the Football Association, and The Independent has been told it is a feeling increasingly shared by other European governments and key figures within football federations.
The idea is to make Russia such an international pariah, to the point the war is an unsustainable domestic policy, and both government and football officials have privately expressed amazement that Fifa have not yet acted.
Fifa facing pressure to ban Russia from 2022 World Cup
World football’s governing body will be urged to act by the UK government, through the Football Association, among others
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