Watford 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 Talking Points from the goalless draw | Premier League 2019-20

#4 Watford destined for survival under Pearson

Nigel Pearson has turned Watford's fortunes around

It’s hard to believe that just over a month ago – when Quique Sanchez Flores was fired and Nigel Pearson was installed as his replacement – Watford looked doomed to relegation into the EFL Championship. They were rock bottom of the Premier League, had picked up just one win in their first 17 games, and looked painfully low on confidence.

Pearson picked up a point in his first game in charge and then saw his side lose to Liverpool, but since then, the Hornets have been a team transformed. They’ve picked up 14 points from their last 6 matches, and now find themselves in 16th place in the league.

Today they went toe-to-toe with Tottenham – a side who are supposed to be pushing for a top 4 spot in the Premier League – and outperformed them for portions of the game, ending with almost identical stats in terms of possession and shots on goal. If Troy Deeney had scored his penalty, the Hornets would’ve won, in fact.

People will point to the return of Deeney as being the key factor in Watford’s resurgence, but more than anything, Pearson has made them tricky to beat. By deploying Etienne Capoue and Nathaniel Chalobah – who was barely used by his predecessors – in a double-pivot, Watford’s defence suddenly looks far more robust, giving them a chance against any team.

If they can continue the way they’ve been playing, they will almost certainly stay up – and if they do, Pearson deserves huge credit.

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#5 Spurs look blunted without Kane

With Harry Kane sidelined, could Jose Mourinho deploy Dele Alli as a false #9?

When star striker Harry Kane picked up an ankle injury last season, Tottenham were able to survive and even thrive, but while Son Heung Min was given a lot of credit for his work as almost a pure striker, it’s also worth noting that Mauricio Pochettino’s side were also able to call upon Fernando Llorente at the tip of their attack.

Shorn of Kane due to his hamstring injury, how Jose Mourinho’s team could’ve done with Llorente – who now plays for Napoli - today.

Spurs had their chances; Lucas Moura missed a good one in the first half and Erik Lamela nearly scored late in the second, but for the most part, they simply didn’t create too much, with their attacks often broken up midway through Watford’s half. Most notably, every time they attempted to go direct, Hornets defenders Craig Cathcart and Craig Dawson simply ate the ball up.

That almost certainly would’ve been different had Spurs been able to call upon the injured Kane or the departed Llorente – who coincidentally scored a winner against the Hornets last season. Mourinho has options; he might consider deploying Dele Alli, wasted today in a deeper role, as a false #9 with Son and Moura alongside him, but with the transfer window open it’s clear that Tottenham need to act to bring in a new striker.

That is of course up to Daniel Levy – but if Spurs are to climb into the Champions League spots again, they need to look far sharper than they did today in front of goal.