Watford secured a dramatic 2-1 victory against Sunderland at Vicarage Road, with Tom Dele-Bashiru’s late penalty sealing the win. The former Nigeria U20 international calmly converted from the spot in the 84th minute, ensuring all three points for the Hornets.
The win sees Watford rise to seventh place in the Championship table with 13 points, only three points behind leaders West Bromwich Albion, and extends their unbeaten home run to ten matches under Cleverley.
The 25-year-old has now netted twice for Tom Cleverley's side this season. His first goal came during a 1-1 draw against Coventry City on matchday 5, where Dele-Bashiru emphasized the importance of adding goals to his game. Just two weeks later, he found the back of the net again, continuing his scoring momentum.
Dele-Bashiru’s match-winning performance
The home side took control of the game early on, with Festy Ebosele breaking the deadlock in the 28th minute. Watford dominated the first half and seemed comfortable with their lead until Sunderland equalized early in the second half. Wilson Isidor brought Sunderland level in the 49th minute with a clinical finish.
It looked like the game was headed for a draw until the pivotal moment in the 84th minute when Kwadwo Baah was fouled in the box by Luke O’Nien. Dele-Bashiru stepped up and confidently slotted the ball into the net, securing a vital win for Tom Cleverley’s side.
The former Man City youngster delivered a standout performance, playing the full 90 minutes and showcasing his composure with the game-winning goal. His contributions went beyond the penalty, as he touched the ball 40 times and completed 31 out of 33 passes (94% accuracy). He was sharp in duels, winning two out of four ground duels and all three of his aerial duels. He also limited possession loss to just two instances and was fouled twice.