TROY DEENEY thought it was his perfect day until someone went and ruined it by mentioning Arsenal.
Watford’s no-nonsense captain has been at war with the Gunners ever since he famously questioned the cojones of Arsene Wenger’s team.
Deeney couldn’t care less if Arsenal fans like him now after helping end Liverpool’s Invincibles bidCredit: Getty
Watford inflicted Liverpool’s first league defeat of the seasonCredit: Reuters
So the fact that he had just helped to preserve the Invincibles’ place in football history meant less than nothing to him.
Social media was awash with grateful Arsenal fans thanking him for helping to inflict Liverpool’s first league defeat of the season.
But Deeney was having none of it and said: “Arsenal fans like me now? There’s a first.
“I suppose this result is significant for people who care about the Invincibles thing but I’m not bothered what the Arsenal fans think.
“Everyone had written us off before this game and said we were going to get hammered.
“I read all the comments and I see all the nonsense that people write on social media.
“Now they’ll be saying how good we were and that they knew we could win this game. But they’re all full of s***.”
There was never any danger of football’s straightest talker getting carried away by this stunning result — inspired by Tyson Fury and a day of downward dog.
Deeney, 31, revealed: “In the build-up to this game, we had our least demanding week in months, and that’s the God’s honest truth.
“On Thursday we came away from the training ground and went to the Nuffield Health club for a day of yoga and swimming.
“Everyone was putting too much pressure on this game and the gaffer wanted to clear our minds.
“That was testimony to his man-management and not getting caught up in all the hype over the importance of winning this match.
“When we were planning for the game, we took our lead from Tyson Fury. We thought we were going to go on the front foot and have it out with them.
“They had some monstrous players but we put on a monstrous performance and I think they had one shot on target all day.
“It was our best team performance for many seasons. From front to back, everyone was an eight or nine out of ten.
“So it’s been a perfect weekend but let’s call it as it is. We got a bit lucky and they were a bit off. Let’s not act like they were at their best.
“Liverpool are an unbelievable side. European champions, World Club Champions and soon to be Prem Champions.
“Just because they’re not Invincibles doesn’t mean they’re anything less.
“So I’m not going to be disrespectful to them because it ends up sticking with me for the next seven years and I’m trying to be a good boy.”
I’ll be p***** off if we get relegated in two months’ time. I won’t be thinking ‘oh, remember that game against Liverpool?’
Deeney on Watford’s win over Liverpool
Deeney’s 72nd-minute strike sealed this famous victory after two goals from the unstoppable Ismaila Sarr had put Watford in total command against the shell-shocked Champions-elect.
That was enough to lift Nigel Pearson’s team out of the relegation zone for only the second time this season.
But Deeney warned this famous victory will count for nothing if Watford don’t back it up at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
He added: “We don’t get an extra point for beating Liverpool and we can’t think it’s job done just because we’re out of the bottom three.
“I’ll be p***** off if we get relegated in two months’ time. I won’t be thinking ‘oh, remember that game against Liverpool?’
“There’s ten games to go and we’ve got to graft. This is just one win. I know what’s coming from Palace on Saturday so we have to roll our sleeves up again.”
Deeney was full of praise for fellow Reds scourge Sarr, who terrified Liverpool’s labouring defence with his blistering pace.
Deeney said: “He cost £40million for a reason and you can’t replicate that pace and power. He’s a really good player but he still has a lot to learn and room to grow.
“This is what Watford do. We buy players of potential. We did it with Richarlison and hopefully Ismaila continues to get better.
“But it’s his first season in English football and he’s taken to it like a duck to water.”
Arsenal apart, there was one other dark cloud for Deeney — with the potential season-ending injury for Gerard Deulofeu.
It is feared the winger, 25, has serious knee ligament damage.
Deeney added: “It doesn’t look great — I said to him at half-time that we would win this for him and thankfully today I’m a man of my word.”
Major shock as Watford end Liverpool’s 44-game unbeaten Premier League run
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
