Manchester City vs Watford: A Tale of Two Halves

It was a tale of two halves as Manchester City came from behind to beat Watford 2-1 in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Watford took the lead in the fifth minute through Jeremy Doku, but City equalized through Matheus Nunes in the 38th minute. Tom Ince put Watford back in front in the 86th minute, but City leveled again through a penalty from Riyad Mahrez in the 90th minute.
City dominated the first half, but they were unable to find a way past a resolute Watford defense. The visitors took the lead against the run of play when Doku fired home from close range.
City continued to press in the second half, and they eventually got their reward when Nunes headed home from a corner. Watford then took the lead again through Ince, but City refused to give up. They were awarded a penalty in the dying minutes after Joao Pedro was adjudged to have handled the ball in the area. Mahrez stepped up to take the spot-kick, and he coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
The win was City's first in the Carabao Cup this season, and it will give them confidence ahead of their Premier League match at home to Brighton on Saturday. Watford will be disappointed to have lost, but they can take heart from their performance against one of the best teams in the country.
Key Moments
* 5' - Watford take the lead through Jeremy Doku
* 38' - City equalize through Matheus Nunes
* 86' - Watford take the lead again through Tom Ince
* 90' - City equalize again through a penalty from Riyad Mahrez
Match Reaction
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "I'm happy with the win, but we need to improve our finishing. We had a lot of chances to score, but we didn't take them. We need to be more clinical in front of goal."
Watford manager Slaven Bilic: "I'm proud of my players. They played their hearts out, and they deserved something from the game. We were unlucky not to win, but we can take heart from our performance."

Manchester City showed their fighting spirit to come from behind and beat Watford in the Carabao Cup. The win will give them confidence ahead of their Premier League match at home to Brighton on Saturday. Watford will be disappointed to have lost, but they can take heart from their performance against one of the best teams in the country.