David De Gea has reportedly been sniffing around for a raise to bring him up to the pay grade of Manchester United’s top earners and his performance at Vicarage Road this evening will surely serve as a more effective negotiating method than scarcely anything else.
There were two picks from his clutch of saves he made that bookended his side’s 2-1 win.
The first of those came twelve minutes into the first half, with the Spaniard reacting quickly to turn a Troy Deeney strike that looked a goal in waiting over the woodword. That kept the game scoreless and the visitors went on to take hold of the game and went in two goals to the good at the half.
A resurgent Watford caused them countless more problems with their direct style in the second forty-five though, and a nervy end to the game led to them relying on the instincts of their stopper once more.
With the game in injury time, midfielder Nemanja Matic launched into a reckless challenge on Will Hughes of Watford and was sent to the stands for a second yellow. The resulting wicked free-kick from Hughes landed on the head of Christian Kabasele who surely must have thought he scored as time stood more or less still and the ball lobbed towards the net with seconds left.
But the Spanish international pulled out another sensational stop to secure three points from a side that desperately needed after a ramshackle start to the season.
The ex-Red players on duty in the BT studio were effusive in his praise after the game.
“The best bit of business United will ever do is keeping hold of him, he puts them points on the board,” said Tom Cleverley who surely had mixed emotions while watch his current side play her former one.
“I love him, he’s the best. They’ll be going in the dressing room and saying thank you David, thank you for getting us three points,” added Rio Ferdinand.
Greater challenges await for United, to be sure, but a resurgent De Gea who appears to be coming back to the boil after a well-noted slump, will prove invaluable to them.
