Summary

  • Deeney penalty his 100th Watford goal

  • Gomes saves weak low pen from Benteke

  • Cabaye with low strike across goal

  • Match first of Premier League fixtures

  1. Postpublished at 14:52 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Right then, that's your lot from me for now. 

    But Saturday afternoon is about to go into overdrive - keep up with all the games from the Premier League here, and the EFL here.

  2. 'Happy with the team spirit'published at 14:52 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Watford

    Watford manager Walter Mazzarri, speaking to Sky Sports:

    "Considering everything that happened in the first 10 minutes [15 minutes, when Watford had to make two changes through injury], which has never happened to me in my whole career, that can change any team, so yeah, in the end we are happy.

    "I didn't like the performance of my team but I am happy with how the spirit of the team came out in the second half."  

  3. 'Two points dropped'published at 14:48 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace manager Sam Allardyce, speaking to Sky Sports:

    "It's two points dropped for me. In some ways that's encouraging in your first game, away from home. On the balance of what happened it should have been a win but from our point of view there were too many chances thrown away.

    "The penalty was the big one, to go 2-0 up and then there could have been another penalty we should have had – that might have got us a win. 

    "But overall, if we keep that up we will hopefully turn results into victories. I was looking for the clean sheet but sadly we gave that away by giving them a soft penalty."

  4. Was it a pen?published at 14:46 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace

    Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann, speaking to Sky Sports: 

    Was it a penalty when Wilfried Zaha was booked for simulation? "There were obviously a couple of penalties in the game and a couple more where it's tough for the referee to make those decisions, but I thought we could have had another one.

    "I haven't spoken to Wilf but from where I was it looked like it was."

  5. 'It was 50-50'published at 14:38 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Watford

    Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, speaking to Sky Sports: 

    On the penalty he conceded, then saved: "I come for the ball and he puts his leg first. I don't come to make a foul. It was 50-50 so I wasn't expecting a card for that. 

    "You have to get in the mind of the player that is going to kick. I saw some of Benteke before the game, he came to the ball so slow, I knew that if I waited I could get the right side."

  6. 'A huge relief'published at 14:34 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Watford

    Watford captain Troy Deeney, speaking to Sky Sports: "It's nice to finally get it [his 100th goal for Watford]. I've been having a bit of a stinker recently, so it's a huge weight off my shoulders. I thought I was poor against Sunderland so the gaffer had every right to drop me. The rest was just about digging in and making sure we were still in the game."

    On his penalty: "When you're not having the best of moments in front of goal just smash it down the middle. Thankfully it went in and hopefully we can move on from this." 

  7. Postpublished at 14:30 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Sir Trevor Brooking
    Former West Ham and England midfielder at Vicarage Road

    Watford changed it up playing the two up front - Deeney and Ighalo - they saved the point for them. 

    Sam Allardyce will be slightly frustrated as his side could have tied it up in the first half but I think I have seen enough that Crystal Palace won't be in such a dangerous position in a few weeks time. 

  8. Postpublished at 14:27 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    What does that do for the table I hear you cry (maybe)?

    Crystal Palace stay in 17th, two points clear of the relegation zone now with the rest still to play today. 

    Watford are up two places to 10th. 

  9. FULL-TIMEpublished at 14:25 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Sam AllardyceImage source, PA

    That's it. 

    Honours even. It will feel like two points dropped for Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace. 

    Watford rallied late in the game but were poor for long periods.

  10. Postpublished at 90 mins +4

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Watford are dogged. No quarter given as Palace continue to probe. 

  11. Postpublished at 14:24 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Sir Trevor Brooking
    Former West Ham and England midfielder at Vicarage Road

    I think Christian Benteke missing that penalty was a turning point for Watford and they have just about done enough to hold on but Palace could have won this in the first half. 

  12. Postpublished at 90 mins +3

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Into the final minute of added time we go. Palace recycling the ball. To build-up to one final delivery?

  13. Postpublished at 90 mins +2

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    It's scrappy. Breathless. Panicked. 

    Two minutes for somebody to find a winner. Avoid defeat was Sam Allardyce's aim before this match, he said. That's changed now.

  14. YELLOW CARDpublished at 90 mins +1

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Miguel Britos in the book now, for a foul on Christian Benteke. 

    Palace waste the free-kick. Back with Watford. Just three minutes left...

  15. Postpublished at 90 mins

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON. 

    Jerome Sinclair stabs a volley at goal, stopped by Wayne Hennessey. It was going wide.

  16. Postpublished at 89 mins

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Sam AllardyceImage source, Reuters

    Sam Allarydce still hasn't calmed down from that Wilfried Zaha yellow card. 

    Nordin Amrabat bends in a cross, dealt with. And Palace then somehow manage to win a throw-in on the far side, Watford's momentum stifled. 

    Is there time for either side to find a winner?..

  17. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 14:18 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    MJF: What's the longest Zaha has gone in this game without being fouled? Expect the answer to be in seconds.

    Bishop Yinkus: Flamini made sure he shook Allardice's hand on the touch line to ensure another game for him next match round. 

  18. PENALTY APPEALpublished at 87 mins

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Wilfired ZahaImage source, Reuters

    Martin Kelly takes down a Watford long ball down on his chest and booms it forward. 

    It breaks to Wilfried Zaha, who goes down in the box... Big shouts for a penalty... But referee Mark Clattenburg calls it a dive - that's certainly what it looked like as Miguel Britos came in across to challenge for the ball. 

    Zaha in the book for simulation.

    'It would have been soft but you've seen them given...'

  19. Postpublished at 14:15 Greenwich Mean Time 26 December 2016

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Sir Trevor Brooking
    Former West Ham and England midfielder at Vicarage Road

    Troy Deeney and Odion IghaloImage source, Getty Images

    In the second half one of the key factors has been Deeney and Ighalo playing up front together and I am sure I am not the only person who would like to see this more often.

  20. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 85 mins

    Watford 1-1 Crystal Palace

    Here is the final Watford change though - wing-back Juan Zuniga is coming off, striker Jerome Sinclair coming on. Both sides are going to go for this. 

    Just under FIVE to play.