Javi Gracia came in for Marco Silva halfway through last season and the Spaniard has transformed Watford into a completely different looking side this season. The transformation is paying high dividends on results as Watford are enjoying a dream start to the season bragging 13 points in 6 games raking in the Top 4 of the young Premier League table.
The Hornets are putting up all round performances where they not only excel in their offensive aspects but also the defensive ones. The duo of Troy Deeney and Andre Gray is doing well in front of goal complemented by Hughes and Pereira from the middle of the park, not to forget the duo of Holebas and Janmaat, who have played influential part in Watford’s goals.
The full-back combination has been successful, they were not only providing support on the back line but are also contributing on the attacking side of Watford’s game – Jose Holebas has four assists and one goal already, where as Daryl Janmaat had one assist in five appearances before going down to knee.
Dutch international is expected to be sidelined until mid-November, as Javi Gracia will have to look for a cover defending on the right. Gracia tried Marc Navarro in the midweek and is expected to start against the Gunners despite limping off with cramps. Kiko Femenia is also an option which Watford can opt for.
Talking about Jose Holebas, he have come a long way to where he is right now, from coming to Watford from Roma in 2014 when The Hornets returned to Premier League to enjoying all the highs and lows with the men in yellow. To the surprise of many – Jose Holebas is 34-years-young, this guy still looks twenty-three when he is chasing back the ball or driving up ahead and he is going to be someone Arsenal will have to control.
Holebas will come up against frisky Hector Bellerin and you just can’t run shoulder to shoulder with him and with technicality of either of Henrikh Mkhitaryan/Mesut Ozil, its normal for a defender to lose his feet – though its a test against his experience and about how can he use it against Arsenal.
