Tottenham Hotspur cruised to a 4-1 win over Watford on Sunday afternoon thanks to a couple of goals apiece from Harry Kane and Dele Alli.
Kane deservedly opened the scoring for the Lilywhites 27 minutes in and was quick to add a second soon after from a close-range volley.
Spurs made sure of the points before the half-time interval when Alli slotted home, before doubling his personal tally early in the second period to render Younes Kaboul's late goal as nothing more than a consolation.
Relive how the 90 minutes of action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text coverage below.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Watford and Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road. The Hornets head into this game sitting 12th in the table, while visitors Spurs have hit the winning trail of late and can move into the top four - temporarily, at least - with victory in this early kickoff in Hertfordshire.
Chelsea made it 13 wins on the bounce on Saturday, but something had to give in the meeting between Liverpool and Manchester City in yesterday evening's huge showdown. The Reds prevailed 1-0 in the end to - according to some - rule the Citizens out of the title race and essentially now make it a two-way tussle at the top. Tottenham will still have the faintest of hopes of making up the gap on the leaders, though a top-four finish has to be the priority.
TEAM NEWS!
WATFORD XI: Gomes, Kaboul, Prodl, Cathcart, Zuniga, Capoue, Guedioura, Holebas, Amrabat, Doucoure, Deeney
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR XI: Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Rose, Dier, Wanyama, Eriksen, Dele, Son, Kane
Let us start by checking out the visiting team, which shows a number of changes from the comfortable win against Southampton earlier this week. Kieran Trippier, Kevin Wimmer and Toby Alderweireld all come into the back four, with Danny Rose the only player to retain his place in that backline from last time out. Son Heung-min also comes in for Moussa Sissoko, starting alongside Eric Dier in the middle - his preferred position following a stint in the heart of defence.
There is a 100th Premier League appearance for Harry Kane, who have scored seven in his last eight outings in January - usually the month that he truly kick-starts his campaign. The Englishman has bagged 57 goals in those previous 99 appearances - three of which came during a loan spell with Norwich City - and will be looking to improve on those impressive stats even more this afternoon. Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Son provide the attacking support.
Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker are both suspended for this lunchtime kickoff after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season at St Mary's Stadium a few days back, so boss Mauricio Pochettino had little choice but to chop and change things at the back with those three fresh faces. The return of Alderweireld is a major positive for the visitors, however, as he has shaken off injury and illness to finally take his place in the starting lineup.
Switching attention to the home side now and there is news of a full Premier League debut for Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield. Craig Cathcart, Troy Deeney and Juan Camilo Zuniga are the other three players to come into the starting lineup from the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend, with manager Walter Mazzarri reeling from the fact that as many as nine first-team players are currently out injured.
Valon Behrami, Daryl Janmaat, Adrian Mariappa, Roberto Pereyra, Isaac Success and Ben Watson were all confirmed out in the build-up to the match, while Miguel Britos is currently suspended and can therefore play no part. There had been question marks over the fitness of Stefano Okaka and Craig Cathcart, but the latter does make the cut this afternoon and takes his place in the starting lineup.
Some stability between the sticks, at least, where Heurelho Gomes retains his place after some recent goalkeeping heroics. The Brazilian has now kept out nine of the last 30 penalties faces, putting him behind only Arsenal legend David Seaman in that regard. Plenty of changes made by Mazzarri elsewhere, though, which is far from ideal when welcoming one of the division's in-form sides right now.
BENCH WATCH!
WATFORD SUBS: Pantilimon, Sinclair, Ighalo, Kabasele, Mason, Stewart, Rowan
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Dembele, Winks, Sissoko, Janssen
This will be Cathcart's first start since the meeting with Burnley in September, so it remains to be seen just how fit he is right now. Mazzarri was not lying when he listed the number of potential absentees pre-match, as he is forced to name a trio of academy graduates on his bench - Brandon Mason, Carl Stewart, and Charlie Rowan. Spurs, on the other hand, have Vincent Janssen, Mousa Dembele and Sissoko among their back-up options should they be required at one point.
Both managers largely forced into making changes for this early New Year's Day kickoff at Vicarage Road, then, with Mauricio Pochettino bringing in four new faces - including three in the backline - and opposite number Walter Mazzarri also bringing in four pairs of fresh legs. The Hornets' bench is particularly depleted, meanwhile, as a trio of academy graduates take their place on the bench.
Spurs fans would have watched yesterday's games unfolding in the Premier League hoping for slip-ups from Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as a draw between Liverpool and Manchester City. In the end things did not go to plan, as United closed the gap on the Lilywhites with a late victory over Middlesbrough, while the current league leaders also showed yet again why they are such strong favourites for the title with an entertaining 4-2 win over Stoke City in West London.
All that leaves Spurs sitting in fifth place and still one point adrift of the top four, with Arsenal - who are in action at home to Crystal Palace a little later - occupying that final Champions League berth. Pushing on from last season was the pre-season target for the Lilywhites, but merely keeping up with those elite sides at the top has been a challenge in itself thus far. Pochettino's men finally have a chance to overhaul their North London rivals this afternoon, even if it is just for a few hours.
A 12-game unbeaten run was a great win to kick off the season for Spurs, even if they did draw too many games during that streak - four in a row at one point between October and November. That was soon followed up by back-to-back away defeats against Chelsea and Manchester United, however, leaving them playing catch up with less than a half of the season played. But Pochettino's charges have stuck to the task at hand and won each of their last three games, leaving them on the brink of climbing into the top four.
As well as winning their last three, it is four victories in five for the Lilywhites - a good run of form at a time in the season when they truly kicked on last time out, staging a push for the title that stuttered and finally faded away in the closing two weeks. This is another winnable game in which Pochettino will be targeting maximum points, particularly knowing that the return fixture with Chelsea is up next in just a few days' time. Win both the New Year outings and the title race will all of a sudden be a tad more exciting.
The 4-1 win over Southampton earlier this week - a match that actually saw the Lilywhites fall behind a little over a minute into the match - showed that the attacking talents are now on song and you would very much back Spurs to put in a repeat showing this afternoon. Last year may have ended without silverware and the disappointment of exiting the Champions League early on, but they still accrued a total of 71 points from their 37 league games - Spurs' highest-ever Prem tally in a calendar year.
DID YOU KNOW? Watford do not boast the greatest of records at the start of a new calendar year, losing their opening game in each of the last five seasons. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, have won each of their last four matches on New Year's Day, most recently beating Chelsea 5-3 in a real thriller two years ago. The Lilywhites have not lost their opening fixture of a New Year since defeat to Wigan Athletic in 2009.
Tottenham Hotspur kicked off their season with a 12-game unbeaten run, but back-to-back away defeats at the hands of Chelsea and Manchester United left them playing catch up in the race for a top-four finish. It remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites have any hope of challenging for the title over the coming months, with Chelsea doing their best to make it a one-horse race, but for now all Mauricio Pochettino and his men can do is continue winning games after recently getting things back on track.
While Spurs have a couple of targets to aim for, it is a little more difficult to work out what exactly the overriding ambition is for opponents Watford. In many ways, that could well prove to be their downfall as motivation levels do appear to have dropped quite significantly in recent weeks. It has been a mixed campaign for them on the whole, but ending the year in 12th place - with this game in hand to come - was certainly not a bad achievement.
Victory today will send the Hornets up to ninth place, in fact, which I am sure the owners would take if offered to them. Mazzarri has learned a few lessons along the way, yet there is a sense that things are beginning to slide a little since their impressive start to the campaign. Watford were on the brink of a European spot after beating champions Leicester City 2-1 in November, remember, but they have since fallen down to their current position of 12th.
One win in their last six, of which four have ended in defeat, has left Watford in a difficult position. Mazzarri now needs to motivate his players and gear them up for a potential top-half finish, though the 1-1 draw to Palace here last weekend only went to emphasise the sluggish nature of their recent performances. That said, the Londoners have a nice run of fixtures to come after this one and they are surely free on any relegation worries.
I have already mentioned Watford's poor recent record to begin a new year - five defeats in a row - but perhaps the one thing on Mazzarri's mind more than anything else right now is his side's disappointing defensive record. Three clean sheets in their last 23, with all three of those coming in succession at the end of October, has made life difficult for the Italian; made even tougher by the form of his forward duo of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo - five between them this term compared to 19 at the same stage last season.
Watford have let in 30 goals in all so far this season, which is 12 more than after the 18-game stage last time out. Up the other end 22 goals have been scored, but getting Deeney and Ighalo back on the scoring trail is the real key to ending this recent disappointing run of form. Mazzarri may well turn to new players in the transfer market, though the Hornets boast a huge squad - albeit one that has been massively depleted by injuries and suspensions for this New Year's Day clash.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS! Watford have never beaten Tottenham Hotspur in a Premier League match, drawing twice and losing the other four. The Hornets have also scored just three goals across those six matches, with their last league win of any sort coming in May 1987. The sides also met at the midway stage 12 months ago; Spurs coming out on top in that one thanks to Son Heung-min's winner.
With kickoff now exactly 10 minutes away at Vicarage Road, let us turn attention to some pre-match thoughts from both camps.
Walter Mazzarri: "The club already knows the situation. We will try to get some players in as soon as possible. January is very difficult, you need to think of not getting players for only a few months, but also about the future. The club knows what to do and we will try to do it as soon as possible."
Mauricio Pochettino: "For us this is the most important game to try and reduce the gap on the top four. We need to be focused on Watford, that's the most important thing for us. Chelsea are a long way ahead. It will be tough for all the contenders. They have a good gap to second and 10 points to us but we'll fight to reduce the gap."
Pochettino's men recently had a prolonged break over the Christmas programme - a real rarity at this time of the year when the fixtures usually tend to come thick and fast. Spurs do have three games in a week, however, which started in the best way possible courtesy of that impressive 4-1 win on the South Coast. Pochettino is now eager to see the winning run continue, with that meeting with Chelsea next week a real blockbuster in the making.
Mazzarri making it quite clear that he wants some new additions this month, with nine first-team players currently absent from the squad. Having to name three academy graduates on the bench is far from ideal, but we at least get the chance to see full debutant Doucoure this afternoon. Watford are at risk of drifting down the table at this point, having won just won of their last six games.
PREDICTION! Watford have not fared too well in this fixture down the years, going 30 years since their last league victory over Tottenham. Scoring against the Lilywhites has also been a problem, which I believe will prove to be the case in this latest showdown as the visitors will run out 2-0 winners. Spurs simply have too much quality in attack and now have the ability to bounce back even when they suffer an early deficit, as witnessed at St Mary's Stadium a few days ago.
Both sets of players are now out on the field of play, with kickoff now just a couple of minutes away. News of a late change to bring you as far as the visitors are concerned, as Camilo Zuniga has been replaced by Odion Ighalo in the starting lineup, presumably due to some sort of injury problem for the Colombian. Spurs have not suffered any late setbacks, with boss Pochettino making four alterations from the win over Southampton.
KICKOFF! We are up and running at Vicarage Road, where both sides are sporting their traditional home colours. Tottenham Hotspur starting on top, getting their foot on the ball early on and attempting to expose the Watford backline.
Spurs win themselves a free kick in a dangerous crossing position, which is swung into a promising position. Former Tottenham goalkeeper Gomes was decisive and quickly raced off his line to punch the ball well clear.
Almost a disaster at the back for the hosts, as Prodl boots his clearance straight into his own teammate. Son quickly pounced but could not really bring the ball under control on the edge of the opposition box.
SAVE! The first on-target attempt of the match comes via the boot of Son, who was given plenty of room to work away a shot right down the middle. Gomes had to get down to collect the ball, no doubt furious at his defenders for failing to close down the Spurs ace.
Rose gets to the ball ahead of Amrabat and earns his side a free kick which ultimately comes to little. Spurs certainly looking the brighter of the two teams, having settled into their stride in the opening nine minutes or so.
PENALTY APPEAL! A big shout for a Spurs penalty is rejected by referee Michael Oliver. Eriksen got on the end of a cutback and blasted a shot goalwards, which appeared to come off the arm of Capoue and behind. A tad fortunate to escape punishment for that!
Watford yet to truly get going in front of their supporters, with Spurs looking very comfortable at the moment - certainly more comfortable than a few days back in that win over Southampton when falling behind 69 seconds into the match.
Kane comes deep to collect the ball in acres of space, eventually getting in a shot which ends a yard or so wide of the target. The Lilywhites growing more and more into the game now as they look for that early breakthrough goal.
Not the greatest of playing conditions, with the rain coming down heavily now and the wind also swirling around. Still no change to the way this one is panning out - Tottenham looking bright but not truly troubling Gomes thus far.
Better from Watford, who look to put an attacking move together, but normal service is soon resumed when the visitors win back the ball. The visitors boasting nearly three-quarters of the possession across the opening quarter of this contest.
Alderweireld goes direct but can only send his diagonal pass straight through to Gomes. Still just the one attempt on target so far at Vicarage Road - Son being denied by Gomes from long range a little earlier.
Deeney's knockdown so nearly latched on to by Ighalo, but it had just a little too much on it and Lloris was able to collect. Tottenham lost their way a little over the past few minutes in a game that has yet to truly get going.
SHOT! Disappointment for Spurs, as a couple of bright moments come to nothing. First, Alli decided against taking on the shot and laid it off to a teammate instead, which proved to be the wrong choice. Moments later it was worked to Rose inside the box, but his shot was smashed over the crossbar.
Alderweireld's latest diagonal is this time right on the money as he picks out Dier inside the box. The England international was only interested in knocking it down for a teammate, rather than aiming to loft it over Gomes who had raced out.
SHOT! Having scored five goals in his last six Premier League outings, you cannot blame Eriksen for taking on this shot from range. It was very well struck, but in the end it had a little too much on it and ended narrowly over the bar.
GOAL! WATFORD 0-1 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (HARRY KANE)
Just moments after Alli sent a rocket of a shot against the post, Trippier slipped the ball through for Kane inside the box. The angle was against the Englishman but he gave Gomes the eyes and beat his ex-teammate at the front post.
Pure domination from Tottenham now, who were very much good value for their breakthrough goal. Watford yet to offer anything, instead sitting off their opponents and focusing almost exclusively on defending at the moment.
Alli with a fine little flick over the top for Kane, but the Spurs striker could not quite get any contact on the ball. Spurs need to score a second because Watford will surely only improve over the remaining hour or so of this match.
GOAL! WATFORD 0-2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (HARRY KANE)
Tottenham, and Harry Kane in particular, are really up for this one. The visitors have themselves a second of the afternoon - a deserved second, it must be said - via an identical route to the first; Trippier sending in a cross for Kane to volley into the top corner from a few yards out.
Such a one-sided first half so far in Hertfordshire, with Watford offering absolutely nothing. They may have injury issues to contend with but the motivation levels from those on the field are just non-existent at the moment.
Tottenham's first scare of the afternoon after a poor piece of defending from Alderweireld. The Belgian's headed clearance went backwards and was nearly pounced on by Deeney, only for Kane - who else? - to produce a huge interception.
Spurs are now up to third place in the table, so even if Arsenal do win later they will still remain in the Champions League berths overnight. Still a long way to go but the hosts only really look like adding to their goals tally.
CHANCE! This one should have been put to bed before half time. A perfect free-kick delivery into the box was met by Son, who sent his volley from close range inches wide of the post. Really should have been scoring from there!
GOAL! WATFORD 0-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (DELE ALLI)
Son could not quite seal the points a few minutes ago, but Alli has surely done just that. Watford are playing so shockingly bad, proving the victims of their own downfall yet again as Alli latched on to a weak Kaboul clearance and slotted past Gomes.
YELLOW CARD! A risk of Watford's player losing their heads with the game as good as over. Jose Holebas stamped on the boot of Eriksen to rightly earn the first yellow of the afternoon. Spurs have enjoyed 81% of possession so far.
HALF TIME: WATFORD 0-3 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Referee Michael Oliver blows for half time, bringing an end to 45 minutes completely dominated by Tottenham Hotspur. The Lilywhites were on top from the off and they managed to turn possession into goals in a 15-minute blitz, courtesy of a Harry Kane brace and Dele Alli's nicely-taken finish. Things will only get worse for Watford at this rate - they have been shocking.
Tottenham were soon into their groove and completely dominating possession in the opening 10 minutes, coming close to an opener when Son Heung-min picked up the ball in space and sent it down the middle for Heurelho Gomes to save. The visitors felt that they should have had a penalty soon after as Christian Eriksen's shot was blocked by the arm of Etienne Capoue, but referee Michael Oliver's decision to reject the appeals would matter little.
Possession turned into chances in a three-goal 14-minute blitz as, after Danny Rose sent a shot over the bar from a good position and Dele Alli fired one against the upright, Harry Kane finally bagged a deserved opener. Kieran Trippier, one of three players drafted into the backline from last time out, slipped the ball into the path of Kane who simply gave Gomes the eyes and placed the ball past his ex-teammate at the near post.
That combination would prove fruitful for Spurs again shortly after the half-hour mark - Trippier this time sending in a cross from the right for Kane to volley into the top corner after slipping between his two markers. Things were about to get even worse for Watford, though, as Dele Alli capitalised on a weak Younes Kaboul header and tucked the ball past the reach of Gomes - the first time in 20 years Spurs have taken a three-goal lead into the interval.
Watford have actually trailed by three goals on two previous occasions this term, so they are no strangers to disappointing starts to a game. Walter Mazzarri must surely be tempted to make a couple of changes at the break, while Mauricio Pochettino has the luxury of being able to rest some of his key players should he wish.
WATFORD SUBS: Pantilimon, Sinclair, Ighalo, Kabasele, Mason, Stewart, Rowan
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUBS: Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Dembele, Winks, Sissoko, Janssen
RESTART! Tottenham Hotspur get us back up and running at Vicarage Road in a match that is as good as over at this midway point. Watford, surprisingly, have not made any changes at the break - even if they do have few alternatives - so it is as you were.
GOAL! WATFORD 0-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (DELE ALLI)
Oh dear, Watford. This defending is comical, it really is. A ball from the right somehow finds its way to Alli near the back post and, after initially struggling to bring the ball under control, the Englishman thumped it home for his second of the match - Tottenham's fourth.
Deeney is picked out inside the box but cannot quite pivot and shoot. That is the best we have seen from the hosts all afternoon, which says an awful lot about just how poor they have been. We could see another three or four at this rate.
Son desperate to join the party but he is put off by Cathcart and can only swipe the ball wide. Up the other end, it is a similar story as Ighalo - still with just the one goal this term - curls one wide on the intended target.
Pochettino must be tempted to take off Kane and Alli - his two star performers - with one eye on the upcoming meeting with Chelsea. On the other hand, his players are playing with confidence and he may not want to disrupt the momentum.
SAVE! Spurs win a free kick around 20 yards from goal, which Kane wins the battle to take. The Englishman is denied a hat-trick by a strong Gomes hand down low, so Tottenham's wait for an inevitable fifth goes on.
Goal difference could well play a big part come the end of the season, and Spurs have done themselves no harm in that regard this week - +7 goals now added to their tally. Third place is currently theirs; fourth if Arsenal beat Palace later today.
Spurs have not particularly looked like scoring a fifth goal, in truth, but that is largely because they know their work is done. No need to go in search of another, with another clean sheet now likely to be the priority.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! Pochettino makes the change many had been expecting - Harry Winks coming on in place of two-goal hero Dele Alli. Expect to see Kane follow in the next 10-15 minutes, with the points firmly in the bag.
YELLOW CARD! Deeney and Ighalo showing signs of their partnership coming back to life with the odd flick-on, but it has not been good enough on the whole. Sebastian Prodl the second Watford player to be booked after catching Son late.
SUBS! Mazzarri has waited long enough and has decided to now introduce some young blood, bringing on Brandon Mason in place of Holebas. Spurs also make a change, with Ben Davies taking the place of Danny Rose at full-back.
Pochettino giving breathers to Alli and Rose so far, then, with the Tottenham backline now completely changed to their win over Southampton - how's that for strength in depth. Surely a good time to bring on an out-of-confidence Vincent Janssen.
Mason does very well when left one-on-one with Son inside the box, showing the South Korean down the right and preventing his side from conceding a fifth. Twenty minutes left and Watford will just be happy to here the full-time whistle.
Kane gets in behind but sees his cutback intercepted by a Watford player. We have seen very little goalmouth action this half, other than Alli's second of the match just seconds after the restart. Amrabat catches Wimmer late but avoids a booking.
Nordin Amrabat has decided to stay down and pleads to the bench to take him off. A short break in play ensues, and it looks as though the injured Watford ace will get his wish as Jerome Sinclair is being readied to come on.
WATFORD SUB! Amrabat finally makes way, replaced by Jerome Sinclair - a player who looks likely to be plying his trade in the Championship come the end of this month if recent press reports are to be believed.
Spurs still looking incredibly comfortable, as had been the case since the first whistle. As soon as Kane opened the scoring you just knew they were going to enjoy themselves against an out-of-form Watford.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUB! No hat-trick for Kane, who is replaced by Janssen a little later than expected. Prior to that alteration, Son blasted wide when picked out inside the box. Ten minutes left to go in this one-sided affair.
WATFORD SUB! Mazzarri turns to Kabasele for the closing stages of the match, taking the place of Capoue. Think everyone in the ground will be happy to hear the full-time whistle around about now for differing reasons.
Eric Dier fancies his chances and tries a shot from 25 yards out, which ends high in the stands. Still just the two shots on target in this second half, while Lloris has not had to make a single stop all afternoon.
Not quite sure if this counts as a shot on target from the initial viewing, as Kabou's attempt looked to be creeping wide before Lloris collected. Lloris spilled a cross from the next attacking wave, but the flag had already gone up anyway.
Tottenham just playing keep ball now as we enter the final two minutes of normal time. One of the most straightforward of games they will play all term, with the points in the bag before we had even reached the midway point in Hertfordshire.
GOAL! WATFORD 1-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (YOUNES KABOUL)
Disappointment for Spurs, as they concede a goal right at the death. Kaboul looked to get the telling touch to a cross into the box, but it was helped over the line by a Watford player regardless. Lloris furious with both himself and his teammates.
FULL TIME: WATFORD 1-4 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
The full-time whistle sounds at Vicarage Road, meaning a fourth victory in succession for Tottenham Hotspur ahead of their huge meeting with London rivals Chelsea in midweek. Younes Kaboul did score a late consolation for his side but that very much flattered Watford, who would have lost by more had Spurs not taken their foot off the gas in the second half.
That concludes Sports Mole's live text coverage of events at Vicarage Road. A full on-the-whistle report can be found by clicking here, while updates from the match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace are available here. Enjoy!
