Stoke 2-0 Watford Premier League Match Results and Highlights

⚽ Stoke end winless run with victory over Watford

Peter Crouch has scored twice in two games for Stoke

Stoke ended a five-game winless run in the Premier League with victory over Watford to move above the visitors in the table.

Defender Ryan Shawcross opened the scoring for the Potters with a smart left-footed half-volley from Charlie Adam's corner seconds before half-time.

Peter Crouch prodded in a second after Watford defender Sebastian Prodl bizarrely opted to leave a low Adam cross in the area.

Prodl then headed wide at the other end, but that was the closest the Hornets came to scoring.

Jonathan Walters could have extended Stoke's lead when he ran clear from a Crouch flick-on, but Heurelho Gomes tipped his right-footed strike wide.

It means Watford have now won just once in their past eight league games.

EPL Table As It Stands

See The Full Premier League Table Here.

Match Highlights

Stoke stop the rot

Stoke were without a win since 3 December, having conceded four in defeats at Liverpool and Chelsea over the festive period, but Mark Hughes will be encouraged by a convincing home performance.

The Welshman called on the Potters to cut out the "catastrophic errors" that had seen them concede 10 goals in their previous three games, and they looked solid against a Watford side who could only muster two shots on target.

Hughes stuck with the 3-4-3 formation used at Stamford Bridge four days earlier, and with forward Marko Arnautovic back in the side after a three-game ban the Potters were a constant threat.

The Austria international has created more chances for Stoke this season than any of his team-mates bar Xherdan Shaqiri, and his threat in the attacking third saw him make three key passes and deliver seven crosses against a Hornets side struggling to deal with his unpredictability.

However, it was the precise passing of Adam that led to both of Stoke's goals, the Scottish midfielder twice curling in left-footed deliveries that the visitors failed to defend.

Manager quotes

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes: "We have played better and been beaten in recent weeks. We got goals at good times and then saw the game out quite comfortably. We didn't really have to deal with too many moments of anxiety.

"It's good to get a clean sheet, because we have shipped some poor goals in recent weeks."

On the prospect of Peter Crouch being offered a new contract: "Peter has been playing really well and if you put balls in the right areas you know he is going to get on the end of things. I am sure we will get something done - he is playing as well as he ever has done."

Watford head coach Walter Mazzarri: "We played well, but two episodes, two mistakes, and they managed to score goals. We could have scored before them and we didn't do it, but we demonstrated we can play against a difficult team like Stoke.

"We have to keep going and give everything for the next match. Nothing is going our way, so it is just a period we are not lucky but we need to change this. We have many injuries, so it is not a positive period."

What next?

Stoke welcome Wolves in the FA Cup third round on Saturday (15:00 GMT) and then travel to Sunderland in the Premier League the following week.

Watford host Championship side Burton Albion in the cup, before returning to league action at home to Middlesbrough a week on Saturday.

More on Stoke vs. Watford
[tab] [content title="Match Stats"]

[/content] [content title="Shot & Goal Locations"]

[/content] [content title="Possession & Shooting"]

[/content] [content title="Line-ups"]

[/content] [/tab]


BBC contributed to this match report.