Watford 3 Everton 2: Stefano Okaka and Romelu Lukaku bag doubles, but it’s Watford who triumph in five-goal thriller

STEFANO OKAKA scored his first Premier League goals in six years, one a superb back heel finish, to help Watford to a dramatic 3-2 victory against Everton at Vicarage Road

Romelu Lukaku also finished with a brace, but his Everton side ended up going back to Merseyside pointless.

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Everton took the lead in the 17th minute when he was laid in by Gareth Barry, and the Belgian kept his cool to slot past Heurelho Gomes in the Watford goal.

But the Hornets came back buzzing, and the equaliser was a special one as Stefano Okaka pirouhetted in the box and backheel flicked the ball home.

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And the hosts moved into the lead when 14 minutes into the second period, Sebastian Prodl headed home from a free-kick, his first goal of the season.

It got even better just four minutes later when that man Okaka scored his second, heading home from a Holebas free-kick. Lukaku scored his second in the 86th minute, but the Hornets held on.

Fact, stats, goals and lols

• Now Watford fans know why the Hornets signed striker Stefano Okaka. The Italian's back heeled goal was a classic. His second wasn't bad either.
• Everton are already missing the pace and power of injured Yannick Bolasie. He could have done so much more damage to Watford.
  

  

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• Twenty-nine year itch - the Hornets hadn't beaten the Toffees in any competition since March 1987 when they won won 2-1 at Vicarage Road in the old first division.
• Watford chief Walter Mazzarri headed into the game hoping to miss an unwanted hat-trick - he had a player sent off in the previous two games.
• Everton full-back Leighton Baines fancies himself as a photographer - but there wouldn't have been that much for him to snap in this game.
• Hornets skipper Troy Deeney was looking for a double knockout - a win over Everton and victory for his heavyweight boxer pal Anthony Joshua who is defending his IBF title in Manchester tonight.

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• At least Everton felt at home at the start. Both sides run out at their home grounds to the same music - the theme from Seventies TV police series Z cars.
• Mazzarri has declared a state of emergency because of Watford's injuries but he needn't dial 999 just yet.
• Is Romelu Lukaku getting bigger? He appears to have been on the weights.
• Sebastian Prodl's goal meant Watford had two scorers who appeared at Euro 2016 - Prodl for Austria and Okaka for Italy.

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Big Picture

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Social Says

Dream Team Ratings

Watford: Gomes, 6; Zuñiga, 6 (Kabasele, 93, 6), Prödl 8, Britos 6, Holebas 8, Guédioura 7 (Daryl Janmaat (60, 5), Behrami 6, Capoue 6, Amrabat 8, Deeney 6, Okaka 9 (Watson 81, 6).

Subs: Success, Sinclair, Ighalo, Pantilimon.

Booked: Guédioura, Holebas.

Goals: Okaka (36, 64), Prodl 59.

Everton: Stekelenburg 6; Coleman 5, Williams 7, Funes Mori 7, Baines, 5 (Lennon, 83 7), Gueye, 6 (Barkley, 64, 6), Barry 7, Deulofeu 7, McCarthy 6, Mirallas, 6 (Valencia, 71, 6.), R Lukaku 7.

Subs: Robles, Jagielka, Cleverley, Holgate.

Booked: Deulofeu, Baines.

Goals: Lukaku (17, 86).

What They Said

Watford goalscorer Stefano Okaka told Sky Sports:“It was a little bit difficult in the beginning because for a long time I didn’t play, but it was a fantastic game and to win is so important."

On his spectacular first goal: "I have scored three or four times like that. It’s amazing.

"I know my quality and my team-mates know my quality. In Italy I was injured, but when I was in the picture everybody helped me.”