Nigel Pearson’s Plain Speaking and Tactical Rejig Reap Rewards at Watford

 Nigel Pearson embraces Troy Deeney after Watford’s win over Wolves. ‘For the first time in eight years I have been treated like a proper man,’ says the forward. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Nigel Pearson embraces Troy Deeney after Watford’s win over Wolves. ‘For the first time in eight years I have been treated like a proper man,’ says the forward. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
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Nigel Pearson’s Plain Speaking and Tactical Rejig Reap Rewards at Watford

 Nigel Pearson embraces Troy Deeney after Watford’s win over Wolves. ‘For the first time in eight years I have been treated like a proper man,’ says the forward. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Nigel Pearson embraces Troy Deeney after Watford’s win over Wolves. ‘For the first time in eight years I have been treated like a proper man,’ says the forward. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

As recently as early November, Bournemouth were seventh in the Premier League and flying. Manchester United had just been beaten 1-0 thanks to Josh King’s volley and a third successive clean sheet, and the Cherries were 11 impressive games into what looked set to be another season of overachievement. “We felt we needed that win,” said Eddie Howe. “For our own confidence and impetus into our season I think that was a really key game today.”

His team’s defending in particular was a source of satisfaction. “We’re very pleased with our last three defensive performances,” he continued. “We have to do it on a consistent basis. Three games isn’t enough. We need to be looking after 20, 25 games of this season and showing a vast improvement to last year to really say that we’ve turned a corner. So it’s early steps, but the signs look good.”

They are now 21 games into the season, and the signs no longer look good. The 10 league matches played since have featured one clean sheet, one victory and eight defeats. With four points they have what is comfortably the division’s worst record since that United match, and after losing 4-0 at West Ham on New Year’s Day they dropped into the bottom three for the first time.

On Sunday Bournemouth come up against a Watford team who have had an almost exactly opposing experience. Bottom of the league in early November with five points from 11 games, they have the division’s seventh-best record since. The start of the Hornets’ upturn does not quite coincide with that of the Cherries’ collapse. Their improvement has accelerated markedly after Nigel Pearson’s appointment as their third manager of the season in early December – more than 50% of their total points tally for the season has come from their last four games, the team sustaining over the festive period the impetus given to them by a home win over Manchester United.

On the morning of 22 December the sides were separated by 10 points; if the Hornets win at the Vitality Stadium three weeks later they will be two clear.

Bournemouth have had to cope with an epic injury list, with David Brooks yet to play this season, Charlie Daniels out since August, Nathan Aké hamstrung and King also likely to be out on Sunday – though Howe has suggested that some returns are imminent, perhaps as soon as the Watford game.

But this is a superficial explanation for a deeper decline, most obviously illustrated by the dwindling contributions of Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson. Last season the pair scored 21 goals and created 24, famously manufacturing 12 for each other. Neither player has scored since September – since when the only game either has missed was the victory over Chelsea – and the only goal all season that one has created and the other converted came in a 3-1 defeat at Leicester in August, Wilson the scorer.

So is the threat the pair carry terrifying or trivial? And are Watford preparing to face the seventh-best team in the division, or the worst?

“We’re preparing to play a side that needs a result, that’s playing at home,” says Pearson. “They’ll know that we’ve got players that can cause them problems, in the same way that they’ve got players that can cause us problems.

“Initiative will be important in a game like this, for both sides. I never underestimate or overestimate anybody. Really we have to try and find levels of performance for ourselves first. Because if we don’t do that, it doesn’t matter who we play against in the Premier League, we’re going to have a tough day.”

Pearson contends that the idea of a team being in poor or good form is unhelpfully reductive when they are composed of a group of individuals whose morale will vary, and that anyway tactical discipline is of greater importance. “We’re making an assumption that everybody’s this or everybody’s that, and when you play a team sport there’s going to be a mixture,” he says.

“There’s going to be some players who have doubted their ability, or have not had opportunities. In cricket they talk about batsmen playing themselves back into nick, and some of our players are going to have to play themselves back into form if that’s how you want to put it. But you can have players occasionally having an off day as an individual – if they’re still doing what the team requires in terms of the shape, in possession, out of possession, you can still function. Not to your maximum but you’ve still got a chance of getting results, just because the framework’s there.”

Troy Deeney has said that, since Pearson’s arrival, “for the first time in eight years I have been treated like a proper man”, while Ben Foster said: “We knew we’d got the players, we just needed someone to basically stick a rocket up us and that’s all it is.” But Pearson has brought more than menace and motivation, replacing the 5-3-2 favoured by Quique Sánchez Flores, under whom the attack was so slow it was basically static, with a framework that relies on resolute defending and in attack the ability of Deeney to bring others into play and on the pacy, tricky Gerard Deulofeu and Ismaïla Sarr causing havoc either in wide positions or coming inside. The 56-year-old former Leicester manager had the good fortune to arrive at the club just as Deeney was returning to full fitness following knee surgery and Sarr enjoying his first extended injury-free run, and both play key roles in the 4-2-1-3 formation he has settled on.

A search for statistical signposts to the two teams’ fluctuating fortunes provides further evidence that, in a league full of counterattacking sides, controlling possession often does not have positive consequences. During Bournemouth’s downturn their possession has increased and their passing accuracy has gone up, as has both the number of passes attempted (from 385 per game in their first 11 matches to 449 subsequently) and successful (from 289 to 357). Yet they are scoring 0.6 goals per game, down from 1.3.

In Watford’s upturn their possession and passing accuracy has gone down, as has both the number of passes attempted (from 403 to 354) and successful (from 311 to 251), yet they are scoring 1.1 goals per game, up from 0.6. In the four games where they have had the greatest possession Watford have lost by an aggregate score of 9-1; Bournemouth have extracted two points from the six games where they have had the ball the most.

But Bournemouth’s decline may not prove terminal, and Watford’s improvement may not be extended; further momentum swings are likely. “When things go well I’m always looking for the next hiccup,” Pearson says. “It’s very important that we keep an element of realism about our own situation still. Long way to go, lots of hard work to do, all those sorts of clichés – but it’s absolutely true.”

The Guardian Sport



Fireworks, Drones and Global Beats Kick Off Esports World Cup in Riyadh

Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Fireworks, Drones and Global Beats Kick Off Esports World Cup in Riyadh

Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Amid thundering music, fireworks and buzzing drones, the inaugural matches of the 2025 Esports World Cup kicked off in Riyadh’s Boulevard City on Wednesday, drawing thousands of fans on the ground and millions more online.

Running through August 24, the global tournament offers a record-breaking prize pool of more than $70 million – the largest in the history of competitive gaming.

Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan welcomed the global gaming community to the 2025 Esports World Cup, calling the tournament a growing symbol of Saudi Arabia’s emergence as a hub for the fast-rising industry.

“It’s a great honor to officially launch the 2025 Esports World Cup,” Prince Faisal said at a press conference in Riyadh. “This event has become an annual gathering for global talent and fans, reinforcing the Kingdom’s position as the world capital of esports and a rising force in this dynamic region.”

Reflecting on last year’s tournament, he said the 2024 edition brought together 1,500 participants and attracted 2.6 million visitors - a first for the industry.

“But that was only the beginning,” he said. “Now, I’m thinking about legacy - what we can do to build something lasting. I’m truly grateful to be part of a team that’s bringing joy to people’s lives and uniting them through esports.”

This year’s event is expected to welcome 2,000 players, 200 teams, and over 100 professional athletes. Prince Faisal said visitor numbers could double in the coming weeks.

“This event brings together the best players, the finest clubs, the strongest teams and the most passionate fans on a single global stage,” said Faisal bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “Tonight, I want to go beyond the surface. I want to share the deeper meaning behind esports and why we’re really here.”

He said the foundation of the Esports World Cup lies in a four-part model built around unity: clubs, teams, players, and delivering the best competitive experience.

“To bring in the most compelling games, we’ve worked closely with publishers to introduce new, high-value titles,” bin Homran added.

“Last year, we welcomed 30 elite clubs into a dedicated program. This year, we’ve expanded into new markets, especially India and China, bringing that number to 40. These clubs help tell the story of the EWC through their journeys, emotions and year-round narratives.”

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation, said the tournament was born from a clear, simple vision: to unite top-tier players from elite clubs worldwide and have them compete across premier titles for life-changing prizes.

The tournament's unique multi-game format is aimed at uniting the international gaming community under one banner.

According to Reichert, the impact of last year’s edition proved what’s possible when players, fans, clubs, publishers, and partners are placed at the heart of the experience. Since then, the event has grown at a pace that has exceeded expectations — not only in terms of games, but also in the scale of its global reach and media coverage.

This year’s tournament is being positioned as the most expansive yet, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, shared purpose, and building a lasting esports legacy.

Backed by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and the host city Riyadh, the event is also contributing to long-term infrastructure, economic growth, and a sustainable gaming ecosystem meant to endure well beyond the competition itself.

At its core, the 2025 Esports World Cup champions a simple yet powerful idea: unifying the global esports and gaming community across borders and titles, while creating a foundation for future generations