Watford hosted Tottenham Hotspur on Monday afternoon knowing that victory against the nearby Londoners would put them level on points with them and ever closer to the top four.
It was not to be, though, as the 10-man Hornets lost for the first time in six because of Son Heung-Min's last-gasp winner at Vicarage Road.
Read all about it with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
2.31pmAfternoon folks! Premier League matchday 19 is here just two days after the Boxing Day feast we had on Saturday. There's eight games today, one tomorrow and one Wednesday to round off the year as we reach the halfway mark of the campaign.
2.32pmHere we'll be focussing on a game between two of the top seven, Watford and Spurs, so let's get right to it with the team news...
2.34pmWATFORD XI: Gomes; Anya, Cathcart, Britos, Ake; Capoue, Watson; Abdi, Deeney, Jurado; Ighalo
Subs: Arlauskis, Nyom, Prodl, Holebas, Behrami, Guedioura, Diamanti
Subs: Arlauskis, Nyom, Prodl, Holebas, Behrami, Guedioura, Diamanti
2.36pmSPURS XI: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Rose; Dier, Dembele; Lamela, Carroll, Alli; Kane
Subs: Subs: Vorm, Walker, Davies, Mason, Eriksen, Chadli, Son
Subs: Subs: Vorm, Walker, Davies, Mason, Eriksen, Chadli, Son
2.38pmStarting with the home side, Quique Flores makes two changes to the side that drew 2-2 at Chelsea on Saturday. They're both at full-back, with Allan Nyom and Jose Holebas dropping to the bench and Nathan Ake and Ikechi Anya coming in. No surprise to see Ake back after he was suspended against his parent club, but Nyom's omission is a little surprising. He's been a solid performer at right-back this season.
2.40pmOdion Ighalo and Troy Deeney again lead the line for the Hornets. The duo have scored 19 league goals between them this season and Ighalo (13) has been especially impressive. At Chelsea he became the first Watford player to ever score in five consecutive Premier League games.
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© Getty Images2.43pmAs for Spurs, Mauricio Pochettino makes three changes to the side that swept aside Norwich 3-0 on Boxing Day. Like Flores, he has changed both his full-backs as Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose come in for Kyle Walker and Ben Davies. The other change is in midfield, with Tom Carroll rewarded for his goal against the Canaries with a start in place of Christian Eriksen.
2.45pmToday's setting..
WARM-UPS: Just under half-hour to go until kick-off at The Vic, between #watfordfc & Spurs. Score predictions? pic.twitter.com/g4KqgBmWIp
— Watford FC (@WatfordFC) December 28, 2015
2.47pmRight then. Click here to see how the Premier League table looks after 18 games of the season. Spurs are fourth and now only six points behind leaders Leicester after they and Arsenal both lost on Boxing Day. Watford, who have picked up 13 out of a possible 15 points in the last five games, are three back in seventh.
2.49pmSpurs have won back-to-back games without conceding against Southampton and Norwich and Harry Kane has been key with three goals and those two games. He's now got 11 in the league this season and is proving that last season's spree was not just a one-off.
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© Getty Images2.51pmKane will have a hard time finding the net today, though. Watford have only conceded six in nine home league games this season and kept clean sheets in six of those games.
2.53pmAnd he'll be facing the league's deadliest strike duo in Ighalo and Deeney!
Kieran Trippier makes his first #BPL start for @SpursOfficial against Watford #WATTOT pic.twitter.com/Kz0r568Oj4
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 28, 2015
2.55pmPREDICTION: This is a really tough one to call, but I'm going to side with Spurs. Their team has such a young core in attack and I think that they might just be a little fresher given that there have been only two days' rest. Ighalo and Deeney could struggle against a team that's not conceded in two, so I'll go for a 2-1 Spurs win.
2.58pmKickoff just moments away now as the two teams come out of the tunnel. Watford have not ended the calendar year with defeat for eight years, while Spurs are unbeaten in their final game of a year since 2008. Maybe a draw is on the cards?
3pm
TUNNEL: #watfordfc and Tottenham are out and kick-off is moments away! https://t.co/KXYsNhMn2D
— Watford FC (@WatfordFC) December 28, 2015
0 minKICKOFF! We're underway at Vicarage Road!
2 minNot too much of note so far, but it looks like Spurs are playing five at the back! Dier is in between the two Belgians Alderweireld and Vertonghen. Are they that scared of Deeghalo?
3 minTrippier and Rose are both good going forward and they will be expected to contribute in attack today. At the moment it looks like a 3-4-2-1 formation from the visitors, with Lamela and Alli behind Arry Kane.
5 minKane cuts inside his man on the right-hand side and is about to send over a low cross when Ake makes a fine last-ditch tackle. Would have been a penalty had he got that wrong.
6 minBOOKING! Alli is yellow-carded after five minuts and what a ridiculous decision from Anthony Taylor. The teenager slid in hard, but fairly and won the ball in a tackle on former Tottenham man Capoue. If you want to have a word with him about the rashness, fine, but a booking there is so so harsh.
8 minAnya picks out Ighalo with a decent cross and the Nigerian makes a mess of his header by sending it nearer to the corner flag than the goal. He was offside anyway, so it wouldn't have counted.
10 minTrippier with a fine delivery from the right that Watford just about deal with in the middle. Corner to the visitors...
11 minGomes misses the first one and Britos is able to spare his keeper's blushes by heading out for another corner. This one is well headed out by Deeney.
13 minIt's going to be a tough afternoon for the England striker
SNAPSHOT: #watfordfc's Ikechi Anya & Almen Abdi in early action, as they crowd out Spurs striker Harry Kane. pic.twitter.com/YYlrqp2Id0
— Watford FC (@WatfordFC) December 28, 2015
15 minFirst corner of the game for Watford and it results in the first shot of the game as Capoue fires well over the top after Lloris had failed to deal with the initial delivery.
16 minIt looks like Capoue is desperate to score against his former team as he takes aim and drags a left-foot effort wide.
17 minGOAL! WATFORD 0-1 SPURS (ERIK LAMELA)
17 minSpurs take the lead with the first shot of the game! Cathcart gave the ball away on the halfway line and Kane fed Lamela to streak away. Britos backed off and backed off so Lamela shot and picked out the bottom corner with a cool finish.
19 minIt's Kane to Lamela again and this time the Argentinian can only drag wide with a half-chance from 16 yards. It was a difficult opportunity that he had to take first time, but he'll be annoyed not to have troubled Gomes in the Watford goal.
21 minShall we dance?
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© Getty Images3.22pmUPDATE: This is one of five 3pm kickoffs in the top flight and there's been two goals at Goodison Park, with Romelu Lukaku equalising for Everton after Xherdan Shaqiri had put Stoke in front. Fantasy football managers, rejoice!
23 minA stat on Lamela, who now has more league goals this season than the whole of last year, from @OptaJoe on Twitter: "4 - Erik Lamela has scored four goals in his last five games in all competitions for Tottenham. Form."
24 minWatford want a penalty as Vertonghen grabs Ighalo to make sure that he can't reach Deeney's flick-on. Ighalo had some of his shirt as well, but the Belgian was perhaps a little lucky there.
25 minIghalo's first real sight of goal and he hits it wide with a first-time left-footed effort from Ake's cross.
27 minAlli takes aim from distance for Spurs and drags his effort a long way wide of the target.
30 minWatching the goal back, it really was a clever finish from Lamela. He opened his body and if he was going to bend it towards the near post but then closed his foot at the last moment to fool Gomes and find the far corner.
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© Getty Images32 minHalf an hour into the match then and Spurs have had 60% possession. Both teams have had three shots, but the only on target was Lamela's cool finish after 16 minutes.
35 minSHOT! Bad decision here from Kane as he first high and wide from 25 yards when Lamela had made a fantastic run into the box to his left. Watford need to stop giving the ball away in midfield because Spurs look really threatening when they counter.
38 minTrippier has been very active up and down the Spurs right. He's just put in a couple of good low crosses that Gomes has dealt with.
39 minIghalo is usally a smiley guy but he seems a little irked today. Taylor just gave Spurs a free kick for a foul on Lloris and Ighalo was not happy, to say the least.
41 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-1 SPURS (ODION IGHALO)
41 minHe's a happy boy now! Ighalo scores for the sixth straight Premier League game by outmuscling and nutmegging Dier in the box before poking under Lloris just before the keeper was going to smother the ball.
43 minThat is Ighalo's 30th league goal in 2015, more than anyone else in the England's top four leagues. What a year!
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© AFP44 minTrippier tries his luck from a bouncing ball 25 yards out and pulls his shot wide of the target.
45 minTOTTENHAM SUB: Spurs are forced into a change just before half time as Dembele is replaced by Eriksen. Interestingly, Dembele jogged off and didn't seem in too much discomfort. Maybe just a slight twinge that he doesn't want to risk.
45+1 minThat change is likely to see Dier come back into midfield as Eriksen isn't defensively minded. One minute added on at Vicarage Road.
45+2 minHALF-TIME: WATFORD 1-1 SPURS
3.49pmSpurs started solidly and took the lead through Lamela on 17 minutes. They looked comfortable until five minutes before half time when Watford's main man Ighalo was allowed to turn in the box and stab home. All set up for a good second half, we'll be back soon.
46 minWATFORD SUB: A half-time change from the Hornets, with Valon Behrami on for Almen Abdi in midfield.
46 minKICKOFF! Spurs get us back underway at Vicarage Road.
48 minIghalo celebrates in customary style after scoring his seventh goal in eight Premier League home games. Can the Hornets keep hold of him in January?
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© Getty Images49 minCathcart with a key interception to clear the danger after a threatening cross from the right. Spurs have had plenty of joy down that side through Trippier, but this time it was Lamela hugging the touchline.
51 minHANDBAGS! Britos clatters into Trippier and Kane sprints over to stand up to the defender. It's right in front of Spurs boss Pochettino and he becomes the peacemaker in the middle.
52 minBOOKING! Britos is carded for the high tackle.
55 minGomes is tested for the first time today by Kane's low shot from a tight angle. It's an easy stop for the Brazilian, but credit must go to Eriksen for a fine pass to pick out Kane.
57 minDeeney uses his pace to get away down the right and then looks for partner-in-crime Ighalo in the middle. Trippier is across, though, and clears away.
58 minBOOKING! Watford winger Jurado is cautioned for a shirt pull on Alli.
58 minCHANCE! Kane goes close with a diving header from another Trippier cross from the right. Cathcart did just about enough to put Kane off there.
60 minWATFORD SUB: A second change for the hosts and it oddly comes in central defence. Prodl takes Britos's place and presumably Flores is worried about the latter getting sent off. It's Prodl's first Watford appearance since October. No pressure!
62 minAKE SENT OFF FOR WATFORD!
63 minBOOKING! Deeney then booked for complaining about the call.
63 minAke can have no complaints here. He went in very high on Lamela and planted his studs into the winger's leg. Some might think a yellow was the right call, but that was a very dangerous tackle.
65 minBOOKING! Ighalo is furious with the linesman for signalling a free kick, but he did seem to aim his hand towards Carroll's face. He's either been booked for the action or his dissent.
67 minThis one's getting a little bit heated!
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© Getty Images68 minSUBS: With a man more, Spurs have to go for this now and they bring on Son Heung-Min for Carroll, who has done very very little in midfield. Watford also make their final change, with Nyom on for Jurado.
70 minInterestingly, Watford would be top of the table if games finished at half time, but they've thrown away a few points in the second half this season. Will they do that again here?
4.28pmUPDATE: Everton fell 2-1 behind to Stoke, but they now lead 3-2 as Deulofeu scores after braces from Lukaku and Shaqiri.
75 minSpurs have struggled since the sending off to create anything against their 10-man opponents. Can Lamela produce the goods once more?
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© Getty Images79 minEriksen looks for the run of Son, but Gomes is out quickly to smother the danger. Just over 10 minutes of normal time remaining and Watford look pretty comfortable at the moment.
81 minBOOKING! Alderweireld cautioned for body-checking Capoue.
81 minSPURS SUB: Third and final change for the hosts and it's Alli who goes off, with Nacer Chadli on in his place.
82 minSurely Watford aren't going to nick this? They threaten after Lloris failed to clear his lines from a corner.
88 minCLOSE! Watford win three corners in a row and the third almost goes straight in from Watson! Lloris just clawed it out.
89 minGOAL! WATFORD 1-2 SPURS (SON HEUNG-MIN)
89 minIs that the winner?! Son flicks in at the near post from Trippier's cross after Gomes could only punch the right-back's first cross straight back to him. There was a hint of offside in the build-up, but Spurs are in front!
90+1 minFOUR minutes added on. I've just seen the replay for the Watson corner and it was about half a centimetre from crossing the line. Goodness me.
90+5 minFULL-TIME: WATFORD 1-2 SPURS
4.51pmWatford fail to find a late equaliser as Spurs snatch the points thanks to Son's cheeky late finish. Few chances, but it was a good game all the same and it means that Spurs are only three points behind leaders Leicester!
4.53pmThat's all we've got time for here, but do have a read of our match report and keep your eyes peeled for more live Premier League commentary in the next few minutes!
