MX23RW : Wednesday, May 1 18:05:22| >> :600:348332:348332:
Apr 27, 2019 at 3pm UK at ​Vicarage Road
Attendance: 20,323
Watford
1-2
WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers
Gray (49')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Jimenez (41'), Jota (77')

Wolves boss Nuno "not thinking" about Europa League despite advantage

Wolves boss Nuno
© Reuters
Wolves took charge of the race for seventh with victory at Vicarage Road.

Boss Nuno Espirito Santo dismissed suggestions Wolves are on the brink of reaching Europe for the first time in 39 years.

Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota struck to earn a 2-1 win at Watford and gain a little revenge following their FA Cup semi-final defeat to the Hornets three weeks ago.

Andre Gray levelled in the second half, but Ben Foster's error, after he misjudged Ruben Neves' cross, allowed Jota to win it.

Wolves, who have not played in Europe since 1980, are now four points clear of Watford and Everton in seventh, with Leicester, who play Arsenal on Sunday, six points behind.

If the Hornets lose to favourites Manchester City in next month's FA Cup final, seventh in the Premier League will yield a Europa League qualifying spot, but Nuno refused to take anything for granted.

He said: "The final of the FA Cup still has to be played, so why should we be worried about anything else? It was never our aim to compete in Europe.

"Competing in the Premier League is very hard, we must know were we came from. Last season we were playing against Burton, with all my respects, and now we are here.

"We have achieved staying in the Premier League – no-one has said that – and now we are going to be in the top half. Last season we were in the Championship.

"We are not thinking about it. It (seventh) doesn't guarantee anything. We have to prepare for the final game at Molineux (against Fulham)."

Jimenez opened the scoring when he headed in his 17th goal of the season from Jota's cross four minutes before the break.

Watford levelled soon after the break when Gray pounced, drilling in a loose ball after Ryan Bennett's poor backpass gifted Gerard Deulofeu a chance.

But Jota volleyed in the winner when Foster went AWOL coming out to claim Neves' deep centre with 13 minutes left.

"I'm disappointed and sad – we wanted to get a better result, but it was impossible," said Hornets boss Javi Gracia.

"In all the games, whenever we have conceded goals, there have always been mistakes, but in the last few games we have been conceding avoidable goals."

"Before the game, we knew our target was to try and play in Europe – and at this moment, it is the same.

"We have two chances – if we are not able to achieve seventh position, the other way to Europe is to try and win the cup final."


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Nuno Espirito Santo celebrates three more points in the bag on February 2, 2019
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Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Manchester CityMan City36302490226892
2Liverpool36287184206491
3Tottenham HotspurSpurs362311265362970
4Chelsea36208860392168
5Arsenal362061069492066
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd36198964511365
7Wolverhampton WanderersWolves36159124644254
8Leicester CityLeicester36156155147451
9Everton36148145044650
10Watford36148145152-150
11West Ham UnitedWest Ham36137164554-946
12Crystal Palace36127174348-543
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle36119163645-942
14Bournemouth36126185265-1342
15Burnley36117184463-1940
16Southampton36911164461-1738
17Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton3698193355-2235
18Cardiff CityCardiff3694233066-3631
RFulham3675243476-4226
RHuddersfield TownHuddersfield3635282074-5414

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