Watford 2-2 Leeds: Sub Mateo Joseph bundles home late equaliser but visitors miss chance to reclaim top spot… with Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis scoring in the first-half for Hornets

Daniel Farke sent a warning to Leeds‘ promotion rivals after supersub Mateo Joseph salvaged a point for the Whites within a minute of being sent on at Vicarage Road on Friday night.

Farke’s men had been relentless in winning 12 out of their 13 league games this calendar year but looked on course for a first defeat of 2024 at the hands of a resurgent Watford. 

Vakoun Bayo and Emmanuel Dennis had scored for the hosts either side of the impressive Crysencio Summerville’s excellent equaliser.

But boss Farke turned to 20-year-old Joseph in the 84th minute and he bundled home with his second touch to keep Leeds just one point behind leaders Ipswich in a promotion race that promises to go down to the wire. And Farke insisted Leeds won’t face a harder game all season, as he backed his players to keep their unbeaten run going until May.

‘I’ll take this point all day long,’ he said. ‘I’m really, really happy and proud of the boys.

Leeds boss Daniel Farke insisted he was happy with the point despite his side missing the chance to move back into top spot

‘We played this game at the worst possible moment. Watford have a new manager (interim boss Tom Cleverley), new belief. And the international break was the worst outcome for us, three players came back injured. We didn’t have a training session with the team, we could only train with six players.

‘In 2024, we’ve now had 14 games, two wins and two draws. If there was a day where there was a chance to beat us, in the circumstances, it was tonight.’

Bayo fired Watford ahead in the 31st minute, volleying in on the rebound after Illan Meslier had acrobatically denied Dennis. Summerville equalised when he cut in from the left-hand side and curled brilliantly into the far corner. ‘A world-class goal,’ gushed Farke.

Watford forward Vakoun Bayo fired the home side ahead in the 31st minute against Leeds 

Crysencio Summerville levelled for Leeds with a stunning strike in the 37th minute

Emmanuel Dennis restored the hosts’ lead with a clinical finish just before half-time

Dennis restored Watford’s lead with a beauty of his own just before half-time. A mirror of Summerville’s leveller, the Nigerian danced inside from the right flank, proved too fleet-footed for Liam Cooper and fired past Meslier.

Summerville was a constant threat for Leeds after the break and it was no surprise that he was heavily involved in their second. He drove into the box and found Joseph, whose first touch was a blocked shot. His second found the net.

‘It was a strong performance,’ said Cleverley, who has had a positive impact in his two games at the helm. ‘For 65 minutes we were excellent but playing with that much intensity takes its toll. 

‘When you’ve got players like Summerville, who is absolutely outstanding, the league’s best player, they’re going to have their moments.’