Watford come from behind to beat Arsenal after controversial penalty decision

Watford have done it! Arsene Wenger will not be happy given the circumstances behind their equaliser but the Hornets have come from behind to seal the victory which moves them up to fourth place.

Full-time: Watford 2-1 Arsenal

Mertesacker has been moved up front for these closing minutes but his attempts to knock the ball onto Giroud go awry as the ball trickles out for a goal kick. That sound be it...

Watford might have just snatched this! Holebas tries his luck from range with his effort taking a deflection that sparks a goal mouth melee. Deeney tries to force a rebound on goal only to see his effort blocked by Mertesacker but Cleverley follows that up by hammering into the roof of the net.

Goal! Watford 2-1 Arsenal (Tom Cleverley, 90+2)

Four minutes of time added on here and it is Watford looking the more likely to sneak a winner.

Jack Wilshere was stripped and ready to come on but instead it it Rob Holding onto replace Koscielny. The French defender must have picked up a knock which means Wilshere's wait for a Premier League appearance this season continues.

Capoue is immediately denied by the post! Richarlison tries to wriggle his way through a hoard of Arsenal defenders on his own but when that door is slammed shut, Deeney gets across to help him and cut the ball back to the French midfielder. His effort takes a nick off Mertesacker which then bounces off the woodwork.

Marco Silva makes his third and final change with Etienne Capoue on for Pereyra.

Watford want a second; Deeney chests the ball into the path of Richarlison who drills a shot on goal from a tight angle but it hits the side netting.

Deeney levels the contest! Scoring his first in 14 games, the striker drills into the right corner, sending Cech the wrong direction.

Goal! Watford 1-1 Arsenal (Troy Deeney, 71)

Richarlison cuts in from the left and goes down under a challenge from Bellerin and the referee points to the spot! There looked to be nothing in that, but Watford now have a golden opportunity to level this contest.

PENALTY - Watford

Here's another change for the away side with Olivier Giroud on for Lacazette.

Again, Mertesacker is targeted from the set piece but this time Watford survive.

Ozil, off the bench in this second half, unlocks the Watford back line to freeing Iwobi who opens up his body to shoot on goal but sees his effort pushed away by Gomes.

And we are back underway for the second half.

Half-time: Watford 0-1 Arsenal

Xhaka flicks the free kick in but it is nutted clear by Mariappa.

Lacazette wins a free kick about 30 yards out from goal. It might be the last action of this half.

Three minutes of time added on at the end of this half.

Arsenal surge forward again with Xhaka testing Gomes with a stinging drive from the edge of the box after being teed up by Welbeck. Arsenal recycle the ball with Bellerin lashing a cross/shot across goal that just evades the far post.

Arsenal have the lead! Starting his first Premier League game in over 18 months, Mertesacker towers over Tom Cleverley and plants a firm header post Gomes. It's their first goal scored away from home this season.

Goal! Watford 0-1 Arsenal (Per Mertesacker, 38)

Richarlison tries to do it all on his own, surging over the half way line and towards goal with Koscielny packpeddling in a panic. The Arsenal defender needs Bellerin tom come across and bail him out.

Chance for Watford! Dacoure cuts in from the right and saunters past Bellerin before drilling an inviting ball across goal but Pereyra can't direct it goalbound.

And the Brazilian is back on wearing some padding around his wrist after that heavy landing a few moments ago.

Richarlison is down for Watford for the moment and is getting some treatment from the Watford medical staff. The Brazilian was left on his backside after being turned by Alex Iwobi, landing heavily after a clumsy effort to try and win the ball.

Bellerin just about gets across in time to intercept a decent through ball that would have sprung Richarlison free down the inside left channel.

And Watford get us underway.

We are moments away from kick-off at Vicarage Road. Arsenal are undefeated since that harrowing loss to Liverpool back in August - another three points today will see them leapfrog Chelsea and move into fourth place.

The same applies for Watford; they start the day just a point behind the Gunners.

Marco Silva has opted for a back three to match Arsenal this afternoon with Britos, Pereyra and Gray coming in for Capoue, Carrillo and Deeney.

Per Mertesacker comes in to start his first Arsenal game in 532 days in place of the injured Mustafi. Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez are both absent from the match day squad today with Mesut Ozil settles for a spot on the bench.

Watford team to face Arsenal: Gomes (C); Kabasele, Mariappa, Britos; Femenía, Doucouré, Cleverley, Holebas; Pereyra, Gray, Richarlison

Subs: Karnezis (GK), Wagué, Janmaat, Watson, Capoue, Carrillo, Deeney.

Arsenal team to face Watford: Cech, Koscielny. Mertesacker, Monreal, Bellerin, Elneny, Xhaka, Kolasinac, Iwobi, Welbeck, Lacazette

Subs: Ospina, Holding, Coquelin, Wilshere, Ozil, Walcott, Giroud

BREAKING: Alexis Sanchez left out of Arsenal squad but Sead Kolasinac is fit enough to start.

Speaking on Thursday, Watford manager Marco Silva had yet to make a decision on Peru international Andre Carrillo who was to be assessed having only just returned from helping his country qualify for a World Cup playoff against New Zealand during the international break.

The 26-year-old rejoined the rest of his teammates in training on Thursday morning. "We'll see," said Silva. "Tomorrow we'll do the first session as he comes back this afternoon. We'll see his condition. I need to talk with him a little bit and after I will take my decision."

Team news: Watford

Watford are likely to be without defenders Sebastian Prodl and Younes Kaboul for the visit of Arsenal with a late decision to be made on Andre Carrillo.

Prodl, 30, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered during September's international break which has seen him miss his side's last four games. Kaboul meanwhile also missed a large chunk of last month after suffering thigh problem that forced him off in the 2-0 win over Southampton on 9 September.

Arsene Wenger on Arsenal's current injury woes:

Team news: Arsenal

Danny Welbeck and Mesut Ozil returned to training this week after not playing for England or Germany respectively during the recent break. Welbeck has been out since the draw with Chelsea with a groin problem while a knee issue has dogged Ozil – but the pair are set to return at Vicarage Road.

Team news: Arsenal

Sead Kolasinac picked up a hip injury in Bosnia and Herzegovina's win over Estonia although the defender did return to training on Friday and could be in contention this evening. Shkodran Mustafi meanwhile is looking at six weeks on the sidelines after picking up a knock while playing for Germany, much to the delight of Arsene Wenger.

Team news: Arsenal

Arsenal will give late fitness tests to Alexis Sanchez and Laurent Koscielny in order to determine their availability this evening. Koscielny missed the international break with an Achilles injury and is unlikely to figure. while Sanchez was late returning from Chile's failed attempts to qualify for the World Cup.