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After 20 years of Arsene Wenger, Arsenal fans have learned to expect a cloud of disappointment on deadline day.

Wenger has disappeared for an audience with the Pope as his rivals scrambled after late signings. He has dashed off to attend UEFA coaching seminars and, worse still, he once stuck around to sign Kim Kallstrom, a midfielder with a broken back.

But last night, his team found a brand new way to close the transfer window in underwhelming fashion by losing to Watford, a team in abject form and freshly dumped out of the FA Cup by Millwall.

Troy Deeney wheels away in celebration after scoring Watford's second goal at the Emirates on Tuesday night

Deeney mops up for Watford from close range to shock the Gunners during the early exchanges in north London

Arsene Wenger speaks into a microphone from the stands as he serves his touchline ban during Arsenal's defeat

Deeney celebrates in front of the Arsenal supporters after handing his side a two-goal lead at the Emirates Stadium

Younes Kaboul had earlier fired the Hornets in front via a deflection off the legs of Aaron Ramsey

Kaboul - a former Tottenham player - enjoys his goal against Spurs' rivals in the Premier League title race

Alex Iwobi reduced arrears just before the hour mark for Arsenal to give the home side some hope

Iwobi celebrates his strike with Theo Walcott, who was thrown into the game by Arsenal at half-time

MATCH FACTS, LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCHZONE

Arsenal: Cech 6.5; Gabriel 5, Mustafi 5, Koscielny 5, Monreal 5; Ramsey 4 (Oxlade-Chamberlain 20 min, 6), Coquelin 6 (Perez 67, 6), Iwobi 6.5, Ozil 6, Sanchez 6.5; Giroud 4 (Walcott 46, 7) 

Substitutes not used: Ospina, Gibbs, Bellerin, Maitland-Nile

Manager: Arsene Wenger 6

Scorers: Iwobi 58

Booked: Gabriel, Monreal, Sanchez

Watford: Gomes 7.5; Cathcart 6.5, Prodl 7, Kaboul 7.5, Britos 6; Behrami 6.5 (Doucoure 63, 5); Janmaat 6, Capoue 8, Cleverley 6, Niang 6 (Success 69, 5); Deeney 6 (Okaka 85). 

Substitutes not used: Arlauskis, Mariappa, Mason, Watson.

Manager: Walter Mazzarri 6.5

Scorers: Kaboul 10, Deeney 13 

Booked: Prodl, Okaka, Cleverley

Referee: Andre Marriner

Attendance: 60,035

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Troy Deeney found himself in space from close range to score Watford's second of the night, as shown by this graphic. Visit our MATCH ZONE for all the big game stats

 

Wenger, banned from the touchline, frowned down from the stands as the visitors struck twice in the opening 13 minutes through Younes Kaboul and Troy Deeney. Perhaps this was the spirited reaction Walter Mazzarri had demanded after the Millwall humbling and some justification for resting most of his first-team.

Watford were fabulous in the first-half, snapping into tackles, clinical in front of goal and determined to protect the lead once they had it established.

‘It was not good, especially in the first 20 minutes,’ conceded Wenger. ‘We were not mentally ready to win the physical duels. We knew it would be direct and physical. They were sharper than us.

‘We lost a bit of patience in our build-up and exaggerated the individual game. Every time we passed the ball quickly we created dangerous situations but we all wanted too much to be the saviour and didn’t stick to our game.’

Arsenal were jeered off at the end and Alexis Sanchez performed his now-familiar sulky flounce down the tunnel.

Tom Cleverley protects the ball under pressure from Ramsey as Watford started the game in furious fashion

Arsenal's German playmaker Mesut Ozil cuts a frustrated figure as the Gunners were forced to rally from behind

Kaboul lets fly with the shot which rebounded in off Ramsey, as Alex Iwobi leaps in the air beside him

Watford manager Walter Mazzarri issues instructions to Miguel Britos on the sidelines at the Emirates Stadium

Etienne Capoue - another former Tottenham player in the Watford ranks - slides in to tackle Alexis Sanchez

Nancho Monreal goes down in the penalty area and ends up earning himself a yellow card for simulation

Kaboul takes an unorthodox approach to tackling as he goes in for the ball on Arsenal's Olivier Giroud

Laurent Koscielny tries to get to the ball in front of Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes during the first half

With Arsene Wenger serving a touchline ban, assistant coach Steve Bould was on the touchline to issue instructions

To make matter worse, Aaron Ramsey, one of 10 rested in the FA Cup at Southampton on Saturday, succumbed to a calf strain, early in the game. Ramsey had not played well but his absence leaves Wenger short of power in central midfield with a trip to Chelsea looming.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced Ramsey and Theo Walcott, who scored a hat-trick at St Mary’s, came on at half-time.

Arsenal were far more fluent after the interval and Alex Iwobi pulled one back to set up a frantic half-hour at the end. But Watford resisted and took three points from Arsenal for the first time since 1988 to test emotions as the town prepares for Graham Taylor’s funeral today. 

Sanchez looks to the skies as if to ask 'what is going on' after watching his side concede twice early on against Watford

M'Baye Niang made his debut for Watford after signing on loan from AC Milan and was a threat up front

Ozil brings the ball down with his left foot as he tries to inspire his team to mount a comeback at the Emirates

Deeney bundles home from close range to put Watford two goals to the good just 13 minutes into the game

Arsenal's players trudge back towards the halfway line after conceding for a second time inside the first quarter-hour

‘I want to dedicate this victory to Graham Taylor, a great man,’ said Mazzarri. ‘We wanted to do it before, but this victory is for him and our fans.’

Mazzarri deserves some credit after making a key tactical switch to jolt his side from their winless furrow.

Instead of three centre-halves, he selected four and strung them out across the back, protected by Valon Behrami and they opened with great urgency and intent. They were assisted by the hapless Ramsey who turned his back and deflected Kaboul’s free-kick past Petr Cech and was then dispossessed in midfield ahead of Watford’s second.

In fairness, he was trying to control a careless throw-in from Gabriel Paulista, who started at right-back, where he rarely seems at ease. As Ramsey tried to pull it down, Etienne Capoue pounced, pinched the ball and drove forward, past Francis Coquelin and Shkodran Mustafi until he was face-to-face with Cech. 

Ozil contemplates falling two goals behind against the Hornets in the Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium

Ozil goes for goal as Arsenal get about hauling themselves back into the match after Iwobi's strike

Gabriel leaps in the air to challenge Niang on a rainy night in north London in which Arsenal lost ground in the title race

Shkodran Mustafi almost pulls the shirt from Deeney's back as the pair tussle for possession after the break

Sebastian Prodl flies through the back of Sanchez in an effort to win the ball, skidding along the wet turf at the Emirates

Prodl leaves Sanchez, playing up front for Arsenal in the second half, in a heap following his heavy challenge on the Chilean 

The goalkeeper blocked Capoue’s shot but the ball squirted to Deeney, who swept it into an open goal.

It might have been more before half-time. Cech made a terrific reflex save to deny Daryl Janmaat and Nacho Monreal was booked for a dive as Arsenal became desperate.

When Iwobi volleyed in at the back-post from a cross by Alexis Sanchez there was still more than half-an-hour for Watford to survive but they defended feverishly, Heurelho Gomes made fine saves and Lucas Perez rattled the bar.

This time there would be no late escape for Arsenal. This time there would be only disappointment.

Sanchez goes for goal from a set-piece as the Gunners huffed and puffed without success in their pursuit of an equaliser

Gomes collects the ball for Watford, leaving Ozil howling in frustration as Arsenal falter against their London rivals