Manhoef brace fires Stoke past Watford to climb the table | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Stoke City beat Watford 3-1. Million Manhoef opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a left footed finish after Milan Smit's pass. After the restart, Manhoef doubled the lead with a low strike (77.). The Hornets hit back through Nestory Irankunda from outside the box (81.). Stoke rise from 16th to 13th and visit Preston next, while the Hornets drop from ninth to 10th and host Wrexham.

Player of the Match: Million Manhoef scored twice and worked the visitors all afternoon, producing five shots on target and eight touches in the box.

Stat of the Match: Egil Selvik produced nine saves, keeping the scoreline down despite relentless pressure.

Three Things We Learned: Manhoef's finishing powered the result, with five shots on target anchoring his brace. Stoke registered 12 shots on target from 19 attempts, a cutting edge that decided the game. The Hornets had 55.7% possession but managed only four shots on target, highlighting a lack of punch in the final third.