Gerard Deulofeu and Troy Deeney run riot as Watford thrash sorry Cardiff side

“He’s magic, you know” sang the Watford fans as Gerard Deulofeu staged this glittering one-man show. The versatile Spanish ­attacker scored his first hat-trick in first-team football, then rounded his night off with the most selfless of assists for the first of a Troy Deeney double.

Deulofeu and Deeney were the only things worth watching during a second-half one-way show which plunges Cardiff back into severe relegation worries. The 24-year-old has had to get used to hype, having been billed 6½ years ago as a ­sure-fire superstar after winning the best player award at the European Under-19 Championship. After this match, the Spaniard said his performance had been redemptive. 

“During the season I have missed a lot of chances, but today I scored three and improved my finishing,” he shrugged. “That is the way.”

Deulofeu’s pace and opportunism on either flank will be of little surprise to his growing army of ­admirers. AC Milan had moved at the end of January to snatch Deulofeu on loan, with a view to a permanent deal. They may now need a blank cheque to tempt him away from Javi Gracia, who took particular delight in the “generous assist for Troy”. 

“I can see all the players are moving in the same direction, working for each other,” he said of his ­Watford side, who are now within 10 points of Chelsea.

For Cardiff, it is a different story and Neil Warnock was left incandescent that his side had been ­denied a penalty for a trip on Josh Murphy while the game was still in the balance at 1-0. 

Warnock claimed referee Simon Hooper had apologised to him ­afterwards for making the wrong decision. “He said he’s made a mistake,” said Warnock, adding that the introduction of video assistant referees cannot come soon enough. 

After another week overshadowed by legal wrangles with Nantes over the £15 million transfer of Emiliano Sala, it had been a nightmare return to footballing matters after a 13-day break for Cardiff. Watford had snatched the lead ­despite encouraging early play from Cardiff. 

There was some woefully hesitant defensive play in the build-up, particularly out of character from Sol Bamba and captain Sean Morrison. As Cardiff failed to clear their lines from the edge of the 18-yard box, Deeney took full advantage by muscling in, shaking off the attentions of three defenders, before ­selflessly laying off for Deulofeu to score from close range.

As Cardiff pressed in the second half, Watford ripped them open. A tame Joe Bennett free-kick towards the Watford box was easily cleared and Bruno Ecuele Manga showed an embarrassing lack of pace as Deulofeu sped away from the halfway line before rounding the keeper in style. 

His third also came thanks to generous defending, this time from Harry Arter, who was intercepted by Etienne Capoue. The Frenchman sent Deulofeu through and he finished neatly. Not content with his offing, Deulofeu then switched flanks, and burst through on goal again after 73 minutes. He looked on for a fourth, but instead side-footed into the path of Deeney, who deserved to be on the scoresheet.

Cardiff pulled one back nine minutes from time after Bamba latched on to a loose ball during a frenzied goalmouth scramble, but there was little interrupting the scenes of adulation in the away end, and Deeney completed the rout ­after 90 minutes from a Will Hughes lay-off.