‘They’ve got good pace’ – Etebo celebrates Dennis and Sarr after goals in Watford win

Watford midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo said he is happy for Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr after their goals in their 3-2 victory over Aston Villa in their Premier League opener.

Nigeria trio Etebo, Dennis and William Troost-Ekong made their top-flight debuts for the Hornets on Saturday and they contributed to making it a memorable one with maximum points secured.

Dennis opened the scoring at Vicarage Road in the 10th minute after receiving a pass from Sarr and towards the end of the first 45 minutes, it turned the other way round with the Nigerian forward supplying the Senegal international to make it 2-0.

After overcoming the nervy finish, Etebo praised the qualities of the attacking duo and he believes the early lead powered them to victory.

“It’s very important as a team to score first and when you get an early goal it motivates everyone, keeps the positive vibes going and everyone keeps pushing,” Etebo told the club’s website.

“I’m happy for my Nigerian brother [Dennis] and Sarr as well. They did well, you can see they’ve got good pace, they run forward and are direct players.”

The Super Eagles midfielder, who joined the Hornets from Stoke City on a season-long loan in July, urged his teammates not to lose focus as they aim to build on their fine start to the season.

“This is the start of the season. I’m happy that we got the win, congratulations to my teammates, but it’s a long season so step-by-step we have to keep going,” he continued.

"This is just the beginning. Like the gaffer said, we need everyone. Everyone needs to stay together, be positive. It’s teamwork and there are lots of games to be played. This is just one game and there are a lot of games to go.

“It’s a thing of joy because we have gone nearly two years with no fans, but when they are in the stadium they lift up the team. It’s amazing.”

Watford travel to Brighton & Hove Albion for their next Premier League fixture on August 21.