Cristiano Ronaldo, bidding for his sixth Champions League title, scored a 28th-minute header to put Juve ahead after a 1-1 first-leg draw, but Donny van de Beek levelled for Ajax before half-time.

Teenage centre-back De Ligt struck midway through the second period, though, to seal a 3-2 aggregate win and set up a last-four clash with either Manchester City or Tottenham.

The young Dutch side had already eliminated three-time defending champions Real Madrid en route to the quarters, overturning a 2-1 home defeat against the Spanish side with a memorable 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Juventus had been looking to reach the Champions League semi-finals for the third time in the past five seasons.

But Ronaldo, who scored an away goal last week with a diving header in Amsterdam, was Juve’s only weapon against the impressive Dutch side.

The 34-year-old was signed for 100 million euros ($117 million) last summer from Real Madrid in a bid to win the European trophy for the first time since 1996, when they beat Ajax in the final.

Massimiliano Allegri had been forced to reshuffle his side because of injuries, with Paulo Dybala returning in place of the injured Mario Mandzukic, while captain Giorgio Chiellini was also sidelined.

Ajax’s defence took a hit when Noussair Mazraoui, who had replaced the suspended Nicolas Tagliafico, limped off on 11 minutes with an ankle injury, with Daley Sinkgraven coming on.

Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana dived to keep out a scorching Dybala half-volley in the 20th minute.

– Ronaldo leaves Onana no chance –

But Ronaldo latched onto a Miralem Pjanic corner with a downward header that left Onana without no chance.

It was the Portugal star’s 126th Champions League goal and sixth of this campaign, having now scored in his past six European games against Ajax, netting nine goals in total.

But Van de Beek soon silenced the cheers of the home crowd when he controlled a wayward Hakim Ziyech shot six minutes later, rolling the ball past Szczesny to cancel out Juventus’ away goal and make it 2-2 on aggregate.

Teenage striker Moise Kean replaced Dybala after the break, but it was the Dutch who turned on the style, with only Szczesny’s reflexes keeping Juventus in the tie.

The Polish keeper denied Ziyech from close range with one hand, and minutes later tipped Van de Beek’s curling effort over the bar.

The Juventus back-line struggled with the pace of the Dutch team with Pjanic doing well to deny Ziyech a tap-in.

But Erik ten Hag’s side’s incessant pressure paid off with 19-year-old skipper De Ligt towering above Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani to head home Lasse Schone’s corner on 67 minutes.

Ziyech looked as if he had fired a third past Szczesny, but his goal was ruled offside after a VAR check.

And the Dutch visitors held on, with Ronaldo unable to make a difference after his incredible hat-trick had pulled Juventus into the quarter-finals in the last-16 win over Atletico Madrid.

Four-time winners Ajax won their third consecutive title in 1973 at the expense of Juventus, and last lifted the trophy in 1995, with their last semi-final appearances ending in defeat by Juve 22 years ago.

After an excellent start, United were undone twice in four minutes by Messi, who first nicked the ball off the careless Ashley Young and then watched as a weak shot from distance squirmed underneath David de Gea.

Philippe Coutinho, in perhaps his best performance of the season, added a third with a curling effort into the top corner and by the end, an outclassed United might have been relieved the score was not more traumatic than 3-0, 4-0 on aggregate.

“We had five uncomfortable minutes because they came out strong,” said Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde. “But then there were another 85 minutes where we weren’t bad.”

A dizzying opening spell, in which Marcus Rashford had hit the crossbar, was long-forgotten, even if it could offer Barca’s next opponents some encouragement.

Liverpool, who take a 2-0 lead to Porto on Wednesday, are now the most likely obstacle between them and their first Champions League final since they last won this tournament in 2015. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane might feel emboldened.

Instead, United’s pair of early errors made this another night about Messi and ensured any faint hopes of repeating the comeback against Paris Saint-Germain, or even the famous 1999 rescue act against Bayern Munich, on this same pitch, were dashed.

“We said all along this was not going to change overnight,” United’s coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. “In the next few years it is going to be a massive effort to get to the level of Barcelona and these sorts of teams.”

Messi now has his 109th and 110th Champions League goals and, potentially, three extra matches to reduce the gap on Cristiano Ronaldo’s 126, after Juventus were dumped out by Ajax. Barcelona’s fans celebrated that too.

Solskjaer had urged his strikers to be more lethal here but it felt ominous that even before kick-off, Rashford, Anthony Martial, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez had hit 42 goals this season, while Messi on his own had 43.

Around an hour before kick-off, Alex Ferguson was on the side of the pitch, shaking hands with Ryan Giggs and sharing words with Solskjaer, the scorer of the winning goal against Munich here 20 years ago.

They could have hardly have asked for a better start. United were brilliant for eight minutes and could have been ahead within 30 seconds as Rashford raced onto a curving Paul Pogba pass and toed away a shot, which Marc-Andre ter Stegen bravely left to graze his own crossbar.

– Magic Messi –

Barca were flustered, so much so the crowd even cheered with relief when Arthur Melo played his team’s first convincing pass.

Then, Barcelona had their own eight-minute flurry as United almost conceded a penalty, ruled out after Fred took the ball before bringing down Ivan Rakitic, and then did concede, twice, to Messi.

Both could have been avoided, even if Young’s turn on the edge of his own box was punished in devastating fashion. Young lunged in to atone for his mistake but Messi skipped away from him, poked it through Fred’s legs and then whipped the ball into the corner.

The second was simpler. Fred and Scott McTominay closed in on Coutinho and the ball spilled out to Messi, whose dribbling shot with his right foot should have drawn a routine save. Instead, De Gea let it squirm under his body for 2-0.

Pogba lashed out at the increasingly influential Arthur and Barca could have had a third before half-time, De Gea scrambling across to save on the line when Sergi Roberto should have finished.

Messi could have had his hat-trick too after Luis Suarez found him with a superb cutback and there was an almost comical sequence in the second half when the Argentinian played with his United chasers before finally being bundled over by McTominay.

Rashford might have made it interesting if he had controlled Pogba’s ball over the top but Barcelona were in exhibition mode, helped by a vintage Coutinho curler after he had cut inside from the left.

Messi even attempted a bicycle kick and there were celebrations from the home fans when news went round that Ajax had taken the lead in Turin. They believe this is their year.

The teams meet at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday in the second leg of their last-eight tie, with Porto needing a historic comeback to go through after losing 2-0 at Anfield last week with Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino scoring.

While Porto have won all four home games in the Champions League this season, Liverpool travel to northern Portugal on top of the Premier League and unbeaten in 16 games.

“They are everything I like about football. I like the way they play, the way they are with the ball and without it,” Conceicao said at an eve-of-game press conference on Tuesday.

“In my opinion, a lot of the time just now they are the best team in the world.”

Porto lost 5-0 at home to Liverpool a year ago when the clubs met in the last 16.

Despite that, Conceicao, who also expressed solidarity towards Liverpool fans the day after the 30th anniversary of the “dark moment” of the Hillsborough disaster, was not giving up on turning the tie around.

However, he let slip that retaining the domestic title is Porto’s priority during a lengthy rant at Portuguese authorities over match scheduling.

“We are two goals down against a side who we know are very strong going forward, and so keeping our balance when we are attacking will be fundamental to ensure we don’t concede,” said the coach, whose team are level on points with leaders Benfica at the top of the Portuguese league.

“It is difficult to prepare for this game because, incomprehensibly, we have another game on Saturday against Santa Clara.

“Why they don’t protect teams like us? I have to ask what the main goal is for FC Porto, and it is the league.”

Conceicao has a doubt over the fitness of Mexican wide man Jesus Corona, but veteran defender Pepe and captain Hector Herrera are both able to play after missing the first leg due to suspension.

“I saw that we are capable of damaging Liverpool,” Herrera said of his view from the stand at Anfield.

“Here at home normally we are a very strong team with our fans behind us. I really believe that tomorrow will be no exception and we will be able to go out with that positive energy and hurt Liverpool.”

The winner of the last three Grand Slams made eight double faults, dropped serve four times and smashed a racquet after losing the second set to his German opponent in the second-round encounter.

The world number one was relieved to avoid defeat in his first match of the clay season.

“It was a difficult match, there were lots of breaks (a run of eight straight during the second and third sets),” Djokovic said.

“There were lots of ups and downs. It was not the prettiest of matches.

“He played well, but a win is a win. This was a tough first match of the clay season.

“I had to figure out how I needed to move, this kind of match can be expected. It was probably good for me to spend so long on the court.”

Djokovic was able to avoid a second straight loss to Kohlschreiber after the 35-year-old beat him last month in the Indian Wells third  round.

Djokovic, who lives in the Principality, is playing his ‘home’ event for the 13th time in 14 years, winning it in 2013 and 2015 and losing in the final on two other occasions.

Kohlschreiber lost his 12th match from 13 played against top-ranked opponents, but gave as good as he got against an out-of-sorts Djokovic, who needed five match points to go through.

– Pella pounds Cilic –

Argentine Guido Pella dealt a second-round blow to seventh seed Marin Cilic, beating the Croatian 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Defeat in just over two hours left 2014 US Open winner Cilic with just one win from six matches since January’s Australian Open, where he went out in the fourth round.

Pella, who won his first career match at the event in the first round on Sunday, emerged a winner as he played on the idyllic centre court for the first time.

“This is my best surface, I knew I had chances,” the world number 35 said. “But I had to play well.

“I was a bit nervous at the start, it was my first time on this court. But playing here is a dream — it’s unreal.”

Cilic was playing here for the 11th straight year, with quarter-final showings in three of the previous four editions.

Left-hander Pella came to the European clay with a title this season in Sao Paulo. He now stands 13-3 on the surface in 2019.

Pella moved into a winning position as he broke Cilic for the eighth time of the afternoon, winning a six-minute game before serving out the upset, saving a break point in the final game and wrapping up victory as Cilic fired wide.

Elsewhere, 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka collapsed after a strong start to a 0-6, 7-5, 6-3 loss to Italy’s Marco Cecchinato, who reached the French Open semi-finals last year.

In the first round, Briton Cameron Norrie advanced in his debut match at the event, with the 23-year-old defeating Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 6-3.

The 56th-ranked Norrie was impressed with the dramatic setting of the iconic Monte Carlo Country Club venue which overlooks the Mediterranean from a cliff.

“I like the conditions here. Everything is kind of on top of each other,” he said.

“It’s pretty sick kind of playing tennis on the side of a mountain with a water view.”

Canadian revelation Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced into a second-round contest with third seed Alexander Zverev after beating Argentine qualifier Juan Ignacio Londero 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).

The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who reached last month’s Miami semi-finals as a qualifier, now boasts a ranking of 33rd — up from 175th when he played here a year ago.

“I’m very happy to win my first match after Miami, because I didn’t know what to expect,” he said.

Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego beat Russian eighth seed Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

Returning to the venue where he claimed his maiden breakthrough last year, the 22-year-old remains hopeful of rebounding from his slump when he contends at the RM225,000 (approximately US$54,000) Asian Development Tour (ADT) event.

He will be part of the talented field of 121 players vying for honours at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort. They include reigning ADT number one Miguel Carballo of Argentina, Thai duo Itthipat Buranatanyarat and Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and American Sam Gillis, who are all winners on the ADT.

Nitithorn was in supreme form in May last year, where he earned three consecutive top-10 finishes before lifting his maiden victory. He stayed consistent the rest of the year to notch five other top-10 results to finish in second place on the ADT Order of Merit and earn his Asian Tour card for the 2019 season.

“I don’t know how to explain my feelings coming back as defending champion. It is a mixture of pressure and familiarity returning to this course.

“This win last year meant a lot because I was playing well leading up to my maiden victory. It moved me high up on the Order of Merit ranks and I didn’t have to worry about trying to keep my ranking in the top seven for the rest of the season,” said Nitithorn.

However, the Thai has endured a slight dip in form and has not made a single cut this season, resulting in a loss of confidence. Seeking help from his mental coach to rid himself of his negative mindset, Nitithorn will adopt a different approach this week.

“I changed my swing in January and I do feel it getting better but I wasn’t seeing the results. I met my psychology coach last week and it really help with clearing the negative thoughts. I realised that I need to have fun with it and not focus on the technicalities in my swing,” added Nitithorn.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Malaysia’s Danny Chia will spearhead the local charge alongside Shahriffuddin Ariffin, Sukree Othman and Amir Nazrin at the event which marks the fifth leg on the ADT schedule.

The leading seven players on the final ADT Order of Merit will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2020 season.

All ADT events offer Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points. The winner will receive six OWGR points while the top six players and ties will also earn points based on a sliding scale.

Based in Amsterdam, GAMMA is a non-profit organization founded in 2018 made up of thought leaders and pioneers in mixed martial arts across five continents with decades of experience in the sport. GAMMA is headed by its President, Alexander Engelhardt, and its members are made up of national federations across over 60 countries.

GAMMA’s objective is to obtain international recognition for mixed martial arts as an Olympic sport, in order to give all amateur mixed martial artists the platform and opportunity to fulfill their dream of competing on the Olympic stage.

As part of this partnership, ONE Championship will support GAMMA’s efforts to obtain Olympic recognition for mixed martial arts. In addition, ONE will also work with GAMMA to develop and promote best practices in health and safety standards, anti-doping regulations, and competition rules for the daily safe practice of competitive mixed martial arts at the amateur level.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE Championship is thrilled to announce a multi-year partnership with GAMMA, the world’s independent governing body of the sport of mixed martial arts. As a lifelong martial artist, I am personally invested in developing the amateur mixed martial arts scene, and ensuring that all athletes have the right foundation and support to pursue a professional career in this sport.”

With support from ONE Championship, GAMMA is set to hold its Amateur MMA World Championships in Singapore this November, showcasing the world’s biggest and brightest young martial arts talents on the most prestigious global amateur mixed martial arts platform.

Alexander Engelhardt, President of GAMMA, stated: “On behalf of GAMMA, I would like to thank ONE Championship for their support and commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts. As a lifelong karate practitioner, I am passionate about delivering the same level of international recognition to the discipline of mixed martial arts. Both GAMMA and ONE celebrate the authentic martial arts values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion in the same spirit as the Olympics. With this philosophical foundation, GAMMA and ONE aim to elevate the sport of mixed martial arts and prepare it for entry into the Olympics.”

Now the golf world is wondering whether the hunt to overhaul Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles is back on.

The cheers and raw emotion of Woods’ victory at Augusta National on Sunday had barely subsided before the 43-year-old was asked about whether he would now resume his chase for Nicklaus’s record.

“You know, I really haven’t thought about that yet,” Woods said. “I’m sure that I’ll probably think of it going down the road.

“Maybe, maybe not. Right now, I’m just enjoying 15,” he said.

Nicklaus, however, believes the record is back in play, noting that two of this year’s remaining majors — the US Open and US PGA Championship — will be staged at courses where Woods has won before.

“I thought for a long time that he was going to win again,” Nicklaus told the Golf Channel. “The next two majors are at Bethpage, where he has won and at Pebble Beach, where he has won.

“So, he has got me shaking in my boots.”

Brooks Koepka, the three-time major champion who finished one shot adrift of Woods on Sunday, also believes Nicklaus’s benchmark could be under threat.

“Eighteen is, I think, a lot closer than people think,” Koepka said.

“I would say that’s probably what all fans, what we’re thinking. That he’s definitely back and 18’s not far.”

– Scheduling boost –

Woods had once seemed guaranteed to surpass Nicklaus’s record, dominating the game from his first Masters triumph in 1997 through to his 2008 US Open victory.

Then came scandal and injuries, slumping form and nearly two years on the sidelines before he was able to mount a comeback campaign that stepped up in 2018.

Last year he went from strength to strength, contending in both the British Open and PGA Championship before seizing a breakthrough US PGA Tour title at the Tour Championship in September.

The revamped global golf schedule may now assist Woods on his quest for more major glory, with the PGA Championship, at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, moved up in the calendar to May 16-19.

When Woods won the 2002 US Open held at Bethpage he was also coming off a Masters win that year.

Woods was the only player to finish under par on the long, testing course, his three-under total of 277 giving him a three-shot win over Phil Mickelson.

The US Open in June will be held at Pebble Beach — where Woods won by a stunning 15 strokes in 2000.

Doubts that Woods would ever win another major, or even another tournament, long centered on two issues: the crowd of young, talented, super-fit and long-hitting players he inspired and the demands majors put on his own aging and often injured body.

Assessing his impact on the game on Sunday, Woods noted that attention to physical fitness exploded in the sport thanks largely to him.

“A lot of the guys are training,” he said. “They are getting bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic.

“They are recovering better. They are hitting the ball prodigious distances, and a little bit of that’s probably attributed to what I did.

“When I first turned pro, I was the only one in the gym, except Vijay (Singh).”

– ‘Not going anywhere’ –

Now, Woods quipped, even his old rival Phil Mickelson — famed for his love of fast-food burgers — is working out.

“Things have come a long way,” Woods said.

But hours and hours of weight training and practice just aren’t possible for Woods anymore.

After knee injuries and multiple back surgeries, the last a spinal fusion that finally freed him from pain, he isn’t up to the ‘reps’ he favored in his prime.

Although smarter training and better nutrition and physical therapy is helping older golfers compete for longer, Woods admits that preparation and recovery are as important for him as practice.

“It sucks hopping in those ice baths, but it’s just part of the deal,” said Woods, who rose around 4 am on Sunday to be warmed up and ready for his 9:20 final round tee time at Augusta.

He took the lead at the 15th hole and never gave it back — achieving one more first in a career stuffed with records and firsts: his first major triumph when not leading through 54 holes.

“To witness that, a handful of years ago I don’t know a lot of people believed that Tiger would win another major,” said Tony Finau, who played alongside Woods and Molinari. “From what I saw today, obviously he’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”

“We moved this event up on the calendar from its typical fall date as Mystic Creek breaks ground on a brand-new clubhouse,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “Murphy USA continues to be a devoted sponsor of the Symetra Tour, helping shape the future for the next generation of LPGA Tour stars on a golf course that is arguably the most challenging test our players face all year.”

Greeting the 144-player field in El Dorado, Ark. is a total purse of $150,000. Individuals are set to compete in a 54-hole stroke play format with a cut to the low 60 players and ties after 36 holes.

“Through our relationship with the Symetra Tour, Murphy USA has been given a unique opportunity to bring women’s professional golf to our hometown of El Dorado where we not only have an exceptional golf course, but also an incredible community to host the event,” said Murphy Oil USA, Inc. President and CEO Andrew Clyde. “Murphy USA strongly believes that participating in athletics—at all levels—prepares young women for powerful futures as leaders, whether in the classroom, the board room, or the professional athletic arena.”

Defending champion Hyemin Kim (Seoul, Republic of Korea) is among the competitors. She won the fourth edition of the event in 2018 at 5-under par overall. The 30-year-old entered the 2019 campaign with a total of nine top-10 finishes in 121 career starts on the Symetra Tour.

“I really didn’t expect to win because I was struggling with my game last year, but it gave me a lot of confidence and completely changed my expectations for 2019,” Kim said. “This is one of my favorite golf courses, it is so challenging and always in perfect shape. When we come to El Dorado, I receive such a welcoming feeling from all the local people. I really appreciate Murphy USA running this amazing tournament and can’t wait to compete again.”

Action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. CT in the first and second round with play starting off No. 1 and No. 10 tees all three days. Meanwhile, final round action will begin at 7:45 a.m. with a trophy presentation to follow on No. 18 green.

The 32-year-old Spaniard, whose bad knees and constant stoppages from competition have defined his career as king of clay, was extremely hesitant to even rate his chances as he gets set to face Roberto Bautista Agut in Wednesday’s second round start.

“I cant give you any feeling, it’s been a rough year and a half for me,” Nadal said ahead of his first match since withdrawing with another knee injury prior to an Indian Wells semi-final against Roger Federer last month.

“It’s tough for me to get a clear view of how I am. It’s all hard for me personally.”

Nadal has a vast number of ranking points to defend on clay after lifting titles in a spectacular 2018 run at Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Roland Garros.

His only other trophy during a season in which he did not play at all after the US Open came on hard court in Toronto, where he beat young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final.

“It’s been  hard for me personally,” Nadal said of his latest physical setback.

“Now the work of every day is to improve, (make) small improvements in every practice.

“It’s important for me to have a good practice before the tournament starts and then try to be competitive for the first round.

“it’s gonna be a tough one (match with Bautista Agut), so let’s see.”

Nadal is seeded second here behind Novak Djokovic, who is hoping to build for the French Open as he attempts to complete a personal sweep by winning his fourth straight Grand Slam title.

While Bautista Agut fought back to beat Australian John Millman 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, Denis Shapovalov’s 20th birthday celebrations fell flat as he lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to German Jan-Lennard Struff.

Fifteenth seed Shapovalov has yet to claim a win in the Principality after losing in the first round a year ago to Tsitsipas.

The nearly two-hour effort was marred by 10 double-faults from the Canadian youngster, who was broken six times.

German Philipp Kohlschreiber beat Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-3 to line up against top seed Novak Djokovic; Belgian 16th seed David Goffin made short work of Argentine Guido Andreozzi 6-1, 6-4.

Italy’s Fabio Fognini thrilled fans from across the nearby border with his 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 comeback defeat of Andrey Rublev.

Russian 10th seed Daniil Medvedev advanced easily over Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1, 6-1, but Hungarian Marton Fucsovics dumped out Nikolaz Basilashvili, the 12th seed, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

Britain’s Kyle Edmund was dumped out after leading a set and 3-0 as Argentine Diego Schwartzman rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 victory.

After establishing his lead, Edmund proceeded to lose nine games on the trot to trail 3-0 in the final set on his way out of the tournament.

Aubameyang profited from an error by Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster as he blasted an attempted clearance in off the Gabon international.

Watford captain Troy Deeney was then shown a straight red card after just 11 minutes, but the Gunners failed to make the most of their man advantage and were fortunate as the hosts twice hit the woodwork.

However, Unai Emery’s men held out for a first clean sheet away from home in the Premier League this season to move ahead of Chelsea on goal difference into fourth.

“We didn’t control the match like I wanted,” admitted Emery.

“The team was anxious because they could (have) taken some moment. The most important for us is to score the second goal, which we didn’t do.”

Arsenal also edge to within a point of north London rivals Tottenham and two clear of Manchester United in the four-way battle for the two remaining Champions League places behind Liverpool and Manchester City.

FA Cup finalists Watford were already shorn of the man who helped book their place at Wembley against Manchester City next month as Gerard Deulofeu missed out through injury and Javi Gracia’s side did themselves little favours early on.

Firstly, Foster dallied as Aubameyang closed in to concede a comical opener.

“I’ve said sorry to the lads,” said Foster. “I have tried to drag it on to my left and pass it out but before I knew it he (Aubameyang) was bloody on me.

“In hindsight you have to get rid as quick as you can, even if it goes into row Z.

“I am definitely not a modern goalie. They can’t score from row Z.”

And within seconds, Deeney was punished for what the referee saw as an elbow into the face of Lucas Torreira.

“If it is a foul I have a doubt, maybe a yellow card but (a) red card, I don’t understand why the referee did it,” argued Watford boss Javi Gracia.

However, the 10 men were still causing problems to a defensively vulnerable Arsenal at the other end.

Craig Cathcart’s shot was turned onto the post by Bernd Leno and the German goalkeeper was also a full stretch to turn an Etienne Capoue free-kick behind.

Emery introduced Mesut Ozil at half-time in an attempt to improve Arsenal’s final ball with so much space to counter-attack into, but to little avail.

Alex Iwobi looked to have provided the perfect cross to pick out Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but Foster made amends for his earlier error by spreading himself to make a brilliant save from the Armenian.

Arsenal’s terrible away record is why they face such a tight battle to secure Champions League football next season.

And they could have thrown just a second away league win since November away as Adam Masina crashed a 25-yard strike off the crossbar before Andre Gray miscontrolled Daryl Janmaat’s pass when clean through on Leno.

Gray was then denied by a last-ditch challenge from Ainsley Maitland-Niles after rounding Leno, but without the firepower of Deulofeu and Deeney, Watford’s brave effort fell just short.