Bastian Schweinsteiger struck in the final minute to earn Manchester United a superb three points at a courageous Watford today.
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, with Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial both missing, handed a rare start to Memphis Depay - his first in four games. Ashley Young was also selected at right-back ahead of Matteo Darmian.
For Quique Sanchez Flores, he surprisingly benched Nathan Ake and recalled Juan Manuel Jurado to his starting line-up.
Van Gaal went with the new-look strike-pairing of Memphis and Jesse Lingard and was rewarded after just 11 minutes as the former grabbed his second Premier League goal of the season.
A deep run from Young sparked the move and when the ball was played to Ander Herrera, the Spaniard lifted in a super cross for Memphis to volley home with his left foot.
After the goal, Watford failed to respond as United's possession play squeezed the life out of the game and the home crowd. Memphis tested Heurelho Gomes midway through the first-half with a stinging drive which the Brazilian smartly turned aside.
Memphis' effort came minutes before Herrera was forced off with an apparent hamstring injury. He was replaced by Marcos Rojo as United changed to a back five.
The half ended with little more action as United controlled a tame Hornets.
The second-half kicked off with Ake coming on for Jurado and the young Dutchman added an immediate spark to Watford's play.
But it was United which first went close, with Gomes turning away Lingard's early effort.
However, Watford soon after fired a warning as Odion Ighalo set up Deeney from Ake's cross and the skipper forced David de Gea into a superb save.
Ighalo then saw a close-range effort blocked by Morgan Schneiderlin from a Watford corner. Soon after, Almen Abdi forced De Gea into a wonder save at the near post.
Inbetween those efforts, Etienne Capoue produced an outrageous nutmeg on Lingard.
Deeney, with 15 minutes to run, thumped his shot straight at De Gea and ten minutes later the skipper had Watford level.
Ighalo was judged to have been dragged down by Rojo inside the United penalty area - earning the hosts a penalty. Deeney stepped up and fired home from the spot.
However, Watford hadn't counted on Schweinsteiger, who was impressive throughout the 90 minutes.
The United matchwinner struck in the final minute of normal time after Watford failed to clear Lingard's drive. Gomes could only force the ball marginally clear and there was Schweinsteiger with a superb angled drive which Deeney could only help into the net.
Ighalo almost grabbed an injury-time equaliser, but De Gea was again there to keep the Nigerian at bay.
The final whistle was blown to the delight of the visitors, who had battled through to produce one of their best performances of the season.
Schweinsteiger's celebrations at the end of the game showed how much it meant to the German and his United, which finished the game with Lingard, Paddy McNair and Andreas Pereira all on the pitch.
