'He knows where the goal is' - Ranieri waxes lyrical about Emmanuel Dennis

Watford boss Claudio Ranieri has showered praises on Nigeria international Emmanuel Dennis.

Emmanuel Dennis was again on target for Watford as they lost 1-2 to Chelsea at Vicarage Road in a Premier League fixture played on Wednesday, December 1, 2021.

Down a goal to Chelsea scored by Mason Mount, Dennis converted a ball through to him by Moussa Sissoko in the 44th minute to equalize for Watford just before the halftime break.

Chelsea scored late in the second half to seal the win but Ranieri was full of praise for Dennis and his latest performance.

The former Club Brugge man has scored in three consecutive games against Manchester United, Leicester City, and now Chelsea.

In a statement on the official Watford website after the game, Ranieri stated he was happy with Dennis despite the loss.

He said, “I am very happy with Emmanuel because straight away he wants to do something, I love these kinds of players.

“He knows where the goal is and goes there straight away. But I think all the players put in fantastic performances.

“We continue to believe in our job. We are working very well and I hope our fans are proud of us, because tonight we pushed the champions of Europe in every situation.”

Dennis also stated that the despite the result against the reigning European champions the performance was impressive.

In a statement on the Watford website, he said, “I’m really proud of the team because we played really well.

“The result is unfortunate, they were lucky to take the three points. The intensity was good and we’re slowly understanding the way the manager wants us to play. We can see the progress in how we play so I’m really proud of the team, we just need to keep working hard and the results will come.

“I knew if I tried to shoot he was going to open his legs and I was lucky to score in the end. I’m happy with the goal but in the end we didn’t get the three points.

“I’m just doing my job, I’m really happy I’m here and I’m enjoying being part of the team. I’m training well and being positive, and I’m really happy.”

Dennis is expected to return to action with Watford when they host Premier League champions Manchester City on Saturday, December 4, 2021.