Watford boss Javi Gracia challenged Gerard Deulofeu to show consistently high performances after the Spain forward starred in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Cardiff.
Deulofeu’s solo goal and curling efforts from Jose Holebas and Domingos Quina saw the hosts take a 3-0 lead after 68 minutes, but they had to withstand a late rally from Cardiff.
Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge ensured the Bluebirds’ deficit was not greater and two goals in three minutes, from Junior Hoilett and Bobby Reid, set up a nervous finale before Watford ended their six-match winless run.
“Gerard has the quality like we’ve seen today,” Gracia said.
“All of them have to show his level, or that level, day by day. If we want to keep our level as a team, we need to keep our level individually as well.”
The win was Watford’s first since back-to-back successes over Wolves and Huddersfield in October and since Gracia signed a four-year contract extension last month.
The Spaniard insisted he knew his team would see out victory.
He added: “I was confident in my players. I thought in that moment we would manage well the game.
“It will be a lesson for us to learn in the future, to manage the different situations: don’t put in danger the result we have.
“We have played many games recently and we didn’t get the reward maybe we deserved. We deserved the victory today.”