Everton 2 Watford 5: Claudio Ranieri gets first win as Josh King scores hat-trick in dramatic comeback at Goodison Park
![Everton 2 Watford 5 Claudio Ranieri gets first win as Josh King scores hattrick in dramatic comeback at Goodison Park](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=%2Fuploads%2Fnews%2F27%2F2737%2F0%2F2737058-everton-2-watford-5-claudio-ranieri-gets-first-win-as-josh-king-scores-hat-trick.jpg&w=750&hash=33e24d6b38f9ffd4faf343d61c0c9007)
RAFA BENITEZ now knows the honeymoon is well and truly over for him at Goodison.
Not that Josh King will care a jot after he collected a stunning hat – trick on his return to the ground where he failed to make any mark at all last season.
![Josh King scored a hat-trick as Watford fought back to beat Everton 5-2](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2F173fee19-0df6-4587-84fb-14299d0148fe.jpg&w=728&hash=7024ee7aab56f23b69cacdeb5c29deac)
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![Juraj Kucka also netted as Watford fired FOUR past Everton in the final 12 minutes](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2FNINTCHDBPICT000688699986.jpg&w=728&hash=2155dd0b6843c766c91edd58622a7a74)
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The striker became only the second Norwegian after Man Utd boss Ole Gunnaer Solskjaer to hit 50 or more Premier League goals.
He now has one more than that tally and he will believe he will never hit an easier treble.
For Everton were a shambles.
Indeed the striker who hadn’t scored a top flight goal in his previous 30 games would have had four but for a desperate block by Jordan Pickford.
In the end the Toffees were completely over – run by the side that a week earlier had been on the end of a 5 – humiliation from the team from the other side of Stanley Park.
New Watford boss boss Claudio Ranieri obviously got some work done in between.
![Everton were left shellshocked at the final whistle](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2FNINTCHDBPICT000688699977.jpg&w=728&hash=d3c641a3c9ca3a94fae77c6b0d4cbe19)
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![The Toffees had been leading 2-1 up until the 78th minute](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2F1d19c11b-c2f9-4f0e-9dd2-1776120ce798.jpg&w=728&hash=5d6274d0fd67aa578f9257d082b9d636)
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Having gone one down to a Tom Davies strike in only the third minute it looked like more trouble lay ahead for him and the Hornets.
Not a bit of it. King collected his first goal less than ten minutes after that.
Richarlison returned from a five game absence to head the home side back into the lead.
But there were boos enough over the fact that Benitez hooked home grown Anthony Gordon to get on Brazilian star on the pitch.
![Josh King silenced the doubters at his former club](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2F6d8af91a-3cc3-4b8c-9499-bad098bf1cb0.jpg&w=728&hash=c420b7a8ffa8f92071564ac4ca90ed1b)
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![Watford will be hoping to build on their impressive comeback](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2Fcd9103d7-9b7b-4823-8742-c63cce682a51.jpg&w=728&hash=89c65de8fc0234384ea5a8b91ad0b74d)
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By the end, after Juraj Kucka and King scored within 88 seconds of each other, followed by another goal from Emmanuel Dennis, the abuse towards Benitz and his team had turned into a cacophony.
The majority of the home fans never wanted the ex - Liverpool boss there in the first place but a brilliant start kept them quiet.
By the final whistle, they finally had the chance to publicly vent their feelings - and they didn’t hold back.
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![Tempers spilled over in a heated clash on Merseyside](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2Ff09b95aa-f567-41ae-a796-cec48b355b8e.jpg&w=728&hash=db7d1fdcfa657b5d425ffdb5643c7053)
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![The win was Claudio Ranieri's first since becoming Watford boss this month](/thumb/phpThumb.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F10%2F85e6c83f-3551-465c-b27e-8fdf880494a0.jpg&w=728&hash=059939e71d5e7c480ed17bdbae98d515)
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