Watford boss Javia Gracia says starting Gerard Deulofeu on the bench - and angering him - worked in their favour after defeating Wolves in Sunday's FA Cup semifinal.

The substitute's impact was dramatic, scoring with a stunning chip to halve Wolves' advantage, before scoring the winner in extra-time after Troy Deeney's dramatic injury-time penalty had levelled matters.

“We knew before the game when we started with other players Gerard would be important," Gracia said. “I knew, with more spaces but I didn't know when we started to play we would be losing 2-0.

“In other games it was the same. We started playing with Troy and Gerard and Gray on the bench and he scored important goals for the team, against Everton, Leicester, in the last game two assists.

“All the players deserve to play and it's not easy for me to choose the moments for all of them, but I try to choose the best moment for everyone."

Asked about the calibre of Deulofeu's first goal, Gracia said: “In that moment I think he was angry, but I like to see my players this way, with that attitude.

“They've felt angry in this moment to show what they are able to do and he helped the team, scoring two important goals. The first one was high quality but it's not a surprise for me because all see all the chances."