46 passes with accuracy of 85% per game – Watford’s 19-year-old midfield dynamo has all the qualities be breakout star

Domingos Quina might be one of the breakout stars of the Premier League

Watford returned to winning ways following a six-game drought with a 3-2 victory over Cardiff City at Vicarage Road in the Premier League on Saturday, thanks to goals from Gerard Deulofeu, Jose Holebas and Domingos Quina.

Now, Deulofeu and Holebas are names which are quite familiar to the Premier League fans. However, the actual star of the show was the 19-year-old Portuguese youth international Domingos Quina.

A product of West Ham’s youth system, Quina starred for the Hammers at youth and reserve level and made a few first-team appearances in the domestic cup competitions. However, lack of opportunities in the Premier League urged him to move to Watford at the start of the season.

Quina made his debut for the Hornets in the League Cup and netted in the 2-0 victory over Reading back in August. However, he had to wait quite a long time before making his bow in the  Premier League.

The 19-year-old wonderkid made his Premier League debut as a substitute against Manchester City and the promise that he showed in the last half an hour or so convinced manager Javi Gracia to hand him his first start in the Premier League in the next game against Everton.  

Drafted into the first-team in the absence of Etienne Capoue, Quina had the weight of the responsibility on his young shoulders. However, the youngster proved his mettle and rose to the occasion as the Hornets settled for a 2-2 draw.

In all honesty, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that the youngster played in a manner of someone who has plenty of top-flight starts under his belt. He looked calm and composed in possession and didn’t seem to run out of ideas when he got the ball. He played well within his limitations and did not try to catch the eye with something anything rash and expansive, a trait quite common among young players in the same mould.

Quina certainly caught the eye with a solid display at the heart of the midfield against Everton and consequently, Javi Gracia handed him his second start ahead of the much more established Nathaniel Chalobah against Cardiff City this weekend.

Playing alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure in central midfield, the Portuguese starlet bettered his previous performance. Apart from being composed and assured in possession, Quina grew in confidence and drove forward with pace a lot more than he did in the previous game. He looked spot on with his passing and distribution and rarely misplaced a pass.

Furthermore, he didn’t hesitate to stick his foot out when needed, cutting out the attacks with some crucial tackles. Quina has averaged 46 passes per game with an accuracy percentage of 85.5, including 2.7 successful long balls and 1.3 tackles per game.

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And he capped off a fine performance with a delightful goal which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides. Domingos Quina has already shown plenty of promise in his first three games and it won’t be surprising to see his name amongst the breakout stars of the season if he continues to impress.