Javi Gracia believes Abdoulaye Doucoure will have gained newfound confidence after scoring in back-to-back Premier League games.

Doucoure netted a late consolation against Manchester City to score for the first time since January before heading home against Everton on Monday.

The midfielder has experienced up and down form this term, but Gracia is hopeful the Frenchman will return to his confident best having rediscovered his goalscoring touch.

Gracia said: “I think first of all he showed last season what he can do and scored lots of goals at the beginning of the season.

“Now he has scored two in a row he feels confident again.”

Watford have relied on a number of players to get their goals this season and, with their strikers not being in regular form in front of goal, Gracia was pleased to see Doucoure among the goals.

He said: “The strikers sometimes do not score all the time and other times they do. It is important that not only the strikers score.

“The midfielders have to score as well, like Roberto Pereyra has done and like Doucoure is now. One thing we spoke about was improving finishing and in this moment other players are.”