A stunning late-Abdoulaye Doucoure equalizer saw Watford snatch a point against Southampton, in a match full of drama and excitement.
Southampton will rue their loss of concentration in the final phase of the game, especially after dominating Watford for the most period of the game.
James-Ward Prowse’s first-half helped the Saints maintain a level of dominance against their Premier League rivals throughout the game until a couple of inspired substitution in the second half drove Watford to an impressive display in the final phase of the game.
The Hornets pulled back one through Andre Gray just before the hour mark while Abdoulaye Doucoure’s late striker handed them a point despite playing poorly throughout the course of the game.
Here are the Watford players rated in their draw with Southampton.
Heurelho Gomes (7/10): The veteran keeper tried his best to preserve his clean sheet, which was duly denied thanks to Watford’s defensive mishaps throughout the game. He cannot be the blamed for conceding the two first-half goals.
Daryl Janmaat (7/10): The Dutch fullback was a key outlet going forward, for Marco Silva’s side. His offensive link-up play and dangerous crossed proved a handful for the opposition in the second. However, his defensive game needs to improve a lot.
Molla Wague (7/10): Struggled to cope with the sheer pace of Shane Long and overall looked very uncomfortable in dealing with Southampton’s attacking moments.
Christian Kabasele (7.5/10): Even though he’s been by far the best defender for Watford, that’s not to say that Kabasele had been excellent as the Belgian struggled at times to keep out the Saints attacking line.
Marvin Zeegelaar (6.5/10): Was very indecent going forward as well as tracking backwards. Failed to make any real impression in neither end of the pitch, which was coupled with some awful decision making.
Abdoulaye Doucoure (7.5/10): Looked very clumsy throughout the first half, where he was outpaced by the Southampton midfielders. However, his improved second-half display propelled Watford to a draw against the Saints.
Ben Watson (6.5/10): An awful outing for the veteran midfielder, who was completely outclassed by the opposing midfielders. A disappointing game for the 32-year-old.
Andre Carrillo (7/10): Failed to make the similar impact as he did in earlier games as he struggled against a disciplined Southampton backline. Although, he did, at times, show his glimpses in the first half.
Tom Cleverly (NA): Limped off in the 35th minute, which might have been a blessing in disguise for Watford as his replacement completely changed the outcome of the game. However, the Hornets will be hoping that the injury is not something serious.
Richarlison (7.5/10): A much better second half performance helped Watford keep up the pressure on the Southampton defence.
Andre Gray: (7.5/10) Showed his poacher instincts when he followed in a rebound to make it 2:1 just before the hour mark. Was surprisingly taken off later in the game.
Substitutes
Roberto Pereyra (8/10): Instantly lifted the tempo of the game after coming on for Tom Cleverly in the 35th minute. His willingness to pick up the ball and create chances was priceless for a struggling Watford side. Furthermore, he was also involved in some key defensive interventions later in the game.
Troy Deeney (10/10): Made a huge impact after coming on a sub at the start of the second half. His excellent work rate helped Andre Gray to play to his full potential and eventually score in the hour mark. He also won every header as well as setting up the equalizer late in the game. A super sub!
Stefano Okaka (7/10): His physical prowess helped him pose a good challenge against the Southampton defender.
