Southampton faced off against Watford at the St. Mary’s Stadium yesterday hoping it pick up maximum points in front of their home supporters. The Saints made a sloppy start to the game and conceded in the 24th minute when Ismaïla Sarr scored to put the visitors ahead. Ralph Hasenhüttl’s men responded positively but failed to find the equaliser in the first half.
The South Coast outfit kept pushing for a goal and finally managed to level the scoreline when Danny Ings scored in the 78th minute. James Ward-Prowse helped Southampton complete the turnaround when he scored from a brilliant free-kick just five minutes later. The home side hung on to seal a hard-fought 2-1 win which will boost their survival hopes for this campaign.
Let’s take a look at how each Southampton player performed during the match against the Hornets.
GK: Alex McCarthy – 7/10
The Saints goalie pulled off two incredible saves in the first half which kept his side in the contest. He was a solid presence in goal and played a vital role in the win.
RB: Cédric Soares – 5/10
He looked a bit shaky at the back and didn’t manage to create too much going forward. Soares ran out of gas in the end and had to be substituted.
CB: Jack Stephens – 5/10
Not the best game from the Southampton defender as he failed to keep a clean sheet once again. However, he will be quite happy with the victory.
CB: Jan Bednarek – 5/10
He looked a bit vulnerable defensively but did enough to see out the match.
LB: Ryan Bertrand – 5/10
The ex-Chelsea full-back tried his best to link up with others in the opposition half. However, he didn’t look the most assured defensively.
RM: Moussa Djenepo – 7/10
The Saints wing wizard was bright and energetic in the opposition half and caused a lot of problems for the Watford defence. He also got an assist to show for his efforts.
CM: James Ward-Prowse – 7.5/10
The Southampton star scored with a fabulous free-kick to win all three points for his team. His second-half strike probably saved Hasenhüttl from getting the sack this week.
CM: Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 5/10
He worked hard but struggled to create too many meaningful chances in the final third.
LM: Nathan Redmond – 6/10
He looked average at best during the first 45 minutes. Redmond got cautioned and was then substituted just before the hour mark.
ST: Danny Ings – 7/10
The former Liverpool forward came to Southampton’s rescue when he scored a priceless goal in the 78th minute. Hasenhüttl would hope that he can continue finding the back of the net in the coming weeks when the fixtures come thick and fast in the Premier League.
ST: Michael Obafemi – 5/10
He didn’t look like he had a goal in him. Obafemi will be hoping for better days at the St. Mary’s Stadium.
Substitutes:
CAM: Sofiane Boufal – 6/10
The Moroccan midfield ace put in a nice, little cameo after coming off the bench.
ST: Shane Long – 5/10
The Saints striker squandered an excellent chance to equalise, but fortunately for him, his teammates went on to complete the turnaround in the end.
RB: Yan Valery – 5/10
He came on for the final 15 minutes but struggled to get involved.
