Southampton were once again the masters of their own downfall as a second-half capitulation led to them drawing 2-2 away at Watford.
It was a must-win game for Saints, with the team having failed to come out victorious in the Premier League since the 4-1 win at home to Everton in late November.
The visitors started well, with positive football and intensity on show in the first-half. Their efforts were rewarded as James Ward-Prowse opened the scoring with a well-placed finish.
Soon after, Ward-Prowse had his second of the match and his third in his last two outings. Shane Long burst down the left in exceptional style before just finding Dusan Tadic, who laid it off to Ward-Prowse as the young midfielder slotted home.
The second-half came about, though, and a totally different Southampton side came out. As per usual, the opposition made one minor tactical tweak by playing with two strikers up top, including the physically-gifted Troy Deeney, and Saints totally and utterly crumbled.
Mauricio Pellegrino’s men sat deep and invited pressure, which led to Watford netting after their relentless efforts. Alex McCarthy thwarted Daryl Janmaat with a smart stop, but Andre Gray was on hand to nod the rebound home.
Watford were denied a clear penalty later on in the game, as Mario Lemina almost ripped Stefano Okaka’s shirt off in the area.
The Hornets did, however, get their reward for their second-half display and failure to receive a blatant penalty in the dying moments. Abdoulaye Doucoure converted, quite clearly, with his hand just before the end of normal time to level the score. It’s really quite unfathomable how referee Roger East failed to see it, but it was nothing less than what Saints deserved for them nonsensical approach in the second-half.
Yet another must-win game has resulted in a draw for Southampton. It’s not looking good for Pellegrino and his side. Here are our player ratings.
