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.
Alex McCarthy - 7
Could do little to prevent the goals. He made some good saves throughout and his distribution was generally strong. It’s nice to have a goalkeeper who can confidently come off his line and claim crosses.
Cedric Soares - 5
Lacked match sharpness following a spell out of the team. Wasn’t bad, but wasn’t up to his usual high standards.
Jack Stephens - 6
Turned in a controlled performance. He was confident on the ball but he wasn’t anything to write home about. A steady display.
Wesley Hoedt - 5
Not a brilliant display from Hoedt. He was often out of position and wasn’t as efficient on the ball as he usually is.
Ryan Bertrand - 4
He made an outstanding block in the second-half but had a really poor game, in my opinion. There were several periods in the first half where he was quite frankly lazy, failing to track runners and failing to drive forward. He also failed to track Doucoure for the equaliser.
Oriol Romeu - 5
Made some good challenges but failed to get a hold of the game and was largely anonymous in the middle.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - 6
His gritty style suited the game and he contributed with some nice touches. However, his early booking somewhat inhibited him and he didn’t play with the same guile he often does.
James Ward-Prowse - 8
Netted twice and found good positions in dangerous areas. He played well and contributed in combination play out wide.
Steven Davis - 4
Davis was dire. He was negative on the ball and his tendency to overplay cost Saints as Watford netted their first. He was rightly withdrawn for Mario Lemina.
Dusan Tadic - 5
Set up the second goal but failed to influence the game. His touch was not quite as good as it normally is.
Shane Long - 6
Was often isolated up front and couldn’t really get into the game. He played a huge part in Saints’ second but never really threatened the Watford back-line. He also missed an open goal as he took a totally unnecessary touch from only a few yards out.
Substitutes
Mario Lemina – 6 – Produced some good moments of skill but couldn’t contain Watford’s relentless pressure through central areas.
Sofiane Boufal – N/A – Was brought on with virtually no time remaining. He should have been starting but Pellegrino favoured a more rigid approach.
Josh Sims – N/A – Came on at the same time for his first Premier League appearance this season. It was good to see him back but he had no time to make a difference in the match.