Mauricio Pellegrino will be disappointed with his side as they drew 2-2 in a must-win game against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The visitors started brilliantly with a 2-0 lead going into the break. However, the Hornets managed the score twice, preventing Southampton gaining all three points.
The first goal came in the 20th minute with an excellent run by Shane Long down the right side of the pitch who cut the ball back to James Ward-Prowse and he neatly tucked the ball into the bottom left corner past the goalkeeper.
The Saints doubled their lead minutes before half-time with another superb run from Long, who found Dusan Tadic who moved the ball across to Ward-Prowse and he once again found the back of the net.
However, the hosts managed to get a goal back with an Andre Gray header which fell kindly to him after a powerful strike from Daryl Janmaat forced a fantastic save, which was tipped on to the crossbar from Alex McCarthy.
Southampton were unfortunate to not keep a hold of their lead as Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure controversially bundled the ball into the net with his hand in the 90th minute.
Although the second half could’ve been better for the Saints, they did display a very good first-half performance and with that being said, I have picked out my three standout performers.
Shane Long
Long played a vital part in both goals for Southampton; he managed to bag himself an assist for the first goal and worked the ball forward well for the second. Throughout the game, he tirelessly chased after the ball making himself a nuisance for the Hornet’s defence.
Wesley Hoedt
After coming back into the side from a delayed concussion he suffered at Manchester United, Hoedt put in another excellent defensive performance, especially in the first half. The Dutch international put in some great last-ditch challenges to ensure Southampton didn’t concede any more goals. Hoedt appears to have solidified his position in the starting 11 and the Saints will be hoping he can keep this form up.
James Ward-Prowse
Without question, Ward-Prowse deserves to be on this list. After scoring in the FA Cup fixture against Fulham, Ward-Prowse managed to impressively bag himself a brace to give Southampton a 2-0 advantage in the first half. He’s seeming to have a real eye for goal after now scoring three goals in two games. This performance has surely secured his place for the next game against Spurs.
