Watford vs Southampton LIVE: Result and reaction from Premier League fixture today
Nigel Pearson’s side remain in peril after visitors secured a straightforward win
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Watford fell to a 3-1 defeat against Southampton this afternoon as the Hornets’ attempt to avoid Premier League relegation continues to stutter.
Southampton took the lead after 16 minutes when Danny Ings strode towards the Watford box and fired a precise strike past Ben Foster, and the striker netted his second in the second half after the Hornets’ goalkeeper threw the ball straight to him.
A Jan Bednarek own goal seemingly gave Nigel Pearson’s side a lifeline, but moments later the hosts conceded again, this time to a magnificent James Ward-Prowse free-kick. Re-live all our live coverage of the game below:
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7 mins: It's still pinball after seven minutes of play, with both sides trying to get a grip on the game.
10 mins: Deeney just about controls a pass from Capoue and looks to knock it on to Sarr on the right wing. It's deflected out for another Watford throw.
11 mins: Deeney rises to head a long pass, but there's no one out on the left to pick up the resulting free ball.
13 mins: Cathcart makes a nice lofted pass to Pereyra on the right wing, and the midfielder slides it through to Sarr, whose cutback across the face of the Saints goal is met by no one!
14 mins: That was the best chance of the game so far. Now Southampton slow the game down a little, at long last.
15 mins: Southampton get their first real chance now as Long controls the ball well just inside the Watford box and fires it goalwards. It's struck firmly, but goes straight into the hands of Foster.
16 mins: GOAL! Southampton get another chance and they make Watford pay!
Ings picks up the ball around 25 yards out and drives towards the hosts' box before slotting a precise effort into the bottom right corner of the net!
Watford 0-1 Southampton
19 mins: That's Ings' 17th goal of the Premier League season.
21 mins: Femenia crosses for Deeney, but the striker can't get a clean header off.
23 mins: Ward-Prowse has a great chance to double the Saints' lead!
The ball drops for the midfielder about two yards out, but Cathcart and McCarthy just about do enough to force him to fire over!
Can the water break change the momentum of this game, as it has in so many others?
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