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

FA Cup match preview: Newcastle v Manchester City

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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Key Points

• Match kicked off at 4.30pm BST
• Watford XI: Foster, Femenia, Cathcart, Dawson, Masina, Capoue, Hughes, Doucoure, Sarr, Pereyra, Deeney
• Southampton XI: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand, Romeu, Ward-Prowse, Smallbone, Redmond, Long, Ings

[28 June 2020 16:59 · Alex Pattle]

28 mins: Watford are not tidy enough going forward right now; their timing is off, and their most recent venture forward ended in the Hornets needlessly conceding a free-kick.

[28 June 2020 16:59 · Alex Pattle]

29 mins: Long is down for some treatment – seemingly on his right knee.

[28 June 2020 17:00 · Alex Pattle]

30 mins: It turns out the Saints striker's knee was clipped slightly by team-mate Smallbone as the pair leapt for the same header.

[28 June 2020 17:02 · Alex Pattle]

31 mins: Fortunately for Southampton fans, Long is okay to continue. Moments after getting up to his feet, he's clattered and wins a free-kick for the visitors after capitalising on a mistake in the Watford half.

[28 June 2020 17:03 · Alex Pattle]

32 mins: Redmond takes and it's a controlled strike from range, but dips into Foster's gloves.

[28 June 2020 17:06 · Alex Pattle]

35 mins: Masina curls a wicked cross in from the left and it falls for Hughes, who connects cleanly with a half-volley. It's blocked well, however.

[28 June 2020 17:08 · Alex Pattle]

37 mins: Romeu looks for Long, and Dawson misses his clearance just outside the Watford box! Luckily for the defender, Foster is there to gather.

[28 June 2020 17:09 · Alex Pattle]

39 mins: Foster collects again, this time from a Saints free-kick on the left wing.

[28 June 2020 17:12 · Alex Pattle]

41 mins: Sarr surges into the Southampton box, but Bertrand holds him off and the visitors get a goal-kick.

Sarr wasn't strong enough there – the Watford man even wanted a foul to be given.

[28 June 2020 17:14 · Alex Pattle]

43 mins: Southampton have been the better side, but what will frustrate Watford fans is that the Saints haven't had to do too much to keep the hosts frustrated.