Watford 0-1 Southampton: Che Adams' brilliant strike earns Saints victory at Vicarage Road

Che Adams' superb finish ensured Southampton leapfrogged Watford in the Premier League table courtesy of a well-deserved 1-0 victory at Vicarage Road.

Claudio Ranieri's side came crashing back down to earth following their impressive 5-2 win at Everton last weekend, and it is now back-to-back home defeats for the Italian after he replaced Xisco Munoz as Watford manager earlier this month.

Southampton were the slicker outfit throughout this encounter, dealing the decisive blow when Adams picked his spot from Adam Armstrong's pass after 20 minutes, bending his right-foot finish into the top corner for his first league goal of the campaign - but the visitors missed a host of chances to extend their lead.

Saints had 12 shots but just one was on target as they secured a first away Premier League win since March. The result means Ralph Hasenhuttl's side move up to 14th in the table on 11 points with Watford slipping down to 16th place on 10 points after as many games.

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How Saints ended away curse

Southampton had won just one of their previous 17 Premier League away games prior to their trip to Hertfordshire, but there have been recent signs of improvement on the road - notably the goalless draw at Manchester City - and Hasenhuttl will have been delighted with his team's performance in the absence of striker Armando Broja.

"We are absolutely happy with the win, I think it was a very deserved win," Hasenhuttl said. "We had a very good performance in the first half where we had only one criticism - that we didn't score more often. The game could have been finished at half-time with three or four to zero."

Saints have not lost an away league match against Watford since September 2007 in the Championship, and they gave signal of their intentions within the opening minute as Nathan Redmond's cross ended up fortuitously in the gloves of Ben Foster off the outstretched boot of Craig Cathcart.

Watford were looking to win back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since July 2020, but they really ought to have been punished for a sluggish start when Kyle Walker-Peters' cross was headed over by Armstrong.

Four minutes later, they were behind - and it was no less than Southampton deserved following their courageous start. Again, the visitors worked the ball well down their left as Armstrong slipped a pass inside for Adams and the former Birmingham striker was afforded far too much time to curl his right-footed shot beyond Foster and into the top corner.

Southampton were in the mood with both Walker-Peters and Tino Livramento getting forward at will but, from a pinpoint clearance from Foster, Watford came within inches of restoring parity against the run of play.

Joshua King was played into space down the left and the forward picked out the onrushing Ismaila Sarr on the opposite flank but, after his shot from an acute angle beat Alex McCarthy, Walker-Peters managed to produce a heroic clearance on his line.

Darren Bent said on Soccer Saturday: "What a chance! That's the first time Watford have really put a few passes together - it's been all Southampton."

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Normal service was then resumed as Southampton wrestled control of proceedings. Redmond slipped Armstrong down the right flank and, having hung up a cross to the far post, Adams inexplicably headed into the ground and over the bar from five yards out.

Redmond was again the architect moments later as he found Armstrong unopposed on the edge of the box but the striker was unable to pick out the same spot as Adams, with Foster rooted to the spot.

After their heroics at Goodison Park, this was turning into a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show for Watford, who ought to have been further behind moments before the break when another teasing Walker-Peters cross was lashed over by the out-of-sorts Armstrong.

Ranieri sought to inject some urgency into his team at the restart as Tom Cleverley and Ken Sema replaced the anonymous Joao Pedro and Cucho Hernandez - but save for a couple of speculative long-range efforts from Juraj Kucka, Southampton remained in the driving seat.

Armstrong was again looking to the heavens when he controlled a bouncing ball expertly from Mohamed Elyounoussi winning an aerial challenge, but he could only guide his finish once more the wrong side of the post.

Redmond continued to have a quietly effective afternoon as he received Oriol Romeu's pass in a central position but his shot deflected wide off Cathcart, and then Armstrong picked up his personal battle with the bedraggled Watford defence. He twisted inside Moussa Sissoko before firing agonisingly wide via a heavy deflection off William Troost-Ekong that wrong-footed Foster.

The closing stages were scrappy, which suited Southampton, but Ranieri's final throw of the dice very nearly paid off as King picked out substitute Ashley Fletcher, who rolled Jan Bednarek but his instinctive shot was brilliantly clawed away by McCarthy as Southampton ended their long wait for a Premier League away win.

What the managers said

Watford boss Claudio Ranieri: "We have to improve our defensive way together I know. I'm working since three weeks and Southampton manager is working since 2018. You can see the difference of three years. We were too passive in the first half when I wanted to put them under pressure.

"I asked my players to attack their backline but they were more intelligent and they knew the tactical solution down the flanks. The second half was much better, we pressed better and we put them under some pressure. Maybe we deserved to get a point but we didn't create enough.

"Our fans must be patient, show love and support us at this moment. Their role is very important. I don't like to be up and down, up and down in the table. We need to be more consistent. Our supporters are always behind us, but if you see the first half, you can see Southampton played very well.

"I knew they could because I watched the game against Chelsea. Southampton deserved to win that game and so for this reason, I said this would be a very tough match. We lost some points today, but I'm sure we'll collect our points in another way.

"We have to keep working. My philosophy is different and my players have been used to playing in a different way. On Monday, I'll show them on the TV how they must move in order to close the space. In the first half, they found the solution of using the flanks too easily. We were always arriving too late.

"I want to be more aggressive from the front. I was very confident until the end as I saw my players fighting for every ball and second ball in the second half. When you create chances and don't score it's OK as you feel the next time it could be better."

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl: "We were a little bit deeper in the second half but that's normal. We changed the shape in the end and we got the three points. It's an important win. We've had games where we could've scored more often but with more clean sheets, the game becomes easier.

"You then know you only have to score once. It's a lot harder when you have to score two or three to win games. 1-0 is the result most managers love the most.

On Adams: "He could today for sure [have scored more]. The good thing about this season is that we don't just have one striker who can score goals. I have a bigger squad now and I have a headache over who I should pick for the next game. We've got quality, and this makes a difference over a long season.

"Che has two goals in his last two games and this is important for a striker. He did good work off the ball as well and this is what we need. Especially against teams like Watford, we have to put speed and pressure high up the pitch as it leads to mistakes. In the past, we've not been able to win. We've had too many draws but we've got some games coming up now where we must take points."

Analysis: Livramento can lead bright Saints future

Sky Sports' Ben Grounds at Vicarage Road:

"Hasenhuttl directed his players over to a bouncing away end at the final whistle, acknowledging how the travelling supporters had played their part in this important victory for his side.

"Southampton have developed a nasty habit of dropping points from winning positions, more than any other side since the Austrian took charge, and that happened once more last time out at home to Burnley. That resulted in another draw, a fifth of the season.

"Here, it required a superb one-handed save late on from McCarthy to ensure that did not happen again but a point would have flattered Watford. Southampton should have had this game won in the first half.

"At 25 years and 298 days, Hasenhuttl has the third youngest average age among the Premier League's starting XIs this term. The continued development of several young talents spearheaded by the excellent Livramento suggests there is a bright future built on attractive football at St Mary's, if the team can achieve its full potential."

Man of the match: Kyle Walker-Peters

Speaking to Southampton supporters on the journey to Vicarage Road, it was clear that in spite of Tino Livramento's brilliant start to his time on the south coast, Hasenhuttl had to find a way of getting Kyle Walker-Peters into their side.

The full-back was one of Saints' better players last season, but has been forced to operate at left-back this term following Livramento's arrival.

But Walker-Peters showcased his versatility here with a complete performance. Longer term, he and Livramento could operate in tandem down the same side but there was great balance to this fine team performance as Watford had no answer to the threat coming from both flanks.

The former Tottenham defender's remarkable goal-line clearance was his standout moment, of course, but he also created two chances for his team-mates - no Southampton player created more. His 90 per cent passing accuracy was also bettered by no other player.

On Walker-Peters' display, Hasenhuttl said: "Kyle has a good duel with Romain [Perraud] for this position. Sometimes, it's better to have a left-footed player in this position and at other times I like having a right-footed player who can cut inside.

"His footballing brain is very good and I must say he was very strong today. I'm very happy to have him there and I hope he keeps playing as well as he is at the moment."

Opta stats

• Watford have lost back-to-back Premier League games at Vicarage Road for the first time since November 2019 (also losing to Liverpool in their last home league game, 5-0).
• Southampton enjoyed their first win in 10 away Premier League games (D2 L7), since beating Sheffield United 2-0 in March at Bramall Lane.
• Southampton's winning goal, via Che Adams on 20 minutes, came courtesy of their only shot on target of the game.
• Watford are one of just three teams yet to keep a single clean sheet this season in league football in England's top-four tiers (also Newcastle and Lincoln).
• Che Adams has registered six goal involvements in his last 10 starts for Southampton in all competitions (4 goals, 2 assists), after managing just two in the 16 before that.

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