Normally, the game must be finished by half-time at 3 or 4-0. “We had a very good performance in the first half, where I have only one thing to criticise that we didn’t score more. “It was a very deserved win,” said Hasenhuttl. The Scottish striker had earlier produced a moment of class for the game’s only goal when he curled a beauty into the top corner from just inside the penalty area with minimal power and maximum precision. There was also disbelief when Che Adams somehow headed so powerfully into the ground when unmarked four yards out that the ball bounced over the crossbar.
Adam Armstrong, recalled to the side in place of the injured Armando Broja, extended his goalless tally beyond 600 minutes, with the £15 million Blackburn Rovers summer signing’s movement regularly causing problems only to miss the target with his shots. There were no shortage of missed chances in this 1-0 win at Vicarage Road. Prior to Sunday’s fixtures, only hapless Norwich City had a lower percentage of shots on target in the Premier League this campaign than Southampton’s 27.3 per cent.Īgain, only Norwich had a greater difference in expected goals (xG) to goals actually scored, with the numbers suggesting Hasenhuttl’s side should have scored 14.14 this season but only actually converting nine - a difference of 5.14. Fortunately, one goal proved enough against Watford. Yet again, his team had been the dominant force, again they had created enough opportunities to run out rampant winners, and again they proved wasteful in front of goal. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s sigh of relief when asked to sum up his Southampton side’s first away win of the season was palpable.
Southampton still thwarted by their finishing despite improvements under Ralph HasenhuttlĬhe Adams' stunner proved enough for Hasenhuttl's side against struggling Watford - but it should have been more comfortable