Watford strike early to sink Southampton on opening day | OneFootball

Match in Five Sentences: Watford beat Southampton 2-1 at Vicarage Road. Iker Bravo Solanilla struck in the 12th minute, and Amin Nabizada doubled the lead (29.). After the restart, Cyle Larin pulled one back (56.) as the Saints pressed, but the hosts held firm. The Hornets made 45 clearances, a huge defensive workload despite Saints enjoying 65.9% possession. The Hornets visit Wrexham next, while Saints host Stoke.

Player of the Match: Iker Bravo Solanilla set the tone with the opener and led the line with four attempts and six touches in the box before being withdrawn on 61 minutes.

Stat of the Match: Saints attempted 513 passes at 87.7% accuracy, plenty of the ball without enough incision.

Three Things We Learned: Hornets were clinical, scoring twice from four shots on target. The Saints controlled possession at 65.9% and slung in 31 crosses, yet produced only three shots on target. Hornets' back line coped under pressure, winning 63.0% of aerial duels and making 45 clearances.