Report: Saints suffer losing start at Watford

Hosts Watford did the damage in the first half, capitalising on loose passes to score twice in the opening 29 minutes through Iker Bravo and Amin Nabizada, as Saints struggled to find their usual rhythm.

Cyle Larin pulled a goal back 11 minutes into the second period, breathing new life into the away side.

Larin’s volley straight after was well saved by goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia before substitute Finn Azaz pulled a low shot agonisingly wide, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis could not connect cleanly with Saints' last chance deep into stoppage time.

Tonda Eckert made two changes to his side that started Saints’ Carabao Cup win at Colchester, with two of his influential substitutes that day rewarded with starts.

Cameron Bragg replaced Tom Fellows, prompting Kuryu Matsuki to move from midfield to the right wing, while Larin, who scored Saints’ opener in Essex, was preferred to Ben Brereton Díaz up front, with new signing Divin Mubama among the substitutes.

Starting with Leo Scienza as the No. 10 and Lewis Dobbin on the left, the pair nearly combined to give Saints an early lead when the Brazilian’s piercing pass invited Dobbin to unselfishly square the ball across goal for Larin, only for the offside flag to intervene, although some miraculous defending prevented the Canadian from finding the empty net in any case.

Scienza was on the receiving end of a nasty tackle from Hector Kyprianou soon after, who was the first player to go into the book, as Saints seemed to have the upper hand in the opening exchanges.

Leo Scienza needed treatment after a crunching tackle from Hector Kyprianou inside the first 10 minutes

But a goal out of nothing gave the hosts a 12th-minute lead, as Jack Stephens hooked the ball infield and Bravo collected, driving forward into the box before slipping the ball past the advancing Daniel Peretz.

Scienza was writhing again after another full-blooded tackle, as captain Mattie Pollock joined Kyprianou in the book, while Cyle Larin was also carded for his protests. James Bree then became the fourth player to see yellow in the first 17 minutes, bringing down Othmane Maamma.

When Maamma forced a near-post save from Peretz with his outstretched boot, it was another sign that Watford had found their groove.

Even an injury to Marc Bola midway through the first period did not scupper the Hornets’ growing momentum, as Nabizada doubled the lead just shy of the half-hour mark.

Once again Saints contributed to their own downfall, as Manning this time was guilty of playing a square pass that was intercepted by the goalscorer, who ran half the length of the pitch unopposed before beating Peretz with a low shot across the keeper.

Having started brightly, Saints seemed unable to summon a response to the goals. Stephens headed over from a wide free-kick, but creating chances was proving difficult.

Cyle Larin's toe-poke pulled a goal back for Saints early in the second half

Eckert resisted the temptation to make any changes at the break, but Saints’ sloppiness continued into the early stages of the second period, with Peretz denying Omar Traoré’s angled shot as Watford chased a third.

But in Larin Saints have a striker bang in form, fresh from a glut of goals in the second half of last season, two at the World Cup and one on his Saints return at Colchester.

This one owed much to the assist of Cameron Bragg, whose patience and cute pass created just enough space for Larin to toe-poke the ball past Ravaglia to halve the deficit.

That was the cue for Azaz to come on, replacing Dobbin as Scienza shifted out to the left, before Larin nearly struck again with another instinctive attempt, but this time Ravaglia was equal to it, stooping to his left to keep out the Canadian’s skidding volley.

Just as Saints found themselves firmly on the front foot, it would take a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Manning to halt Bravo as he surged into the box, ensuring Saints stayed in touch with their hosts at 2-1.

A triple change from Watford head coach Alessio Dionisi, who withdrew both goalscorers, was an illustration of the concerns he felt at the shift in momentum.

Saints had a man over when they poured forward once more, but Larin’s pass to Bree was poorly misplaced at the vital moment.

Azaz, meanwhile, was already making an impact, crossing for Harwood-Bellis to head wide before shooting inches past the post from the edge of the penalty area as the sold-out away end roared Saints forward.

A flashpoint saw Maamma and Downes square up as Saints showed more signs of getting under Watford’s skin, with both players booked after multiple teammates waded in.

Eckert turned to debutant Mubama with 20 minutes left, introducing the striker along with Samuel Edozie, as Larin and Bragg, Saints’ goalscorer and creator, made way.

Saints continued to push but Harwood-Bellis scuffed his shot wide deep into stoppage time, as the Hornets held on to inflict a first league defeat in seven months on a Saints side who were left ruing their sloppy start.

Watford: Ravaglia, Traoré, Pollock (c), Keben, Bola (Zemura 24), Kyprianou, Bove (Kayembe 62), Maamma (Vata 77), Bravo (Payero 62), Nabizada (Adu-Poku 62), Doumbia.

Subs not used: Bachmann, Clarridge, Eames, Kjerrumgaard.

Goals: Bravo (12’), Nabizada (29’).

Booked: Kyprianou, Pollock, Nabizada, Maamma.

Southampton: Peretz, Bree, Harwood-Bellis, Stephens (c), Manning, Bragg (Edozie 70), Downes, Matsuki (Brereton Díaz 89), Scienza, Dobbin (Azaz 57), Larin (Mubama 70).

Subs not used: Long, Wood, Welington, Fellows, Archer.

Goal: Larin (56’).

Booked: Larin, Bree, Downes.

Attendance: 19,542 (2,288 Saints fans).

Referee: Matthew Donohue.