Goals from Iker Bravo and Amin Nabizada saw Watford beat Southampton 2-1 at Vicarage Road to open their 2026-27 Championship season.
First-half goals from Bravo and Nabizada proved enough for Watford to begin the Championship campaign with a second win under new manager – Alessio Dionisi, having got their first win under the Italian in the first round of the Carabao Cup with a last-gasp 1-0 home victory over Crawley.
Southampton however denied Dionisi’s Hornets a clean sheet through Cyle Larin’s 56th-minute finish.
Dionisi post-match praised his squad for their mental attitude and unity as he spoke to the club’s website.
“I liked the mentality of my players. They worked together without the ball and with the ball. In the first half, in transition, we were very good.”
Watford now sit eighth in the table, whilst Southampton remain rock bottom on -4 points due to a four-point deduction imposed at the start of this season, as a result of their spying incidents on Oxford United and Ipswich during the 2025-26 regular season.
Amidst a FA charge hanging over manager – Tonda Eckert as the repercussions of last season’s spying scandal and “grossly disproportionate” Play-Off expulsion continue to linger, Southampton began on the front foot as Lewis Dobbin flashed a sixth-minute low cross across the box evading Cyle Larin’s feet.
Watford’s Hector Kyprianou, Mattie Pollock and Southampton’s Cyle Larin plus James Bree were subsequently booked as the game began to turn fiery with sliding tackles in front of a noisy home crowd within the first 20 minutes.
The noise was racked up further in the 12th minute as a long ball was deflected for Bravo to cut his way to the right side of the box, from which he calmly bent a shot back across the box into the left corner via a deflection from Daniel Peretz.
Watford continued to look the more polished in their final touches in terms of shot creation as Marc Bola fired a shot over the bar, then Othmane Maamma’s 21st-minute shot was blocked by Peretz.
Southampton’s resistance to Watford’s fast counter-attacking was again broke in the 29th minute as Nabizada intercepted Ryan Manning and burst up the right flank, only to blast a low shot past Peretz at his near right post into the far left corner to double the Hornets’ lead.
Eckert’s Saints continued to toil throughout the remainder of the first half as Jack Stephens headed over the bar from a late free-kick, but Watford dug in to protect their lead into half time.
Dionisi’s Hornets nearly wrapped up victory in the 51st minute after Nabizada fed Omar Traore up the right flank to cut in with a low shot, which Peretz crucially blocked to spare the Saints’ blushes.
Southampton instead reduced their deficit five minutes later after Bragg played a double one-two move with Larin up the centre of Watford’s half, before the latter slotted his shot past Federico Ravaglia to give the Saints hope of a comeback draw at minimum.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis headed wide from Finn Azaz’s 70th-minute cross before the latter then fired wide of the left corner on a half-turn shot a minute later, as Eckert’s Saints continued to pile on the pressure.
Tensions however boiled over in the 73rd minute after Flynn Downes fouled Maamma which triggered a heated response from the latter, that quickly led to a scruffy brawl between both teams before both Downes and Maamma were booked for sparking the incident.
Watford eventually clung on to wrap up victory and continued their winning start under Dionisi, whilst Southampton were left to rue a wasteful end product.
What’s Next?
Watford head to Wrexham for their first away match of the season on Saturday 22 August at 3pm BST.
Southampton host Stoke at St Mary’s Stadium at the same time on the above date.
Teams
Watford: Federico Ravaglia, Omar Traore, Mattie Pollock, Kevin Keben, Marc Bola (Zemura 24′), Edoardo Bove (Kayembe 61′), Hector Kyprianou, Othmane Maamma (Vata 77′), Iker Bravo (Payero 61′), Amin Nabizada (Adu-Poku 61′), Mamadou Doumbia
Substitutes: Michael Adu-Poku, Daniel Bachmann, James Clarridge, Albert Eames, Edo Kayembe, Martin Payero, Luca Kjerrumgaard, Rocco Vata, Jordan Zemura
Southampton: Daniel Peretz, James Bree, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Jack Stephens, Ryan Manning, Flynn Downes, Cam Bragg (Edozie 70′), Leo Scienza, Kuryu Matsuki (Brereton 89′), Lewis Dobbin (Azaz 57′), Cyle Larin (Mubama 70′)
Substitutes: Cameron Archer, Finn Azaz, Ben Brereton, Samuel Edozie, Tom Fellows, George Long, Divin Mubama, Welington, Nathan Wood
Referee – Matt Donohue
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