Match report

Watford Holds Off Southampton 1-1 in FA Cup Thriller

Watford
Watford
1–1
FT
Southampton
Southampton
Jan 28, 2024

In an exhilarating encounter at Vicarage Road, Watford held off Southampton to secure a 1-1 draw in their FA Cup match on January 28th. Matheus Martins opened scoring for the Hornets early on, but Stuart Armstrong equalized late for the Saints.

Key Facts

  • • Matheus Martins scored for Watford at the 5th minute
  • • Stuart Armstrong equalized for Southampton in the 89th minute
  • • M. Holgate and Carlos Alcaraz received yellow cards for Southampton
  • • G. Chakvetadze was shown a yellow card for time wasting for Watford

Lineups

Watford

Formation: 4-1-4-1

Starting XI

  • 1 D. Bachmann (G)
  • 45 R. Andrews (D)
  • 15 M. Pollock (D)
  • 4 W. Hoedt (D)
  • 6 J. Lewis (D)
  • 3 F. Sierralta (M)
  • 37 Matheus Martins (M)
  • 11 I. Koné (M)
  • 16 G. Chakvetadze (M)
  • 18 Y. Asprilla (M)
  • 19 V. Bayo (F)

Substitutes

  • 42 J. Morris
  • 12 K. Sema
  • 7 T. Ince
  • 25 E. Dennis
  • 5 R. Porteous
  • 40 M. Roberts
  • 59 J. Grieves
  • 8 J. Livermore
  • 9 M. Rajović

Southampton

Formation: 4-3-3

Starting XI

  • 13 J. Lumley (G)
  • 6 M. Holgate (D)
  • 21 T. Harwood-Bellis (D)
  • 5 J. Stephens (D)
  • 29 J. Meghoma (D)
  • 19 J. Rothwell (M)
  • 24 S. Charles (M)
  • 22 C. Alcaraz (M)
  • 33 T. Dibling (F)
  • 10 C. Adams (F)
  • 18 S. Mara (F)

Substitutes

  • 17 S. Armstrong
  • 26 R. Fraser
  • 9 A. Armstrong
  • 16 W. Smallbone
  • 27 S. Amo-Ameyaw
  • 35 J. Bednarek
  • 2 K. Walker-Peters
  • 1 A. McCarthy
  • 3 R. Manning

Timeline

  1. Southampton
    4' Southampton Card · Yellow Card
    M. Holgate

    Foul

  2. Watford
    5' Watford Goal · Normal Goal
    Matheus Martins
  3. Southampton
    40' Southampton Card · Yellow Card
    Carlos Alcaraz

    Foul

  4. Watford
    45' Watford Card · Yellow Card
    G. Chakvetadze

    Time wasting

  5. Watford
    62' Watford subst · Substitution 1
    Off: J. Lewis · On: James Morris
  6. Watford
    62' Watford subst · Substitution 2
    Off: Y. Asprilla · On: K. Sema
  7. Southampton
    63' Southampton subst · Substitution 1
    Off: J. Rothwell · On: Stuart Armstrong
  8. Southampton
    63' Southampton subst · Substitution 2
    Off: C. Adams · On: R. Fraser
  9. Southampton
    63' Southampton subst · Substitution 3
    Off: T. Dibling · On: Adam Armstrong
  10. Southampton
    63' Southampton subst · Substitution 4
    Off: S. Charles · On: W. Smallbone
  11. Watford
    76' Watford subst · Substitution 3
    Off: Ismael Koné · On: T. Ince
  12. Watford
    76' Watford subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Matheus Martins · On: Emmanuel Dennis
  13. Southampton
    78' Southampton subst · Substitution 5
    Off: J. Meghoma · On: S. Amo-Ameyaw
  14. Watford
    86' Watford subst · Substitution 5
    Off: G. Chakvetadze · On: R. Porteous
  15. Southampton
    89' Southampton Goal · Normal Goal
    Stuart Armstrong

Match Stats

Stat Watford Southampton
Fouls 8 7
Pass Accuracy 77% 90%
Offsides 2 0
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 13 19
Corners 6 6
Total Passes 278 660
Yellow Cards 1 2
Blocked Shots 5 5
Shots on Target 4 8
xG — —
Shots off Target 4 6
Possession 31% 69%
Accurate Passes 214 597
Shots Inside Box 7 10
Saves 7 3
Shots Outside Box 6 9

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Watford took an early lead when Matheus Martins scored in the 5th minute, putting pressure on Southampton to respond.
  • ▸ The late equalizer by Stuart Armstrong in the 89th minute shifted momentum back towards Southampton and secured a draw for both teams.