After defeat to Chelsea in midweek, Southampton traveled to Hertfordshire with just one Premier League victory to their name.
Ralph Hasenhüttle was made four changes to the starting line-up and welcomed back forwards, Che Adams and Adam Armstrong as Southampton picked up their first away win of the season at Watford.
Speaking to the media after the game, Hasenhüttl did not overstate the importance of the win.
Showing improvements
“It was a very important win for us,” Hasenhüttl reflected. “We spoke about the importance of the following weeks after a tough beginning of the season and it seems that we are getting stronger, the guys are getting better, and defensively a fourth clean sheet of the season is a very positive signal for everybody.
The only criticism is we only scored one as we had so many chances in this game, and at half-time this must be two or three-zero and then the game is won"
Boosting survival hopes
“You don’t want to say these last few games were easier but you have to take points against these teams if you want to stay in the league and this is the big goal every season for us.
Finally we have taken seven points from the last three games and this is a good average."
On Che Adams
Hasenhüttl was full of praise for goalscorer, Adams who provided the moment of quality to curl the ball passed Ben Foster in the first half.
"He was good today, that was massive, and he had that chance after his goal.
This is good for us and it is important that we don't just have one striker who score goals, we have more strikers capable of scoring and we need this, particularly when you have more than two games in a week.
This is important with two goals in the last two games, this is important for a striker, and he also did good work up front, and this is what we need."
Selection headaches
"We have a bigger squad and I have some headaches now for who I should pick, but this is good, because I can bring other players in, like Ibrahima Diallo with his qualities later in the game.
We have a good duel between Romain [Perraud] and Kyle Walker-Peters. I can pick what I think is better, sometimes it is to have a left footer, and sometimes a right-footed player to go inside.
I must say I thought he [Walker-Peters] was strong at left-back and we are very happy to have him there, and hopefully he keeps on going."
With victory lifting Southampton above Watford into 14th, Hasenhüttl will be hoping this victory ignites the Saints' season as they welcome Aston Villa to the south coast next week before travelling to Norwich.