Watford made a winning start under new head coach Alessio Dionisi as they beat Southampton 2-1 at Vicarage Road in the Saints’ first Championship fixture since the Spygate scandal.
The Hornets took control early, scoring twice inside the opening half-hour.
Iker Bravo capitalised on a poor pass from Jack Stephens to open the scoring before Amin Nabizada doubled the advantage with an impressive individual effort.
Southampton responded after the break, with Cyle Larin pulling one back shortly before the hour mark.
His goal shifted the momentum towards the visitors, who pushed hard for an equaliser.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis had one of their best opportunities but failed to convert, allowing Watford to withstand the late pressure and secure all three points.
The victory represented an encouraging beginning for Dionisi, Watford’s 24th head coach since the Pozzo family took control of the club in 2012.
It was achieved without influential midfielder Imran Louza, who was omitted from the squad amid uncertainty surrounding his future.
Before kick-off, Vicarage Road paid an emotional tribute to former Watford player and manager Kenny Jackett, who died in June.
Once the match began, the hosts quickly took command.
Debutant Bravo was alert to Stephens’ mistake and calmly finished after finding himself through on goal.
Nabizada then produced what proved to be the decisive goal, driving forward down the right before beating goalkeeper Daniel Peretz to give Watford a two-goal cushion.
Larin’s instinctive finish gave Southampton hope in the second half, but Dionisi’s team survived a tense finish to begin their campaign with victory.
Southampton entered the new season still dealing with the consequences of last season’s Spygate controversy, which resulted in their expulsion from the Championship play-off final.
The Saints were also handed a four-point deduction, meaning this opening defeat leaves them still on minus four points.
Further uncertainty remains over head coach Tonda Eckert, with the Football Association continuing its investigation.
A hearing is expected in mid-September, with the possibility of an appeal potentially extending the process further into the season.
Despite the punishment, Southampton have made clear that automatic promotion remains their target.
Eckert will have concerns about how vulnerable his team looked on the counter-attack at Vicarage Road.
However, Southampton’s improved second-half performance and sustained pressure following Larin’s goal offered some encouragement despite a disappointing start to the campaign.
