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Ralph Hasenhuttl admitted Southampton were fortunate to beat Watford on Saturday after VAR failed to spot a handball in the build up to their equalising goal.
Saints looked set to suffer a costly defeat to one of their relegation rivals before Danny Ings’ 78th-minute leveller was swiftly followed by James Ward-Prowse’s superb free-kick winner to seal a 2-1 win over the Hornets.
Television replays later showed Moussa Djenepo handled the ball before assisting Ings’s equaliser, with VAR officials since admitting the goal should have been disallowed.
Victory for Southampton was their first at home since mid-April and ended an eight-match winless league run to leave Watford languishing at the bottom.
Saints boss Hasenhuttl felt the result lifted a weight but acknowledged fortune played a part in a much-needed three points.
“If VAR would have seen it, maybe he could have disallowed the goal,” said the Austrian.
“I said before the season that we will have a VAR that makes this game more fair, not 100 per cent, that will never happen.
“I’m 100 per cent convinced about this VAR and he does a fantastic job but he cannot see everything.
“I think the hand was not really obvious but, in the end, if he sees it and he says yes then you cannot say anything. Today we had the luck, last time we hadn’t.”
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Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores said little about the lack of VAR intervention in the fear of it sounding like an excuse.
His side were on course to climb above their opponents and into 18th position thanks to Ismaila Sarr’s first Premier League goal in the 24th minute.
But they could not hold on and – after substitute Shane Long hit the bar – Ings restored parity with his seventh league goal of the campaign, before Ward-Prowse brilliantly curled home a set-piece with seven minutes remaining.
