Aston Villa made it two wins in succession in what may well be the standout performance in the Steven Gerrard era at Villa Park.
Before kick-off there was a minutes applause as Football Stands Together for Ukraine.
The match got off to the best of starts for the home team when a great passing move found the feet of Phillipe Coutinho, who was able to shift the ball into the feet of Danny Ings whose delightful pass to his strike partner Ollie Watkins, he turned the defender magnificently before lifting the ball around Forster and into the back of the Saints net. The Villans were ahead within ten minutes and the momentum was with them.
The home team then had a chance to double their advantage just moments later through Douglas Luiz, who saw his long range effort saved by Fraser Forster.
Action in the match then died down for a period after this chance with neither team being presented with many chances to alter the scoreline. The only real chance in this period came to the visitors through Stuart Armstrong whose curling effort from outside the penalty area flew just wide of Martinez’s far post and Villa remained in the lead.
The next significant chance fell to Watkins following a lovely pass from Coutinho and the former Brentford forward was one-on-one with the ‘keeper, only for his shot to be saved. Villa were having the chances and Watkins could and should have had a brace.
Coutinho was pulling the strings in midfield and showed his class with many a pass and moves to fool Saints players all across the pitch. His performance deserved a goal and just moments after Watkins’ chance, the Brazilian had a chance of his own, but his effort on goal dribbled agonisingly past the far post.
Fans were becoming increasingly concerned that these missed opportunities would cost their team, but moments later their fears were allayed when Calum Chambers unleashed his inner Ronaldinho when he lifted the ball with the outside of his boot over the Saints backline and into the feet of Coutinho who passed the ball across to his fellow Brazilian Luiz who couldn’t miss, and the home team doubled their advantage.
As previously mentioned, Coutinho was at the core of everything great that Villa were doing and had another chance just before half time, but this effort also went past the far post, this time it was a rocket of a shot that looked to be nestling in the top corner but missed by inches.
The half time whistle went, and Villa were in full control and could have been three or four goals ahead at the interval, but no complaints could be made about having a two goal advantage. The only worry was the memory of the home defeat to Wolves where Villa surrendered a lead at the same margin.
Thankfully, Villa would not be doing that again on this occasion.
Just minutes after the fifty minute mark with Villa probing the Saints penalty area, the ball found itself with McGinn who ran into the box and seemed to be tripped with the ball falling to the feet of Coutinho. The magician was once again at work as he twisted and turned the defenders and unleashed a shot that found its way into the back of the net to take the game away from Hasenhuttl’s side.
Fans had only just stopped celebrating when Danny Ings unleashed an unstoppable effort that flew past a helpless goalkeeper, and he had his goal against his former employers. It was a rout.
Southampton then had a chance to pull a goal back through former Blues striker Che Adams, but Martinez was there to make an extraordinary save to keep it four nil and preserve his clean sheet.
The visitors did have a spell in the closing stages with Armstrong and Ward-Prowse both having chances that were not converted.
The final whistle went, and Villa came away very comfortable winners. Gerrard’s Villans didn’t need to have the lion’s share of possession as they were able to use the possession they did have to create the chances that clinched the second win in as many games with Coutinho at the heart of it.
All the players in claret and blue had a good game and will be hoping to carry the momentum gained from these two victories to Elland Road for a clash with Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United on Thursday night. UTV.
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