Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton

Aston Villa saw off Southampton with a strong performance at Villa Park in the Premier League on Friday night.

The home side took charge of the tempo during the first half and broke through just before half-time when Jacob Ramsey netted his first goal of the season.

Steven Gerrard’s Villans continued to dictate the match in the second half but were unable to add to their lead despite some sharp attacking moves.

It took 75 minutes for Southampton to test Emiliano Martínez, who had little to do as the hosts ended a run of four league games without a win and picked up a first clean sheet of the campaign. 

Both sets of fans came together before kick-off to pay tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, with managers and players gathering in the centre circle ahead of a minute’s silence.

A rousing rendition of the National Anthem, God Save The King, followed before the action got underway in B6.

Captain John McGinn led the way for the home side as he thundered into tackles early on but there was little to separate the sides after the first 20 minutes.

Philippe Coutinho scored when Villa thrashed Saints 4-0 in the same fixture last term, and the Brazilian almost sparked the game into life when he skilfully rolled James Ward-Prowse before belting a drive narrowly over the crossbar.

The playmaker was in the thick of the action again minutes later when he snuck in unmarked at the back post and called Gavin Bazunu into a smart stop with a header.

From the resulting corner, Coutinho played a one-two with Lucas Digne before whipping the ball into the middle of the box. Ollie Watkins leapt highest and saw Bazunu tip his header onto the bar before Ramsey reacted quickest to smash home the rebound.

Saints’ goalkeeper had to have his wits about him moments before the half-time whistle to keep the score 1-0 when substitute Douglas Luiz eyed another goal direct from a corner, with the ‘keeper flicking an arm up to tip it over the crossbar.

Ralph Hasenhuttl shuffled his pack at half-time, bringing on Juan Larios and Joe Aribo, but it failed to change the flow of the game as Villa continued to be in the ascendency at the start of the second half.

There was a Villa debut for Leander Dendoncker just past the hour mark when he replaced the booked Ramsey, while Emi Buendía also entered the fray for Leon Bailey.

The visitors had been held at arm’s length for the majority of the match and they finally tested Martínez after 75 minutes via a tame header from Sekou Mara.

Saints tried to put the home side under pressure as time ticked down, but a wayward header from Stuart Armstrong was the closest they came to troubling the Villa goal.