Southampton 0-3 Aston Villa

Second-half goals from substitutes Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn proved the difference at St Mary's, as Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a comfortable 3-0 Premier League victory over Southampton. 

Unai Emery's players were frustrated during a goalless opening period on the south coast, before Marco Asensio saw his penalty saved by Aaron Ramsdale midway through the second half. 

But the Villans kicked on in the final 17 minutes to seal the points and move to within three points of third in the league table, winning five straight league games against the same opponent without conceding for only the fourth time in the club's history. 

Ollie Watkins' deft flick opened the scoring, before fellow substitute Donyell Malen fired home six minutes later, and John McGinn buried the rebound from a second saved Asensio penalty in added time to ensure the travelling Villa supporters left happy. 

Villa took control of the opening period, enjoying much of the ball and limiting the Saints to bursts on the counter attack.

They stated their intentions in the opening 35 seconds, when Youri Tielemans found Marcus Rashford in behind with one of his trademark passes over the top, but Jan Bednarek recovered to thwart the England forward.

Former Villan Cameron Archer tested Emi Martínez a quarter of an hour later, getting on the end of Kyle Walker-Peters’ ball forward and looking for the far corner, but from then on, it was one-way traffic in favour of the visitors.

Jacob Ramsey drifted infield and fired goalwards, only to see his effort deflected behind. From the resulting corner, the ball was recycled and Tielemans was denied by Ramsdale from close range.

The Southampton goalkeeper again had to be alert five minutes before the break to keep the Belgian out from distance, as Emery’s men enjoyed the lion’s share of possession without quite managing to create anything clear-cut.

The away side would threaten again from a corner as the first half ticked into added time, the ball bobbling around in the area as Villans queued up for a clear sight at goal, but the Saints escaped as a goalless opening period was brought to a close.

The Villans began the second period in a similar vein, and were back on the offensive from the beginning.

Amadou Onana stung the palms of Ramsdale from distance, before Tielemans smashed a volley over after the ball had sat up nicely for him, and Tyrone Mings rolled a long-range effort wide of the mark.

Midway through the second period, Emery’s side were handed a golden opportunity to take the lead. Having barely stepped onto the field as a substitute, Watkins latched onto Morgan Rogers’ ball in behind and was brought to ground by Jan Bednarek. Referee Thomas Bramall pointed to the spot and Bednarek was booked for his troubles.

But much to Villa’s dismay, Asensio stepped up from 12 yards and sent his kick to Ramsdale’s left, the Southampton stopper diving the right way and beating the effort away.

The home goalkeeper could do nothing, however, to keep out the England forward just three minutes later, when he gave the Villans their long-awaited lead.

Another pinpoint ball over the top from the imperious Tielemans was lifted perfectly onto the boot of Watkins, who still had a lot to do. Villa’s number 11 expertly flicked the ball at full stretch over Ramsdale, off the underside of the crossbar and in to cue scenes of jubilation in Villa’s away end.

And things would get better for Emery’s men just six minutes later, as Malen notched his third goal in three games to give his side breathing space. Rogers burst forward and fed the Dutch international, who took one touch and hammered an unstoppable drive into the far corner to double the lead.

Villa would have the opportunity to add a third from the spot, and Asensio the chance to avenge his earlier penalty miss in added time, as substitute McGinn was brought to ground by Jack Stephens inside the area. 

The Spaniard stepped up and went the same way, with Ramsdale again diving to his left and keeping it out, but McGinn was following in to bury the rebound and ensure the Villans left the south coast with three goals and three points, winning four Premier League games in a row for the first time in two years - having shipped just one goal since the beginning of March - with back-to-back league triumphs at St Mary's for the first time since 1998.