Aston Villa 1-3 Southampton: Saints out of drop zone at Villa’s expense

Danny Ings proved to be the hero yet again as Southampton climbed out of the Premier League’s relegation zone with a 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Ings claimed his 12th and 13th goals of the season and Jack Stephens also found the net as the Saints leapfrogged their opponents at the bottom of the table, with Villa only replying late on through talisman Jack Grealish.

A fairly frantic start to the game saw both sides searching for the all important opening goal at Villa Park.

Home winger Anwar El Ghazi forced a good save from Alex McCarthy before good opportunities for both Shane Long and Wesley weren’t taken advantage of, but Saints’ energetic start paid off when their main man broke the deadlock after 21 minutes.

Shane Long broke through on goal and forced Tom Heaton to make a save, but his strike partner Danny Ings was on the spot to turn home the rebound for his 12th goal of the season.

Then, just after the half hour mark, it was 2-0 – and no less than Saints deserved.

If Ings has been the main man recently, James Ward-Prowse has contributed more than his fair share of goals and assists too, and it was his corner delivery that found the head of Jack Stephens for a clinical header into the far corner.

Saints held onto their lead until the break, but could they take the three points that they would so richly deserve?

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It was the first time since January that they had 2-0 lead away from home in the Premier League, but it was made an even better lead shortly after the break.

Ings – the man with the golden touch – swivelled inside the area to capitalise on an Aston Villa mistake in brutal fashion and smash home his second of the afternoon. Will this form be giving Gareth Southgate something significant to think about?

Perhaps it will, but the Saints man can’t do anything to stop his team conceding at the other end.

Villa got back into the game when their key man Jack Grealish produced a moment of real quality to volley in and set up a nervy finish for the visitors, who had surrendered so many points in the past from promising positions.

However, this time around Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side held on for a comfortable win to lift themselves out of the relegation zone – a crucial three points when it really mattered and a result that could see them go on from here.

It has been a work in progress under the Austrian at times, but was this the game where his side truly clicked under his leadership?

Aston Villa team

Heaton, Guilbert, Engels, Hause, Targett, McGinn (Nakamba 8), Douglas Luiz, Hourihane (Kodjia 56), El Ghazi (Trezeguet 68), Grealish, Wesley

Subs not used: Nyland, Lansbury, El Mohamady, Konsa

Saints team

McCarthy, Cedric, Stephens, Bednarek, Bertrand, Hojbjerg, Ward-Prowse, Armstrong (Romeu 76), Redmond, Long (Obafemi 82), Ings (Adams 87)

Subs not used: Gunn, Vestergaard, Yoshida, Boufal