Southampton recorded an important 2-0 win against relegation strugglers Aston Villa at St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon.
Saints almost took the lead early on as Will Smallbone, making his Premier League debut, saw a deflected effort from distance that hit the post.
The hosts did break the deadlock soon after thankt to Shane Long, who diverted home a clever cross from Moussa Djenepo.
Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side continued to carve out numerous opportunities with Danny Ings, Ryan Bertrand and Djenepo all squandering big chances.
Villa almost made Saints pay, ans even had a goal disallowed for a clear offside against Mbwana Samatta.
The game was finally settled in injury time as Saints hit Villa on the counter attack. Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina went up for a corner, trying to get an equaliser, but Southampton broke and Stuart Armstrong slotted into an empty net to secure the vital three points.
This result moved Saints to 34 points for the season, so it is now looking increasingly likely that they will spend another campaign in England’s top division.
After an excellent performance from Southampton, here’s how we rated the players.
