Classy Aston Villa under-23s blast four past Saints on Jonathan Kodjia's return

Kodjia, who played 45 minutes in his first game since suffering a broken ankle in April, was not the only big name on show at the Banks’s Stadium.

Ritchie De Laet was also in Villa’s starting XI, while Southampton’s team included Dutch international defender Virgil Van Dijk, in his first action after a transfer window when he expressed a desire to leave the south coast club.

Yet winger Cox eclipsed them all with two fine first-half finishes, firing the opener on 13 minutes following a neat exchange with Jake Doyle-Hayes.

He then made it two on 24 minutes, blasting a shot into the roof of the net from the right of the box, after collecting a De Laet pass.

Easah Suliman had earlier denied the Saints a leveller when he cleared a Marcus Barnes shot off the line. Villa keeper Viktor Johanson also saved from Will Wood before the break.

Last season's top scorer Kodjia was replaced by Harvey Knibbs at half-time.

Corey Blackett-Taylor promptly added a third for the hosts within three minutes of the restart, after pouncing on an under-hit backpass.

Callum O’Hare then scored perhaps the best of the bunch as Villa made it a rout. The 19-year-old took a return pass from Harvey Knibbs before advancing to the edge of the box and lashing a shot past Saints keeper Alex McCarthy.

The only concern for Villa was an injury suffered late on by substitute Kelsey Mooney, which meant they finished the game with ten men.

Villa: Johanson, De Laet (Bedeau 72), Suliman, Clark, Borg, Cox, Clarke, Doyle-Hayes, Blackett-Taylor (Mooney 64), O’Hare, Kodjia (Knibbs HT) Subs not used: Prosser, Idem (gk).