Dean Smith: Villa players lost confidence after first goal

Danny Ings scored twice as the Saints, who climbed over Villa in the table, inflicted a fourth straight Premier League defeat on Smith’s team.

The 27-year-old opened the scoring and then netted again after Jack Stephens had increased the visitors advantage.

Jack Grealish gave Villa hope with a spectacular volley but this was an otherwise miserable afternoon for the hosts, who also lost John McGinn to what appeared a serious ankle injury.

Smith felt players were guilty of letting their heads drop too quickly.

He said: “I feel that we catastrophise (sic) goals too quickly.

“That first goal went and I could see shoulders and heads go a little bit, with the exception of Jack (Grealish) and Douglas (Luiz) who I thought wanted to get onto the ball.

"Players have to take responsibility at times, and I have to take responsibility as well.

“We've conceded seven from the last two home games. We were very poor defensively against Leicester and, today, they were ore individual mistakes that's for sure.”

The boss continued: “Southampton made it hard, competed and won the second balls. That's what disappointed me, we never showed enough commitment to win the second balls.

“I'm sure they get the message. They're all on social media and they read the press. They know where they're at and what we're doing.

“Sometimes, they've got to go out and prove they're Premier League players. We must be more responsible with our performances.”

McGinn will undergo an X-ray on his ankle after suffering his injury while making a robust challenge on Cedric Soares during the early minutes of the match.

Smith said: “It doesn't look good. He got his studs caught in the turf. The ref got in Wesley's way, John gets frustrated and starts chasing the ball. It's an ankle (injury).”