Southampton 1 Aston Villa 0 - Report
For the first time in his managerial career Dean Smith has lost five league matches in a row.
The increasing wonder now is whether, for the first time in his managerial career, he will lose his job.
That might seem harsh, considering the misfortune with injury and illness which has befallen Villa on their current bad run.
But last night’s 1-0 defeat at Southampton did little to ease the heat and at very best the international fortnight promises to be uncomfortable for Smith.
Adam Armstrong’s third minute strike was enough to earn the Saints a win which lifted them toward the comfort of mid-table. Should results go against Villa this weekend, they could end it in the bottom three.
Smith must hope a spirited if flawed second half performance has done enough to convince the club’s hierarchy he has the answers to the problems facing his team.
The opening 45 minutes did his cause few favours. Villa were insipid and fortunate to only be one goal down by the break.
Afterward they were significantly better but didn’t test home keeper Alex McCarthy anywhere near enough. In Smith’s defence, he finished the match with a strikeforce of Cameron Archer and Keinan Davis, not what Villa envisioned when they spent close to £100million on Leon Bailey and Danny Ings in the summer, the latter missing this match against his former club through injury.
Smith went into the match having made an average of two changes per match in the Premier League. On this occasion there were three, including a new set of centre-back pairings with Tyrone Mings and Axel Tuanzebe replacing Kortney Hause and suspended Ezri Konsa.
The other switch saw Anwar El Ghazi handed a first league start since August in place of Jacob Ramsey.
Smith might have felt his team were due a bit of fortune but the sense of events conspiring against the boss heightened barely two minutes after kick-off.
Buendia lost a 50-50 challenge with James Ward-Prowse on the halfway line and the ball looped high toward the Villa penalty area. Matty Cash was following the run of Che Adams but both lost sight of the ball which eventually bounced off the former’s behind and sat up perfectly for Armstrong to thump home a powerful left-footed shot from 25 yards out. It was the first time the Saints summer signing had found the net in 26 shots on goal.
Villa looked to find a quick response and Buendia should perhaps have done better with an effort from the edge of the box hit too close to McCarthy.
But Smith’s team were again looking vulnerable from corners and were fortunate not to fall further behind when Stuart Armstrong was left unmarked at the far post, the winger blazing well over from inside the six-yard box.
Villa then had another lucky escape when El Ghazi, having already been booked for hauling down Tino Livramento, pulled down the England youth international for a second time. Much to Smith’s relief, referee Andy Madley kept his cards in his pocket.
The home crowd’s fury would only have heightened had El Ghazi then kept his shot down after cutting inside Livramento from the left.
Villa enjoyed their first sustained spell of pressure after that but it was still the Saints who looked the more dangerous attack and only a brilliant save from Emi Martinez prevented Ward-Prowse from doubling the lead, the keeper saving his 25-yard drive at full stretch,
El Ghazi then continued his reckless tightrope act by tumbling in the box, at least a foot from the nearest Saints defender, referee Madley declining the chance to book him for simulation.
The hosts were getting considerable joy down the left with Leon Bailey offering Cash little in the way of protection. When Mohamed Elyounoussi found room to cross, Che Adams held the ball up before rolling it to Oriel Romeu, who should have done better with his effort from the edge of the box.
It was a surprise to see El Ghazi emerge for the second period but it was the winger who forced McCarthy into his first serious work of the night, tipping over a rasping drive. Villa suddenly looked a different team and Buendia twice went close, on both occasions putting his effort wide, the second after a neat exchange with Watkins.
When Tyrone Mings saw a shot deflected over, it was Villa’s fifth effort on goal in the opening eight minutes of the half.
Buendia was much more involved, sending Watkins away with a reverse pass, the striker firing into the side netting after taking the ball a little too wide.
Villa were on top but it was the Saints who came close to a second when Adams met Ward-Prowse's free-kick and Martinez tipped his header over the bar.
Archer was introduced off the bench for a tiring Buendia, with Davis then coming on as Smith went for broke in the final 10 minutes. But the goal which would have eased the pressure never came.
Teams
Southampton (4-4-2): McCarthy, Livramento, Bednarek, Salisu, Walker-Peters, Elyounoussi (Diallo 76), Ward-Prowse ©, Romeu, Armstrong S (Lyanco 57), Adams, Armstrong A (Broja 81) Subs not used: Long, Perraud, Djenepo, Tella, Walcott, Forster (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Cash, Tuanzebe, Mings, Targett, McGinn, Nakamba (Ramsey J 63), El Ghazi (Davis 79), Buendia (Archer 72), Bailey, Watkins Subs not used: Hause, Young, Chukwuemeka, Philogene-Bidace, Ramsey A, Steer (gk).
