Danny Ings' Aston Villa focus delights Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard revealed how Danny Ings put impending fatherhood to the back his mind to help Villa run riot against Southampton.
Ings tormented his former team as he set up two goals and scored for the first time in seven matches as Villa thumped the Saints 4-0 to record their biggest Premier League win of the season.
The 29-year-old had endured a frustrating start to life in the Midlands since a £25million switch last summer and this was comfortably his best performance in claret and blue.
And boss Gerrard later explained how it had been achieved despite the striker’s, Anastasia, being due to give birth to their first child.
The Villa boss said: “Danny would be allowed at the moment to not be focused or in the right place.
“His Mrs is on the verge and his head and mentality could be elsewhere but his focus in the last couple of games and since we came through the door really, in terms of being all-in and wanting to do his best for the team.
“He was injured and is now in a good place physically. He did a lot of good things. He set up the first goal and again, the job he did for the team in terms of securing the ball is really important for us.
“We have three games in a short space of time so that is why I took him off, to make sure he is available for us.”
Ings set up strike partner Ollie Watkins for Villa’s eighth minute opener before Douglas Luiz doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time.
Philippe Coutinho then scored to cap a sublime individual performance before Ings got his goal, sweeping home a Matty Cash cross.
The win was Villa’s second in succession and saw them climb to 11th in the table, only outside the top half on goal difference.
Gerrard said: “It could (have been better). We could have taken our chances and scored five, six or seven today.
“We were really creative and ruthless to a certain point. Fraser Forster has pulled off two or three great saves.
“I have nothing but praise for the players on how they have gone about today. They really backed up last week’s performance.
“I always go back to how good we were out of possession. We really owned the game. We were physical when it demanded and put our bodies on the line at the right time. We got both sides of the game spot on.”
