Aston Villa made it four consecutive Premier League wins after seeing off Southampton in a 3-0 victory at St. Mary’s on Saturday afternoon.
Goals from Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn sealed the three points as Villa eventually produced quality and clinical finishing in the final third to find breakthroughs.
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Prior to the hour mark in the encounter, despite having plenty of possession and control as we built sustained pressure, there was no way through a stubborn Southampton defence as we looked to avoid dropping crucial points.
However, we weren’t to be denied a deserved win as we continue our strong form in the league, and it’s hoped that we can maintain it for the remainder of the campaign.
Emery changes prove to be decisive
All three of our goals came from substitutes, with Emery emphasising the importance of having strength in depth in the squad after signing reinforcements in January, while key individuals are now healthy and back from injury.
As we aim to continue to compete on three fronts, we’ve undoubtedly needed contributions from across the squad, and with the options we have on the bench now, we’ll be a handful for any team to try and keep us quiet for the entire game.
Beyond the personnel though, it’s the timing of the changes and the tweaks to positions that Emery is getting spot on, and so it’s hoped that we continue to find answers in the coming weeks to get the desired results.
Watkins leaves his mark in crucial boost
Having dropped out of the starting line-up for some crunch recent games, Watkins looked like he had a point to prove immediately after coming on.
Having won our first penalty within minutes of being introduced, his sharp movement and ability to find dangerous positions in and around the box was rewarded shortly after as Youri Tielemans played in a delightful pass for Watkins to produce a stunning finish to break the deadlock.
That would have done him the world of good to boost his confidence and provide a timely reminder of what he can do, and it’s hoped that he can find consistency and top form between now and the end of the season.
Malen’s fine form continues
That’s now three goals in his last three league outings, as the Dutchman continues to deliver with some crucial goals as he helped Villa seal the win this weekend.
Amid his disappointment of being left out of our Champions League squad for the knockout stage, a lot was expected, and needed, from Malen domestically to make a key contribution.
He certainly hasn’t disappointed as he’s found goalscoring form at the perfect time, and it was some finish on Saturday afternoon. Malen is surely pushing for a starting berth more consistently now.
Tielemans, Rogers relentless
For all the changes we’ve seen Emery make to his starting XI over the past fortnight, it seems he can’t drop either Tielemans or Morgan Rogers, such is their importance and influence in the team.
Both produced assists and were tireless in their efforts on and off the ball this weekend, and while they may well need a rest at some stage, they’re being relentless in their bid to push us over the line this season.
Along with being our orchestrator in midfield, Tielemans has scored three goals and provided nine assists in his 47 outings so far this season, while Rogers has bagged 14 goals and 12 assists in 46 appearances. The duo have been integral to our progress thus far.
Critical momentum for Villa in fierce battle
While we’ve got work to do in the Champions League in midweek to overturn our deficit to Paris Saint-Germain, Emery has always maintained the importance and priority of our league form.
Villa want to consistently be involved in Europe’s premier club competition, and so with four consecutive league wins, we’re hitting important form to keep ourselves firmly in the race.
There are tough tests still to come and it’s not in our hands as things stand currently, but we’re picking up fundamental wins while keeping everyone fresh, and it’s hoped that we can continue with this form through to the end.