It wasn’t entirely convincing, but Aston Villa saw off Southampton in 1-0 win on Saturday to register consecutive Premier League victories this past week.
Jhon Duran’s first-half goal was all that split the two sides in a scrappy affair impacted by the horrendous weather conditions, but it was an all-important clean sheet and three points for Villa to follow up our win over Brentford in midweek.
READ MORE: What Unai Emery said in assessment of Villa’s win vs Southampton
Having now ended that disappointing eight-game winless streak as we start to build confidence and momentum again, Villa will look to take that into our Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Tuesday.
It’s a trip to Nottingham Forest after that as our fixtures become more difficult, and so it’s hoped we’re hitting form at just the right time going deeper into the festive period.
Huge clean sheet after defensive struggles
It was our first clean sheet at home in the Premier League since March, and particularly with our defensive woes in mind so far this season as we’ve conceded often and in poor circumstances, this was a welcome boost.
We saw signs of an improved defensive structure in midweek as we also cut out individual mistakes, and although Southampton had spells of pressure, we were solid at the back for the most part.
Emery reiterated the importance of having a strong foundation on which to build, and so this has to start becoming the norm for us if we are to find consistency and compete at the top level.
Lack of consistent ruthlessness still a problem
While we did score three goals in midweek, this should have been equally as comfortable, had we been more clinical in front of goal.
Particularly in the latter stages, we should have extended our lead and killed the game off, but having failed to take our chances, we left the door open to the risk of dropping points.
With tough opposition and assignments to come, that will get punished and we’ll rue missed chances, and so we have to be more ruthless on a consistent basis moving forward.
Duran returns to match-winner role
Having been given the nod to start, Duran didn’t disappoint as he took his goal brilliantly, and that effort ultimately proved to be the decisive moment in the game.
From his hustle to win the ball in the attacking third to put himself in on goal, to then show composure and great finishing to break the deadlock, it was the ideal impact as he came in to give Ollie Watkins a rest.
While he worked hard thereafter and led the line well at times, it’s crucial he continues to make the difference when involved as he adds an important dynamic to our attack.
Elegant Kamara stands out
We really missed Boubacar Kamara during his spell on the sidelines, and while our results during that period may suggest otherwise, now that the Frenchman is back, we’re seeing how influential he is for us.
With his composure in possession paired with technical ability to set the tempo and control proceedings, he combines that with excellent positional and tactical awareness to be a protective shield defensively.
We saw him break up Southampton’s rhythm and play on countless occasions this weekend as well as a stand-out piece of defending as he tracked back and blocked Cameron Archer’s effort just as it looked as though he might be in on goal, and it all reiterated just how important he is.
Solid foundation for Villa in return to form
Following our defeat at Chelsea last Sunday, we looked ahead to these two games against Brentford and Southampton with real importance. It wasn’t exactly make or break, but we needed to see something change and improve.
With maximum points taken, four goals scored and just one conceded, it has been a positive week for Villa, as we ended our barren run and got back on track.
It only gets tougher though as we go deeper into the festive period, and so this has to merely be a starting point for our improvement and progression to ensure we continue to move in the right direction after a tough run.
