Aston Villa slipped to five consecutive defeats on Friday night as we lost 1-0 to Southampton at St. Mary’s.
It has been a dire run of form since our win at Old Trafford at the end of September, and with the pressure continuously building on Dean Smith, it remains to be seen what happens over the international break.
READ MORE: Four things Smith should do as Villa look for much-needed win at Southampton
Adam Armstrong’s strike in the third minute was the difference between the two sides on Friday, and although Villa undoubtedly improved in the second half, we couldn’t find a breakthrough as that early setback proved to be the winning goal.
Villa player ratings vs Southampton:
Emiliano Martinez, 7 – Had no chance of stopping the winning goal, but produced two stunning saves to keep us in the game. Showed his class at crucial moments.
Matty Cash, 6 – A battling performance as always as he had his hands full defensively with little support, but lacked quality going forward and should have arguably done better in the lead up to the goal.
Axel Tuanzebe, 4 – A poor showing as he never looked entirely comfortable. Struggled to give us solidity at the back in a game where we needed a strong base.
Tyrone Mings, 6 – Seemed to make countless clearances as we came under pressure in the first half and although his distribution was sporadic, he put in a decent shift in the heart of the backline.
Matt Targett, 4 – Another fleeting display as he didn’t really dominate his battle down that flank and was sloppy with his passing forward.
John McGinn, 4 – Another game where our midfield didn’t show up and impose themselves on the game. Struggled to get going and had no real positive influence on our play.
Marvelous Nakamba, 4 – Similarly to McGinn, he battled hard but in vain as we were overrun once again in the first half. The pair can’t be played as a two-man midfield.
Leon Bailey, 4 – A poor and sloppy performance as he continuously gave up possession and failed to really offer any quality in the final third regardless of positional changes in the second half.
Emiliano Buendia, 5 – Like most of his teammates, he struggled to offer us the cutting edge needed in the final third. That said, he got better in the second half and showed glimpses of the quality that he possesses before having to be replaced.
Anwar El Ghazi, 4 – Fortunate to avoid a red card after making some risky fouls following his caution. Did improve in the second half but couldn’t add a finishing touch to our play.
Ollie Watkins, 5 – Can’t be faulted for effort but didn’t pose much of a consistent threat, which is arguably less his fault and more so his teammates who failed to provide the necessary service to him.
Substitutions:
Jacob Ramsey, 5 – Did what we expect him to do with his ability to add an option and composure in midfield as well as driving runs in the opposition half. Unfortunately, no end product to that play.
Cameron Archer, 5 – Looked busy and tried to get involved in our build-up play but without ever really looking like scoring.
Keinan Davis, N/A