Aston Villa made a bold statement in their push for a top-four finish as they swept aside already-relegated Southampton with a commanding 3-0 win at St. Mary’s, climbing into the Premier League’s top five. The win was not just important in terms of points-it was also historic.
Unai Emery’s men made Premier League history by becoming the first team to have three substitutes score in a single match.
Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen, and John McGinn all found the net after being introduced from the bench, delivering a strong finish to what had been a tense encounter until the 73rd minute.
With Paris Saint-Germain awaiting them for a crucial Champions League quarter-final second leg, Emery made changes, but it was his second-half reinforcements that stole the show.
Watkins, who replaced Moussa Diaby midway through the second half, broke the deadlock with a sublime finish in the 73rd minute. Timing his run perfectly, the England striker stretched to meet a lofted pass from Youri Tielemans and guided the ball in off the underside of the crossbar.
“I think that’s a very important goal for a start,” Watkins told reporters after the game. “Sometimes you need that bit of luck and a bit of magic. It was nice to see that one go in and that’s one of my favourites to be honest.”
Moments earlier, Watkins had won a penalty after being brought down by Southampton defender Jan Bednarek. But Marco Asensio’s left-footed effort from the spot was denied by Aaron Ramsdale, who produced a superb one-handed save to keep the score level.
“It was about being patient and once we got that first one the chances started coming more frequently,” added Watkins.
Villa didn’t have to wait long to double their lead. Just six minutes after Watkins’ opener, Donyell Malen powered a ferocious strike into the net, crushing any remaining resistance from the Saints.
John McGinn then capped off the win in stoppage time, reacting quickest to tap home after Ramsdale had saved another Asensio penalty, which was awarded following a late VAR check.
For Southampton, the defeat marked their 13th home loss of the season, setting a grim club record. It also came on the heels of Monday’s sacking of manager Ivan Juric, further compounding the turmoil at the club.
Stuck on 10 points with six matches remaining, the Saints are now perilously close to matching or even falling below Derby County’s infamous 11-point tally from the 2007-08 season-the lowest ever in a Premier League campaign.
As for Villa, the emphatic victory boosts confidence ahead of their clash with PSG, where they’ll need to overturn a 3-1 deficit. With momentum and squad depth clearly on their side, Emery’s men will believe anything is possible.
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