Aston Villa surged back into the Champions League spots with a commanding 3-0 victory over already-relegated Southampton, thanks to a game-changing cameo from Ollie Watkins at St Mary’s.
Villa had struggled to break down the Saints before Watkins made an immediate impact, scoring just seven minutes after coming on for Marcus Rashford.
His introduction came shortly after Marco Asensio missed a penalty – one that Watkins had earned.
Substitutes Donyell Malen and John McGinn added late goals to seal the win. McGinn’s effort came after Asensio missed a second penalty, but this time the rebound was turned in.
The result marked Villa’s fourth consecutive win, lifting them back into the top five ahead of a crucial Champions League second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, where they must overturn a 3-1 deficit.
Southampton, meanwhile, are now fighting to avoid ending the season as the worst team in Premier League history. With just six matches left, they need at least two points to surpass Derby County’s infamous 11-point total.
The Saints had already been relegated with a record seven games remaining.
Newly installed interim manager Simon Rusk, following Ivan Juric’s short-lived 14-match tenure, set his team up with a back five to try and contain Villa’s attacking threat.
Villa nearly broke through within the opening minute when Youri Tielemans slipped in Rashford, but Jan Bednarek recovered well to make the block.
Despite being the lowest scorers across the top four divisions with just 23 goals, Southampton nearly took a shock lead 15 minutes in.
Kyle Walker-Peters found Cameron Archer with a clever pass, but Emiliano Martinez denied the former Villa striker with a solid stop.
Early in the second half, Bednarek almost gifted Villa a goal when he inadvertently headed a corner just over his own bar. Rashford then sent a free-kick over the top before being substituted for Watkins in the 65th minute.
Watkins was soon involved, racing onto Morgan Rogers’ pass and drawing a foul from Bednarek in the box. Asensio stepped up, but Aaron Ramsdale guessed correctly and saved the spot-kick.
The breakthrough finally came when Watkins latched onto a Tielemans through ball and coolly lifted his finish over the advancing Ramsdale, clipping the underside of the bar as it nestled in.
Malen doubled the lead with a precise low drive after another assist from Rogers. In stoppage time, Asensio was given a chance to make amends from the spot after McGinn was brought down by Jack Stephens.
Although Ramsdale again saved the penalty, McGinn reacted quickest to tuck in the rebound, putting the result beyond doubt.
Villa now shift their focus to their European mission, with confidence high after another impressive domestic outing.
