SOU vs AVL
Match Centre
SOU vs AVL As It Happened
Key moments so far
- Ollie Watkins broke the deadlock on 77 minutes
- James Ward-Prowse 'goal' controversially ruled out by VAR
- Incident occurred in the 62nd minute
- Saints aiming for a fourth consecutive win
REPORT: Late heartbreak for Saints
Click here to read our report from a frustrating afternoon at St Mary's Stadium.
17.14FULL TIME: Southampton 0-1 Aston Villa
It's all over at St Mary's as Southampton's three-game winning streak comes to an end. They'll wonder how, to some extent, after fine margins swung the game in favour of the visitors. James Ward-Prowse thought he'd opened the scoring but for a controversial VAR decision, before Ollie Watkins, onside by the finest of margins, netted the game's winner not 10 minutes later.
MOUSSA GOES CLOSE!
It's so nearly a wonder goal! Moussa Djenepo brilliantly cuts in from the left and sends a shot towards the top corner, but Emiliano Martínez somehow gets a fingertip to the shot and tips it around the post.
Into stoppage time ⏰
Saints will have four minutes to find an equaliser.
Aston Villa substitution: Leander Dendoncker replaces Douglas Luiz Soares de Paulo
The booked Douglas Luiz is replaced for the final few minutes.
Southampton substitution: Moussa Djenepo replaces Duje Ćaleta-Car
A necessary attacking change for Saints, as Moussa Djenepo takes to the field.
Southampton substitution: Mislav Oršić replaces Adam Armstrong
It's a Premier League debut for Mislav Oršić.
Yellow Card for Alexandre Moreno Lopera (Aston Villa)
The full-back goes into the book for a shirt pull.
Aston Villa substitution: Matty Cash replaces Leon Bailey
A defensive change for Villa.
Watkins heads home
A deep free-kick swung into the box by Douglas Luiz is headed beyond Gavin Bazunu by Ollie Watkins.
GOAL
Ollie Watkins (77’) | 0 – 1
Heading for a frantic finale
The atmosphere is highly charged inside St Mary's, following the controversial VAR decision to rule out James Ward-Prowse's opener. It's an end-to-end affair here now as we enter the final 15 minutes.
Aston Villa substitution: Philippe Coutinho Correia replaces Emiliano Buendía
A first change for the visitors.
Yellow Card for Douglas Luiz Soares de Paulo (Aston Villa)
The Villa midfielder was booked prior to Southampton's goal being chalked off.
VAR Decision: Goal awarded for Southampton [James Ward-Prowse] was cancelled
It's not going to stand... Boubacar Kamara is adjudged to have been fouled in the box in the build up to James Ward-Prowse's goal. The home crowd are not happy at all having seen a replay on the big screens.
GOOOAL!!!
James Ward-Prowse (62’) | 1 – 0
Arma goes close! 😱
James Ward-Prowse's low cross is perfect for Adam Armstrong on the penalty spot, but his driven effort is saved by the legs of Emiliano Martínez.
Southampton substitution: Romain Perraud replaces Samuel Edozie
And the third switch, which sees Kyle Walker-Peters move over to the right-hand side.
Southampton substitution: Mohamed Elyounoussi replaces Roméo Lavia
Well played, Roméo.
Southampton substitution: Sékou Mara replaces Ché Adams
The first of three changes for Saints on the hour-mark.
Villa pressing
It's the visitors who are looking the most likely at the moment, as Emiliano Buendía threatens in the final third.
A stop-start affair
The game's struggling to find any rhythm at the moment, with a series of free-kicks delaying proceedings.
Edozie felled by Moreno
Good perseverance from Sam Edozie, who battles his way past Álex Moreno, who brings him down just outside the box on the right wing.
The second half begins!
We're back up and running at St Mary's! No changes for either side at the break.
HALF TIME: Southampton 0-0 Aston Villa
We reach the break (eventually!). In truth, the drone stoppage has been the most dramatic moment of the half, in a game that has lacked cutting edge. Chances were at a premium in the opening 45 minutes, but there's plenty of football left to play in this one after the restart.
Bazunu claims
Leon Bailey's free-kick comes off the top of the wall and loops into air, but Boubacar Kamara's header is claimed by Bazunu.
Another Villa free-kick
It's a central free-kick this time, 25 yards from goal.
We're back in action!
After a seven-minute delay, we're back under way. Villa's free-kick came to nothing.
Players returning to the pitch
The players are returning to the pitch at St Mary's, with the drone no longer flying above the stadium. We'll resume with a Villa free-kick in a dangerous position, 25 yards from goal.
Drone stops play
A drone is currently being flown above the stadium, which has resulted in the referee taking both sets of players off of the pitch for safety reasons.
Edozie threatens again
Sam Edozie leaves Álex Moreno once again, but his cross from the byline is straight into the arms of Emiliano Martínez.
Bazunu requires treatment
The Saints keeper has sat down on the pitch, seemingly struggling with an injury to his right leg. Willy Caballero is sent to warm up.
Ramsey penalty claim waved away
Jacob Ramsey looks to roll past Mohammed Salisu in the box and goes to ground, but the referee is quick to wave play on.
Ramsey denied by Bazunu!
It's a great save from Gavin Bazunu. Leon Bailey's low ball goes all the way across to Jacob Ramsey, whose strike is parried well by Bazunu, with Bailey firing the rebound high and wide.
💯 Premier League appearances
Kyle Walker-Peters is making his 100th Premier League appearance this afternoon.
GOOOOOAAA - offside 😩
Lyanco's whipped in delivery from the right bypasses Villa's defence and finds Adams inside the box. With the striker off balance, his miscued effort trickles past Emiliano Martínez and is poked over the line by Kyle Walker-Peters, but the linesman's flag is straight up with both Saints players offside.
Almost for Armstrong!
Adam Armstrong beats the offside trap to race towards Roméo Lavia's ball over the top, but Emiliano Martínez sprints outside of his box to get to the ball just before Saints' number nine.
Moreno blasts wide
A ball into the box from Leon Bailey is only half cleared by Gavin Bazunu, but Álex Moreno's eventual shot on his weaker right foot is skewed wide of the target.
In a battle ⚔️
It's been a tightly contested opening quarter-of-an-hour.
Edozie's okay 🙌
The winger has rejoined play after receiving some treatment and seems okay to continue.
Edozie goes down injured...
The young winger did well to put a challenge in on the advancing Álex Moreno, but stayed down afterwards and requires some treatment.
Yellow Card for Lyanco Vojnovic (Southampton)
Lyanco goes into the book for a late challenge on Tyrone Mings.
Edozie looks sharp ⚡️
The Saints winger collects a James Ward-Prowse diagonal ball and cuts inside Emiliano Buendía, who cuts down the winger to win a free-kick wide out on the right.
Villa penalty appeals
Jacob Ramsey looks to poke the ball around an advanced Gavin Bazunu, but the keeper gets a touch to the ball at the expense of a corner.
Edozie wins a corner
It'll be a first corner of the afternoon, as Sam Edozie does well to win a corner off of Álex Moreno.
Buendía heads wide
An early foray forward for Álex Moreno, whose cross from the left finds Buendía on the edge of the box, but his glancing header drifts harmlessly wide.
Kick off!
We're under way at St Mary's. Come on, lads!
The teams are out!
We're moments away from kick off in this one. The atmosphere is building nicely inside St Mary's!
14.58Warm-ups ✅
Next up, game time!
14.49Fans making their way to St Mary's
A little more than half an hour until kick-off here, and the atmosphere is building at St Mary's.
14.25100 Premier League appearances for KWP
It's a nice milestone for Kyle Walker-Peters this afternoon, with the Saints full-back in line to make his 100th Premier League appearance.
14.16One change for Saints
Nathan Jones makes one change from the side that beat Everton last weekend, as Adam Armstrong comes into the line-up for Mohamed Elyounoussi, who drops to the bench.
14.06Aston Villa team
Starting XI: Martinez (captain), A Young, Konsa, Mings, Álex Moreno, Ramsey, Douglas Luiz, Kamara, Buendía, Watkins, Bailey.
Substitutes: Olsen, Sinisalo, Cash, Sanson, Chambers, Coutinho, Dendoncker, Revan, K Young.
14.03Southampton team confirmed
Starting XI: Bazunu, Lyanco, Ćaleta-Car, Salisu, Walker-Peters, Diallo, Lavia, Ward-Prowse (captain), Edozie, A Armstrong, Adams.
Teams coming up at 2pm GMT
Not long until the teamsheets are out. Stick with us and we'll have the news for you here shortly.
13.44Match Pack: Saints vs Villa
Get the full rundown ahead of today's match by checking out our Match Pack, in association with eToro.
13.29Flashback: Saints 1-0 Villa (November 2021)
Saints took the points when the teams met at St Mary's last season, thanks to Adam Armstrong's spectacular early goal. Look back on the pick of the action from that game here.
13.1713.06they have very good players and now they are being more consistent than before. they are in the best moment they've played in the premier league this season.
unai emeryVilla manager on facing saints
Checking in at St Mary's
The players make their way into the stadium to get set for this afternoon's match!
12.53Flashback: Fastest Premier League hat-trick
What a day it was when Saints hosted today's opponents back in May 2015! A 6-1 victory and Sadio Mané scoring the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history – in only two minutes and 56 seconds!
12.3212.19we've got one or two back from injury, so we're in a much stronger position this week than we were last week.
nathan joneswith a team news update ahead of villa
Nathan Jones's press conference
The boss spoke with the media at Staplewood Campus yesterday. Find out what he had to say about today's match.
12.10Matchday: Southampton vs Aston Villa
Good morning from St Mary's!
SOU vs AVL Line Ups
Southampton
| 31 |
Gavin Bazunu (GK)
|
|---|---|
| 22 |
Mohammed Salisu
|
| 2 |
Kyle Walker-Peters
|
| 6 |
Duje Caleta-Car
Moussa Djenepo (84′)
|
| 4 |
Lyanco
|
| 23 |
Samuel Edozie
Romain Perraud (62′)
|
| 45 |
Roméo Lavia
Mohamed Elyounoussi (61′)
|
| 8 |
James Ward-Prowse (C)
|
| 9 |
Adam Armstrong
Mislav Orsic (84′)
|
| 27 |
Ibrahima Diallo
|
| 10 |
Che Adams
Sékou Mara (61′)
|
Substitutes
| 18 |
Sékou Mara |
|---|---|
| 13 |
Willy Caballero |
| 11 |
Mislav Orsic |
| 26 |
Carlos Alcaraz |
| 24 |
Mohamed Elyounoussi |
| 3 |
Ainsley Maitland-Niles |
| 7 |
Joe Aribo |
| 15 |
Romain Perraud |
| 19 |
Moussa Djenepo |
Aston Villa
| 1 |
Emiliano Martínez (GK) (C)
|
|---|---|
| 4 |
Ezri Konsa
|
| 18 |
Ashley Young
|
| 15 |
Álex Moreno
|
| 5 |
Tyrone Mings
|
| 44 |
Boubacar Kamara
|
| 6 |
Douglas Luiz
Leander Dendoncker (88′)
|
| 41 |
Jacob Ramsey
|
| 10 |
Emiliano Buendía
Philippe Coutinho (69′)
|
| 31 |
Leon Bailey
Matty Cash (81′)
|
| 11 |
Ollie Watkins
|
Substitutes
| 2 |
Matty Cash |
|---|---|
| 23 |
Philippe Coutinho |
| 38 |
Viljami Sinisalo |
| 72 |
Kadan Young |
| 16 |
Calum Chambers |
| 25 |
Robin Olsen |
| 8 |
Morgan Sanson |
| 32 |
Leander Dendoncker |
SOU vs AVL Match Stats
Head to Head Stats
-
Possession (%)3664
-
Shots816
-
Shots on target55
-
Corners22
-
Passes Complete228456
