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Instead of a birthday reunion, this was as much fun as James Ward-Prowse could have wanted on his 26th birthday. A fixed piece masterclass meant Southampton had this game nearly won at halftime against a Villa team that could offer nothing comparable. Ward-Prowse created Jannik Vestergaard’s first goal before scoring two flawless free throws 12 minutes apart. Danny Ings added sparkle with a spectacular effort before the hour before Tyrone Mings’ header gave Villa a faint hope; they roared, but the overtime goals of Ollie Watkins, from the point of view, and Jack Grealish weren’t enough to turn the tide.
Those setbacks have taken some of the shine off Villa’s great start. They weren’t poor here, but they started too slow and took too long to show a semblance of the verve that shocked Liverpool a month ago. Energetic and incessantly brilliant Southampton moves above them to third place and looks like an increasingly impressive proposition.
This was the Ward-Prowse program. A majestic display of the first half on the dead ball was a reminder, as if there were ever any doubt, that he has few teammates in this department. The lesson prevailed in the 20th minute, and while the opener’s conception was far from revolutionary, its effect was exciting. A free kick to the right of Villa’s penalty area looked ready for Ward-Prowse to deliver, but, in spaces relatively close to the penalty area, it would not be an easy feat to produce a cross combining speed, whip and precision. No problem: Ward-Prowse provided all three and Vestergaard jumped high between two defenders, using the rhythm of the ball to head back Emiliano Martinez.
Shortly after half an hour, Douglas Luiz burst in with Theo Walcott and Ward-Prowse could hardly have asked for a better position from which to kick a party. The biggest compliment one can offer for his dead ball skill is that when he aimed from a position beyond the D, the result just seemed natural. Martinez caught the air with a perfect double shot that flew into the top corner and left Southampton oozing authority.
As the interval approached, Ward-Prowse did it again. Southampton rightly felt aggrieved that Matty Cash was booked, rather than showing a direct red card, for deflecting a diagonal ball away from Theo Walcott with an outstretched hand when the forward had a clear run from behind. But Ward-Prowse’s eyes were already on the award. This particular free throw was just slightly past the 18-yard line and it would take superior technique to send it up and in. Ward-Prowse showed exactly that, curving him into Martinez’s defenseless right once more.
In a world free from VAR’s self-destructive interference, Ward-Prowse could have built a goal even earlier. Vestergaard took a corner kick in the third minute and, as the ball hit Ezri Konsa before crossing the line in near slow motion, Che Adams was called offside and interfering. Walcott tried to make sure it didn’t matter, brushing the bar with a determined effort, before Ward-Prow dramatically dispelled any frustration.
Villa had jabbed and probed without creating a serious opportunity. Bertrand Traoré came close to equalizing Vestergaard’s goal with a deflected shot off a clever free kick from Ross Barkley, but limped away from the action 29 minutes into his first Premier League start. Traoré’s replacement, Trezeguet, was the first local player to seriously involve Alex McCarthy when he saw a cleared header shortly after the restart. The Saints goalkeeper improved on that seconds later, kicking when Grealish looked past him to nod, and Villa had the feeling one of them had needed to get in.
Ings gave the truth to that early with a brilliant shot, receiving possession from Stuart Armstrong in the left inner channel, maneuvering inside and then slamming Martinez off 20 yards. It was, like the three previous goals, unstoppable.
With nothing to be ruled out in this puzzling season, Villa entered the final half hour tail-up after a loose defense from a short angle allowed Grealish to cross for Mings, who converted a direct header. “You’re doing the right things, you will have chances,” Mings urged his teammates during a later break in the game.
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He had another with 10 minutes to go but McCarthy, who also spectacularly saved again from Trezeguet, flipped. Watkins’ penalty shot made extra time interesting and Grealish stunned McCarthy from range with the final kick, but the honors went to Southampton and his magic wand birthday boy.
