Villa inflict latest defeat on sorry Southampton

Aston Villa took time to break down relegated Southampton before goals from substitutes Ollie Watkins, Donyell Malen and John McGinn led them to a 3-0 win in the Premier League on Saturday.

Watkins scored in the 73rd minute and Malen six minutes later after both came on midway through the second half to help lift Villa to fifth in the table.

McGinn added the third as he followed up to convert the rebound after Aaron Ramsdale saved Marco Asensio's stoppage-time penalty. Ramsdale had earlier stopped a spot-kick from Asensio.

It was Southampton's 13th home defeat of the season, setting a new club record as they played for the first time since Monday's sacking of manager Ivan Juric.

Villa, who host Paris Saint-Germain in the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday trailing 3-1, saw Asensio's 69th minute penalty saved.

However, Watkins stretched out his right foot to guide a precise long-range pass from Youri Tielemans into the net off the underside of the bar for the opening goal.

England striker Watkins had been left on the bench for a second successive game but made an immediate impact after coming on as he won a penalty when brought down by Jan Bednarek.

Asensio's left-footed effort was expertly saved by Ramsdale with a one-handed stop but Watkins scored within four minutes before Malen thrashed home the second soon after.

Home captain Jack Stephens brought down McGinn four minutes into stoppage time, giving Asensio the chance to atone but Ramsdale saved again only for McGinn to bundle home the rebound.

Southampton, whose return to the Championship was confirmed last week with seven matches remaining, had the game's first effort when Cameron Archer tested Villa keeper Emiliano Martínez in the 15th minute but they offered little else in attack as they concentrated on defensive discipline in the first half.

After the break, Villa applied more of an attacking squeeze to earn the win and a boost ahead of their Champions League tie.

Southampton remain on 10 points with two league wins and still need two points from their remaining six matches to eclipse Derby's record low haul of 11 points in the 2007-08 Premier League season.