reporters Southampton 2-3 Aston Villa
guardian
Southampton's eye-catching start to the season is in danger of unravelling as the Festive season approaches. If defeats by Arsenal and Chelsea might have been anticipated, surrendering an unbeaten home record to Aston Villa was a shock to the system and Manchester City are the visitors on Saturday.
This rip-roaring contest was decided with a goal of brutal brilliance. Villa had twice led despite Southampton's monopoly on possession only to be pegged back when, 10 minutes from time, Fabian Delph darted forward to thunder a blistering winner beyond Paulo Gazzaniga from distance for his first Premier League goal.
So Southampton missed an opportunity to restore some momentum after those away defeats, although they had promised much in a breezy opening with Adam Lallana gliding dangerously into Villa territory.
However, it was Southampton who ended the opening period trailing, their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, responding by making a change before the break, with Dani Osvaldo being summoned from the bench to partner Rickie Lambert to bolster an attack lacking cutting edge.
Lallana, a rare plus for England in the November internationals, had dropped a cross on to the top of the crossbar early on, having previously forced Brad Guzan into a smart point-blank save, but it was Villa who opened the scoring on the break.
Their goal had been sprung from deep, Delph slid Gabriel Agbonlahor down the left channel and away from a flat-footed Maya Yoshida. Dejan Lovren, initially wary of Liubor Kozák behind him, moved in to block a potential shot, but Agbonlahor veered inside away from the challenge to slip the ball crisply beyond Gazzaniga for his first goal since May. Pochettino may have had pause to rue his decision to break up the established centre-half partnership of Lovren and Jose Fonte, with the Portuguese starting as a substitute.
Karim el Ahmadi might have added to the lead early in the second half, and soon afterwards Southampton hit back. Nathaniel Clyne had created their best chance up to then, his cross met by Lambert with Guzan making a magnificent save. When the right-back fired over an almost identical delivery, Jay Rodriguez found space between the centre-halves to direct a fine header into the corner of the net.
That equaliser should have been the prelude for an all-out assault on the Villa goal but instead Villa again struck on the counter-attack. El Ahmadi was rewarded for his persistence in regaining possession from Jack Cork and from his centre Kozák's was not to be denied by Gazzaniga's attempt to block . However , the Czech's celebrations were cut short when he was replaced immediately by Christian Benteke, to whom he had been preferred in the starting line up. But five minutes later Southampton were level again, Lambert nodding across the six-yard box for Osvaldo to convert from close-range.
Logic suggested the tide should have turned for good at that moment, but this was not that kind of occasion and the stage was set for Delph.
This rip-roaring contest was decided with a goal of brutal brilliance. Villa had twice led despite Southampton's monopoly on possession only to be pegged back when, 10 minutes from time, Fabian Delph darted forward to thunder a blistering winner beyond Paulo Gazzaniga from distance for his first Premier League goal.
So Southampton missed an opportunity to restore some momentum after those away defeats, although they had promised much in a breezy opening with Adam Lallana gliding dangerously into Villa territory.
However, it was Southampton who ended the opening period trailing, their manager, Mauricio Pochettino, responding by making a change before the break, with Dani Osvaldo being summoned from the bench to partner Rickie Lambert to bolster an attack lacking cutting edge.
Lallana, a rare plus for England in the November internationals, had dropped a cross on to the top of the crossbar early on, having previously forced Brad Guzan into a smart point-blank save, but it was Villa who opened the scoring on the break.
Their goal had been sprung from deep, Delph slid Gabriel Agbonlahor down the left channel and away from a flat-footed Maya Yoshida. Dejan Lovren, initially wary of Liubor Kozák behind him, moved in to block a potential shot, but Agbonlahor veered inside away from the challenge to slip the ball crisply beyond Gazzaniga for his first goal since May. Pochettino may have had pause to rue his decision to break up the established centre-half partnership of Lovren and Jose Fonte, with the Portuguese starting as a substitute.
Karim el Ahmadi might have added to the lead early in the second half, and soon afterwards Southampton hit back. Nathaniel Clyne had created their best chance up to then, his cross met by Lambert with Guzan making a magnificent save. When the right-back fired over an almost identical delivery, Jay Rodriguez found space between the centre-halves to direct a fine header into the corner of the net.
That equaliser should have been the prelude for an all-out assault on the Villa goal but instead Villa again struck on the counter-attack. El Ahmadi was rewarded for his persistence in regaining possession from Jack Cork and from his centre Kozák's was not to be denied by Gazzaniga's attempt to block . However , the Czech's celebrations were cut short when he was replaced immediately by Christian Benteke, to whom he had been preferred in the starting line up. But five minutes later Southampton were level again, Lambert nodding across the six-yard box for Osvaldo to convert from close-range.
Logic suggested the tide should have turned for good at that moment, but this was not that kind of occasion and the stage was set for Delph.
