Unai Emery Expresses Renewed Confidence In Aston Villa Ahead Of Southampton Match

Add as a preferred source on Google

Unai Emery feels Aston Villa have regained their confidence after a midweek Premier League victory against Brentford. Before this win, Villa had gone eight matches without a victory across all competitions. Goals from Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins, and Matty Cash in the first half secured the win, moving Villa to seventh in the table, just four points shy of the top four.

Emery expressed satisfaction with breaking their poor run of results. "We broke a spell of bad results we were having," he stated. He acknowledged that while they didn't control the game initially, they gradually took charge. "Today we achieved those three points, and it has given us confidence again," Emery added.

Ollie Watkins has been instrumental for Aston Villa, contributing to 10 goals in his last five Premier League games against promoted teams. He has scored four goals and provided six assists during this period. Watkins also boasts five goals in his last six home league appearances, with 36 goals at Villa Park overall.

Meanwhile, Southampton suffered their 11th defeat of the season with a 5-1 loss to Chelsea on Wednesday. The Saints played without Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tyler Dibling, and Flynn Downes due to suspensions. Jack Stephens' red card further compounded their woes as he was sent off for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair when they were trailing 3-1.

Despite the setback, Southampton head coach Russell Martin remains optimistic about his team's future performances. "I'm obviously very disappointed and hurt at the result," Martin admitted. However, he praised his players for their courage and efforts during the first half-hour against one of the country's top teams.

Adam Armstrong has found success at home with two goals in his last three appearances but struggles away from St Mary's Stadium continue. Since scoring in his debut away match for Southampton in August 2021 against Everton, Armstrong hasn't scored in 32 away games despite having 51 shots with an expected goals (xG) total of 4.7.

Match Prediction: Aston Villa vs Southampton

Aston Villa have won their last three Premier League encounters against Southampton without conceding a goal. They are unbeaten in their last six home league matches under Emery's guidance since November 2022, scoring 85 goals in 39 home games during this period.

Southampton have struggled on the road this season, failing to win any of their last 14 away league matches since February 2023. They have also not scored a first-half away goal this season and have had the fewest shots on target during away games' opening halves.

The probability of an Aston Villa win stands at 64.4%, according to Opta statistics. A draw is estimated at 18.9%, while Southampton's chances are pegged at just 16.8%. With both teams facing different challenges, this match promises intriguing dynamics as they meet on Saturday.