ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez – 6. Sympathy for the Villa keeper who had no chance with any of the four goals. Beyond those, didn’t have a save to make. AP
Matty Cash – 4. Picked up a yellow card for a blatant handball on the edge of the area to stop a clear goalscoring chance. Problem was, Ward-Prowse bent home the subsequent free-kick anyway. Then wasn’t tight enough to Ings for the striker’s goal. Not a good day for the full-back. AP
Ezri Konsa – 7. Based on his own performance, Konsa can feel unfortunate to be part of a team that conceded four. Handled Southampton’s attacks well. Getty Images
Tyrone Mings – 8. He may have been part of a backline that shipped four goals but Mings had a fine game. Won all his challenges, brought the ball out well and ventured forward to help his team apply some attacking pressure. Scored with a glancing header. AP
Matt Targett – 6. Managed to find some space going forward in the second half but the game was done at that point. AP Photo
Douglas Luiz – 5. Like the rest of the Villa midfield, guilty of allowing Southampton to take control of the game in the first half. Tripped Walcott to set up Ward-Prowse for his first goal. Getty Images
John McGinn – 6. Complete mismatch when marking the much taller Vestergaard for Southampton’s opener and struggled to make his mark on the game. Getty Images
Bertrand Traore – 5. A snatched first-time shot that went wide his only contribution before being replaced midway through the first half due to injury. AFP
Ross Barkley – 6. Much like the rest of the Villa side, grew into the game in the second half but nothing quite pulled off for the on-loan midfielder. Reuters
Jack Grealish – 8. Villa’s most lively player during a dismal first half but took until the hour mark for him to exert his influence. Found Mings with a smart cross before scoring twice. If only he’d turned it on 10 minutes earlier, he might have dragged his team to a point. AFP
Ollie Watkins – 6. Had a largely frustrating game but got his name on the scoresheet with a well taken penalty in injury time. AFP
SUBS: Trezeguet (29’) – 6. Had at least three great chances to score during the second half but was denied by some fine saves from McCarthy. Getty Images
Ahmed Elmohamady (67’) – 6. Little significant impact but at least Southampton didn’t score while he was on the pitch. Reuters
SOUTHAMPTON PLAYER RATINGS: Alex McCarthy – 8. After spending the first half as a passenger, was called into action on numerous occasions after the break, producing a string of fine saves to deny Villa the chance of getting something from the game. AFP
Kyle Walker-Peters – 7. A committed display from the full-back. Drew the foul for the free-kick that led to his team’s opener. Had to be alert as Grealish got livelier. EPA
Jan Bednarek – 6. Look assured during the first half, although his afternoon was cut short when he picked up an injury. Replaced at the interval. Getty Images
Jannik Vestergaard – 8. Superb header to open the scoring and would probably be just as pleased with his goal saving block on Trezeguet in the second half. AFP
Ryan Bertrand – 7. Never looked troubled down his flank and provided a frequent outlet in attack. A solid display. AFP
Stuart Armstrong – 7. Should have scored but put his shot just wide of the post. Quickly atoned by seting up Ings minutes later. Alongside Ward-Prowse and Romeu helped Saints dominate the midfield for an hour. Getty Images
James Ward-Prowse – 10. Another game where he enhanced his reputation as one of the best dead ball specialists in the league. Swung in a pinpoint wide free kick to find Vestergaard for the opening goal, before curling home a sumptuous set piece on the edge of the area. Made it a brace of set piece goals just before halftime with another sublime finish. A very satisfying birthday for the Southampton captain. EPA
Oriol Romeu – 7. Typically unfussy performance from the Spaniard. His central partnership with Ward-Prowse is quietly becoming one of the most effective in the Premier League. Reuters
Theo Walcott – 6. Drew the foul for Ward Prowse’s first free kick goal with a darting run on the ball but his influence ended there. AFP
Danny Ings – 8. Scored an absolute worldie to make it 4-0, curling the ball into the top corner from outside the area. Southampton will be sweating on his fitness, though, after he picked up a knee injury late in the game. AFP
Che Adams – 6. Looked to have fortuitously opened the scoring only to find himself marginally offside. The game didn’t pass him by as such but he was hardly central to the action. AFP
SUBS: Jack Stephens (45’) – 6. Handled the increased Villa pressure well until the late flurry of goals. Getty Images
Ibrahima Diallo (79’) – 5. Only contribution was to give away a penalty after a clumsy foul on Grealish. Reuters
Shane Long (85’) – N/A Getty Images
ASTON VILLA PLAYER RATINGS: Emiliano Martinez – 6. Sympathy for the Villa keeper who had no chance with any of the four goals. Beyond those, didn’t have a save to make. AP
Matty Cash – 4. Picked up a yellow card for a blatant handball on the edge of the area to stop a clear goalscoring chance. Problem was, Ward-Prowse bent home the subsequent free-kick anyway. Then wasn’t tight enough to Ings for the striker’s goal. Not a good day for the full-back. AP
Ezri Konsa – 7. Based on his own performance, Konsa can feel unfortunate to be part of a team that conceded four. Handled Southampton’s attacks well. Getty Images
Tyrone Mings – 8. He may have been part of a backline that shipped four goals but Mings had a fine game. Won all his challenges, brought the ball out well and ventured forward to help his team apply some attacking pressure. Scored with a glancing header. AP
Matt Targett – 6. Managed to find some space going forward in the second half but the game was done at that point. AP Photo
Douglas Luiz – 5. Like the rest of the Villa midfield, guilty of allowing Southampton to take control of the game in the first half. Tripped Walcott to set up Ward-Prowse for his first goal. Getty Images
John McGinn – 6. Complete mismatch when marking the much taller Vestergaard for Southampton’s opener and struggled to make his mark on the game. Getty Images
Bertrand Traore – 5. A snatched first-time shot that went wide his only contribution before being replaced midway through the first half due to injury. AFP
Ross Barkley – 6. Much like the rest of the Villa side, grew into the game in the second half but nothing quite pulled off for the on-loan midfielder. Reuters
Jack Grealish – 8. Villa’s most lively player during a dismal first half but took until the hour mark for him to exert his influence. Found Mings with a smart cross before scoring twice. If only he’d turned it on 10 minutes earlier, he might have dragged his team to a point. AFP
Ollie Watkins – 6. Had a largely frustrating game but got his name on the scoresheet with a well taken penalty in injury time. AFP
SUBS: Trezeguet (29’) – 6. Had at least three great chances to score during the second half but was denied by some fine saves from McCarthy. Getty Images
Ahmed Elmohamady (67’) – 6. Little significant impact but at least Southampton didn’t score while he was on the pitch. Reuters
SOUTHAMPTON PLAYER RATINGS: Alex McCarthy – 8. After spending the first half as a passenger, was called into action on numerous occasions after the break, producing a string of fine saves to deny Villa the chance of getting something from the game. AFP
Kyle Walker-Peters – 7. A committed display from the full-back. Drew the foul for the free-kick that led to his team’s opener. Had to be alert as Grealish got livelier. EPA
Jan Bednarek – 6. Look assured during the first half, although his afternoon was cut short when he picked up an injury. Replaced at the interval. Getty Images
Jannik Vestergaard – 8. Superb header to open the scoring and would probably be just as pleased with his goal saving block on Trezeguet in the second half. AFP
Ryan Bertrand – 7. Never looked troubled down his flank and provided a frequent outlet in attack. A solid display. AFP
Stuart Armstrong – 7. Should have scored but put his shot just wide of the post. Quickly atoned by seting up Ings minutes later. Alongside Ward-Prowse and Romeu helped Saints dominate the midfield for an hour. Getty Images
James Ward-Prowse – 10. Another game where he enhanced his reputation as one of the best dead ball specialists in the league. Swung in a pinpoint wide free kick to find Vestergaard for the opening goal, before curling home a sumptuous set piece on the edge of the area. Made it a brace of set piece goals just before halftime with another sublime finish. A very satisfying birthday for the Southampton captain. EPA
Oriol Romeu – 7. Typically unfussy performance from the Spaniard. His central partnership with Ward-Prowse is quietly becoming one of the most effective in the Premier League. Reuters
Theo Walcott – 6. Drew the foul for Ward Prowse’s first free kick goal with a darting run on the ball but his influence ended there. AFP
Danny Ings – 8. Scored an absolute worldie to make it 4-0, curling the ball into the top corner from outside the area. Southampton will be sweating on his fitness, though, after he picked up a knee injury late in the game. AFP
Che Adams – 6. Looked to have fortuitously opened the scoring only to find himself marginally offside. The game didn’t pass him by as such but he was hardly central to the action. AFP
SUBS: Jack Stephens (45’) – 6. Handled the increased Villa pressure well until the late flurry of goals. Getty Images
Ibrahima Diallo (79’) – 5. Only contribution was to give away a penalty after a clumsy foul on Grealish. Reuters
