SAINTS FANS LAUD REDMOND’S STRIKE AGAINST PALACE

Southampton's comfortable win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park was their best away performance of the season, according to manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Nathan Redmond and Stuart Armstrong both scored fine goals as the Saints secured their fourth successive away victory in the Premier League.

Redmond opened the scoring midway through the first half as he turned away from two markers before firing home from the edge of the box.

Armstrong then doubled his side's lead early in the second half when he collected Redmond's pass and curled in a superb effort from outside the area.

Following a lacklustre first half, the Eagles did improve after the break although they failed to put the Saints under sustained pressure, and Southampton held on for a deserved three points.

"Today, especially with the ball, was perhaps our best away performance [of the season]," Hasenhuttl said.

"We were unbelievably good in the first half. Quick moving, creating a lot of chances - I can't believe it was only 1-0.

"In the second half we showed that we can stay concentrated for 90 minutes. To get a clean sheet here is good and to win here is not easy.

"We wanted a reaction from Saturday so the team was very focused. I'm enjoying the moment. Our turnaround has been unbelievable and we feel that we can win games from the first moment. We are very happy."

It is only the second time the South Coast club have claimed four Premier League away wins on the bounce - with the previous run coming between December 2014 and February 2015.

Victory for Hasenhuttl's side means they move above Palace into ninth - with Roy Hodgson's side slipping to 11th.

• Relive Tuesday night's Premier League action here

Saints' fine form continues

Hasenhuttl praises Saints' 'behaviour and belief'

It was only a month or so ago that Southampton were being tipped by many for the drop, but the win at Selhurst Park moves them into the top half of the league for the first time this season - and on this performance they fully deserve it.

After a disappointing defeat by Wolves on Saturday, they were back to their bustling best on Tuesday night as they dominated for long periods.

Hasenhuttl's men were a constant threat down the left, with the Eagles unable to deal with the pace and trickery of Redmond, nor the overlapping Ryan Bertrand.

They dominated in the middle, too, even after James Ward-Prowse's move to right-back following Cedric Soares' first-half withdrawal due to injury.

And after Redmond opened the scoring with a brilliant finish, they rarely looked back, with Armstrong testing Palace keeper Vicente Guaita several times before eventually beating him early in the second half.

Shane Long, who kept his place in the starting line-up after scoring against Wolves, could have made the result safe on the hour mark, too, had he shot either side of Guaita when sent clear by the lively Michael Obafemi.

But ultimately it did not matter for Southampton, who comfortably held off late Eagles pressure for their fifth Premier League win in seven games.

Eagles fall flat on feisty night

Defeat was a game too far for Palace - Hodgson

The Eagles should have been flying high after holding reigning champions Manchester City to a draw on Saturday, but if they did gain any momentum from that result they failed to carry it into Tuesday's game.

Palace were flat for much of the first half, much to the frustration of the boisterous home crowd, with January arrival Cenk Tosun blasting over their only chance of the opening 45 minutes.

While they did improve after the break, with Wilfried Zaha trying his best to prise open a stubborn Saints backline, they rarely tested Alex McCarthy in the visitors' goal.

In fact, they failed to take any shots on target at all, with second-half substitute Connor Wickham summing up his side's evening with two spurned chances late on.

However, despite the Eagles' uninspiring efforts, the match did carry a feisty feel throughout, with the players perhaps harbouring grudges from their previous Premier League meeting just 24 days ago.

There was a flashpoint after the half-time whistle which saw Zaha poke Ward-Prowse in the face before the pair were separated by team-mates and stewards.

And tempers flared between James Tomkins and Redmond following a tangle as the match drew to a close.

Man of the match - James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)

James Ward-Prowse was pulling the strings for Southampton in the opening stages before an injury to Cedric Soares saw him move to right-back. However, he continued to influence the game from full-back, getting forward at every opportunity, while he dealt with the threat of Wilfried Zaha expertly.

'We were absolutely fantastic' - what they said

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl speaking to BBC MOTD: "It's not so easy to win here. Especially with the ball in the first half, we were absolutely fantastic - very flexible and hard to defend against.

"We created a lot of chances but it was only 1-0 at half-time. In the second half it was important that we did not make the same mistakes as we did against Wolves, but we were very clinical and came up with a beautiful goal from Stuart [Armstrong]."

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson speaking to BBC MOTD: "We were a long way below our standards. Southampton played extremely well. I think it was a game too far for us. We have been battling with the same group of players. We have had tough games, battled through brilliantly, but that all caught up with us today and we deserved to lose the game because Southampton were the better team.

"The players were determined in the second half to do something about it but when the second goal went in that gave us a mountain to climb. We would have had to produce some fantastic football and find a way of combating what we couldn't combat in the first half."

Eagles midfielder James McCarthy on Sky Sports: "We weren't at it today. It was disappointing. Not good enough. We went to the champions on Saturday and put in a hell of a performance but tonight we wanted to win the game and push on.

"Unfortunately we were not at the races. We have a lot of injuries. Maybe the boss would have been happy to have made a few changes but no point making excuses. Today, each and every one of us didn't perform. As a squad and a team we know we are a lot better than that."

Toothless Eagles fail to hit target again - the stats

• Crystal Palace failed to direct a single shot on target in a Premier League game for the second time this season, with only Newcastle failing to hit the target in more games in 2019-20 (3).
• Only Wolves (16) have conceded the first goal of the game more often in the Premier League this season than Crystal Palace (14).
• Southampton have won 65% of their Premier League points in away games this season (20/31), the highest such ratio in the division.
• After seeing all 48 of the goals in their Premier League games this season prior to this match come from inside the box (F22 A26), Crystal Palace conceded two goals from outside the box against Southampton.
• Only against Watford (four) has Southampton's Nathan Redmond scored more in the Premier League than he has against Crystal Palace (three).
• Stuart Armstrong has scored in consecutive away Premier League games for the Saints (two goals), netting as many goals as he managed in his previous 25 on the road.
• Southampton's Nathan Redmond scored and assisted in the same Premier League game for the third time ever and the first time since December 2018 against Huddersfield.

What's next?

Southampton will host Tottenham in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday (25 January, 15:00 GMT) before returning to Premier League action the following Saturday (1 February) with a trip to Anfield.

Meanwhile, having been knocked out of the FA Cup by Derby County, Crystal Palace do not play again until 1 February when they face Sheffield United at Selhurst Park (15:00 GMT).

Aston Villa 2-1 Watford: Tyrone Mings snatches injury time winner for crucial victory over relegation rivals as Hornets sink back into drop zone

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said his players would have "a lot of belief" after they scored an injury-time winner to beat Watford and move out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Ezri Konsa's shot deflected in off team-mate Tyrone Mings in the 95th minute after Pepe Reina had launched a free-kick into the penalty area in a thrilling finish at Villa Park.

Troy Deeney had put the Hornets in front when he powerfully headed home from five yards out after Gerard Deulofeu's cross from the right.

Deeney almost grabbed a second but was denied by an excellent reaction stop from home goalkeeper Reina.

That save proved crucial as Douglas Luiz equalised when he smashed a loose ball into the net after Ben Foster had parried Matt Targett's effort, before the late winner.

The victory takes Villa up from 18th to 16th while Watford, who lost for the first time in eight matches in all competitions, drop into the bottom three and are now 19th after being 17th before the match.

Villa, who won the Championship play-off final in May to return to the Premier League, now have 25 points from 24 games with 14 league matches to go.

"I thought it was a good performance," said Smith. "We dominated the first half and were unfortunate to go a goal down as they scored with their first attack.

"But the lads showed plenty of endeavour, kept pushing and got the result tonight. It's a big win, we know there are big games to come and every game is tough.

"It does give the players a lot of belief. Teams of mine finish the season better and I'm expecting a better points haul in the second half."

Tyrone Mings (right) was credited with Aston Villa's winning goal, but did not know much about it as a shot from Ezri Konsa (left) hit him and went in

Mings admits he feared red card

Konsa, who thought he had scored the winner having been originally credited with the goal, joked he was "absolutely devastated" when told after the match it had been given to England international Mings.

However, Watford will feel the centre-half was lucky to still be on the pitch at the end.

Mings had been booked just before half-time for a late challenge on Abdoulaye Doucoure and was then penalised for a deliberate handball in the second half, although the ball had hit him at close range with his arms by his side.

Referee Martin Atkinson awarded a free-kick but did not show Mings a second yellow card with the matter not going to the video assistant referee.

"Everyone has an opinion on whether Mings should have been sent off - it doesn't matter what I think," said Watford boss Nigel Pearson.

"You could see how incensed our players were but we're in the hands of the officials to get these decisions right on the field. It's happened and we can't change it."

Mings also admitted he was worried he was going to be shown a red card.

He said: "I was concerned, I'm not going to lie. The decision went our way. If they had sent me off I couldn't have had too many arguments."

Watford's 'reality check'

For Watford, this was only the second defeat since Pearson took over in December following the sacking of Quique Sanchez Flores, and Pearson described the result as a "reality check".

After a quiet opening, Watford provided the first bit of quality in the match in the 38th minute as Deulofeu got free down the right and his chipped ball into the middle was met by Deeney's powerful close-range header, which gave Reina no chance.

Troy Deeney's goal was his fifth in seven Premier League games for Watford

They should have doubled their lead before the break as Deulofeu found himself one-on-one but, from a tight angle, could only shoot into the side netting, before Reina made an excellent save to deny Deeney.

Villa were playing without a recognised striker for the fourth successive match as the signing of Mbwana Samatta, who joined on Monday in a £10m deal from Belgian side Genk, was not completed in time.

Their lack of cutting edge was shown in the opening 45 minutes as Anwar El Ghazi, playing as a makeshift centre-forward, curled an effort well over the bar from the edge of the penalty area with their only effort of note.

They at least created opportunities at the beginning of the second half, although Kortney Hause, Ezri Konsa and Trezeguet all missed chances when well placed and Targett could only head straight at Foster.

However, Luiz, who had only been on the pitch for 12 minutes, equalised when Jack Grealish released Targett and his effort was pushed into Luiz's path.

Villa had the majority of possession from then on as they pinned Watford back and pushed for a winner, which they got with practically the last kick of the game.

Aston Villa boss Dean Smith on last-gasp win over Watford

Rare Villa Premier League fightback - the stats

• Aston Villa ended their three-game losing streak against Watford in the Premier League, with this win their first victory against the Hornets in the competition since January 2007 (2-0).
• Villa have won a Premier League game having been behind at half-time for the first time since September 2013 (3-2 versus Manchester City), ending a run of 51 games without a victory in the competition when trailing at the break.
• Villa have scored two 90th-minute winners in a single Premier League season (Matt Targett v Brighton in October and Tyrone Mings here) for the first time since 1994-95.
• Villa have scored in nine consecutive home Premier League games for the first time since May 2007-March 2008 (a run of 16).
• Watford's Troy Deeney has scored more Premier League goals against Aston Villa (six in four games) than he has against any other side in the competition.
• Douglas Luiz's equaliser for Aston Villa was his third Premier League goal of the season and first since October 2019 against Norwich.
• Aston Villa goalkeeper Pepe Reina has conceded as many goals in his last two Premier League appearances at Villa Park (2) as he did in his first seven with Liverpool (also two).

Man of the match - Marvelous Nakamba (Aston Villa)

Marvelous Nakamba provided a vital defensive shield in Aston Villa's midfield as he made two tackles, two clearances, gained possession 11 times, had a pass completion rate of 82% and won 60% of his duels

'To lose with the last kick is really disappointing' - what they said

Watford manager Nigel Pearson, speaking to Match of the Day: "This is the first setback we've had, with a few talking points as well. In all honesty we struggled to find the energy levels we have had of late.

"We dug in to score a goal in the first half and we had a really good chance to go 2-0 up. It's a disappointing situation and one we will have to come to terms with very quickly.

"We've done really well to get back in contact and maybe this is a reality check if people thought the hard work had been done and it shows how quickly things can change. To lose with the last kick of the game is really disappointing but we will bounce back."

Watford players incensed by Mings decision - Pearson

What's next?

Watford play again in only two days' time as they are at League One Tranmere in an FA Cup third-round replay after a 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road earlier this month. That game takes place on Thursday, 23 January (19:45 GMT), with the Hornets then at home against Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, 1 February (15:00 GMT).

Villa's next match is the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at home against Leicester on Tuesday, 28 January (19:45 GMT), with the first leg ending 1-1. Villa then face a big game against fellow Premier League strugglers Bournemouth on 1 February (15:00 GMT).

ENGLAND Premier League- 21.01.2020

ENGLANDPremier League

Standings

Finished

Aston Villa

2 - 1

Watford

(0 - 1)

Finished

Bournemouth

3 - 1

Brighton

(2 - 0)

Finished

Crystal Palace

0 - 2

Southampton

(0 - 1)

Finished

Everton

2 - 2

Newcastle

(1 - 0)

Finished

Sheffield Utd

0 - 1

Manchester City

(0 - 0)

Finished

Chelsea

2 - 2

Arsenal

Sheffield United 0-1 Manchester City: Substitute Aguero scores to clinch three points

The Blades put up quite the fight, but just couldn’t hold on for a big result against the reigning Premier League champions.

Manchester City returned to winning ways on Tuesday night, defeating Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane. An even contest throughout, it would take a moment of magic from Kevin De Bruyne to break the deadlock, as his immaculate pass picked out substitute Sergio Aguero for a tap in at the back post.

Story of the match

United boss Chris Wilder made two changes to the team that drew with Arsenal at the weekend. Club captain Billy Sharp replaced Lys Mousset, while Muhamed Bešić came on for midfielder John Lundstram.

City benefitted from a big return to their starting lineup, as defender Aymeric Laporte was able to make his first appearance since last August.

In the 18th minute, after making a good start to the contest, the away side had a huge chance to take the lead on the counter. Riyad Mahrez picked out a streaking Raheem Sterling in the area, but his shot from close range was saved by Dean Handerson, who got his right hand up to block it away. 

The United goalkeeper made another massive save only ten minutes later. An attempted overhead kick from Nicolas Otamendi of all people seemed destined for the back of the net, but Henderson managed to stick out a leg and block the ball with his knee.

Mahrez was incredibly dangerous early on, and the winger even managed to win a penalty, as he was hacked down by Chris Basham after a clever nutmeg. However, Henderson would be the hero once again, saving the penalty attempt by Gabriel Jesus.

That moment would help spur the Blades onward, who were the better team to end the first half. They controlled possession, and carved out a few half chances of their own.

Both teams made a tepid start to the second half, but United almost scored a goal of the season contender at the hour mark. A brilliant flick by Bešić found Oliver McBurnie, who then played Basham down the wing. His cross ricocheted towards Mousset who went for an audacious backheel shot, but hit it right into the arms of Ederson.

Even though City dominated possession, the Blades were the ones creating the better chances. Some quality build up play led to Enda Stevens hitting a low cross into the area, but McBurnie just couldn’t get on the end of the ball.

They would be left to rue their missed opportunities, as the away side instantly went back up the field and took the lead through substitute Sergio Aguero. Central midfielder Kevin De Bruyne got free down the wing and played a delectable pass in behind the United defense, making it easy for Aguero to finish off the move with a tap in at the backpost.

That would prove to be the winner, as City held on to pick up all three points.

Takeaways

Blades impressive despite defeat

The result might only be a disappointing one for United because they came so close to pulling off an upset on the night.

It was another immense performance from Wilder’s men, who did much more than survive. Sure they needed some help from Henderson early on, but the Blades got better and better at the game went on. They even came close to taking the lead, but just couldn’t take their chances, which ended up costing them.

Few teams will take points off of City this season, who just have so much talent in their squad. They’re the reigning Premier League champions for a reason, and United will at least feel some pride after their strong showing.

City cut it close

Manchester City, on the other hand, won’t feel as happy after the game even though they picked up all three points.

It’s been a tough season for them, as they are effectively already out of the title race. They’ve been competing for 2nd place with Leicester City instead, and matchups like this explain why.

The Citizens just haven’t been as dynamic as in years past. Less runs are being made around the penalty, which leads to more aimless crosses being hit into the area instead. The team isn’t blessed with much height either, so it’s no surprise that their more direct approach doesn’t usually work. 

The only goal of the game came after a moment of individual brilliance, as De Bruyne hit a perfect cross into the area, and Aguero really had no other choice than to find the back of the net with a close range shot.

With the league title out of the picture, City will now focus on the Champions League and their upcoming Round of 16 tie versus Real Madrid. The first leg will be on the 26th of February, so that gives Pep Guardiola about a month to get his team back at their best. 

Whether or not he can do that will be the big question.

Man of the match - Dean Henderson

He couldn’t keep a clean sheet on the night, but Henderson undoubtedly had the best performance of anyone out on the pitch.

He single-handedly kept the Blades in the contest early on, pun intended, making a number of amazing saves in the first half. It all came to a climax with his penalty save, guessing the right way and blocking the attempt before it crossed his goal line.

There was nothing he could do about the one goal he did concede, as Aguero was unmarked only a few yards out.

Henderson has been immense for United this season, and performances like this prove why he has a chance of becoming England’s number one.