Aston Villa v Southampton: Premier League – live!

8.25am EST 08:25

65 min Villa don’t look like a team who have accepted defeat, even though they are 4-1 down. They’re playing with much greater purpose in the second half.

8.22am EST 08:22

A left-wing corner was only half cleared by Southampton, with the ball eventually coming to Grealish on the left. He teased a lovely cross towards the six-yard line, where Mings got in front of his man and flicked a header past McCarthy.

8.21am EST 08:21

GOAL! Aston Villa 1-4 Southampton (Mings 62)

Make that scored one and conceded seven.

8.20am EST 08:20

61 min Since that surreal 7-2 win over Liverpool, Villa have scored none and conceded seven in two games at Villa Park.

8.18am EST 08:18

59 min Ward-Prowse, who is on a hat-trick, shoots over from long range.

Updated at 8.20am EST

8.18am EST 08:18

What a brilliant goal. Southampton moved the ball neatly through midfield, from right to left, with Armstrong finding Ings in the inside-left channel. He moved inside Cash, onto his right foot, and leathered a booming curler that flew into the net off the underside of the bar. Ings is such an accomplished finisher from all distances.

Updated at 8.19am EST

8.16am EST 08:16

56 min Armstrong, picked out by Adams, sweeps a shot just wide from the edge of the area. I think Martinez had it covered.

8.12am EST 08:12

52 min: Good save(s) from McCarthy! Grealish’s fast, deep cross from the left is met with a firm stooping header from Trezeguet, and McCarthy reacts smartly to kick it away with his left foot. Moments later he makes another important save, springing to his left to push Grealish’s header away from danger.

Updated at 8.14am EST

8.10am EST 08:10

51 min “My 13-year-old son is just getting into football, debating with me the merits of so-and-so on FIFA 21 and kicking the ball too hard when I’m in goal,” says Bill Hargreaves. “I use the Saints as an example of good recruitment when discussing the merits of club leadership. To whit today’s performance.”

Good recruitment and good coaching, too. The next really big Premier League job that becomes available might well be offered to Ralph Hasenhuttl.

8.10am EST 08:10

50 min It’s been a quiet start to the second half. I was going to say both teams know the game is over, but in this season of the absurd that’s not necessarily the case.

Updated at 8.10am EST

8.08am EST 08:08

49 min A good stat on Sky Sports: Ward-Prowse is the first player in the Premier League era to score two free-kicks in the first half of a game.

8.07am EST 08:07

48 min “A provincial, medium-sized club have an underrated English striker whose pace and intelligence makes him a consistent scorer, a hardworking midfield who are finding a few goals when they need them and a no-nonsense defence that concede far fewer than they used to,” begins Gary Naylor. “There’s spirit forged in the shared trauma of a peep over the relegation chasm the year before too. Southampton weren’t 5000/1 for the title were they?”

Leicester lost 5-2 at home to a north London team at the start of 2015-16, as well. I can’t stop tapping my nose now.

8.06am EST 08:06

46 min Jack Stephens has come on for Southampton to replace Jan Bednarek, who had that awkward landing in the first half. If he’s concussed, Southampton might have some questions to answer about why he was allowed to continue.

7.50am EST 07:50

Half time: Aston Villa 0-3 James Ward-Prowse

Southampton are on their way to third place in the Premier League. James Ward-Prowse made the first goal for Jan Vestergaard and then scored two majestic free-kicks. The scoreline is harsh on Villa – it’s been a fairly even game – but Southampton have been merciless.

7.48am EST 07:48

45+1 min Two minutes of added time. James Ward-Prowse is having a helluva birthday.

7.47am EST 07:47

That was even better than the first free-kick, because Ward-Prowse had less space to get the ball up and down. He whipped it over the wall and into the top-left corner, with Martinez motionless on the other side of the goal. Brilliant.

7.46am EST 07:46

GOAL! Aston Villa 0-3 Southampton (Ward-Prowse 45)

It’s deja vu all over again!

Ward-Prowse scores the third goal from a free kick. Photograph: Michael Steele/Reuters

Updated at 7.51am EST

7.46am EST 07:46

44 min It’s another chance for Ward-Prowse, this time from 19 yards…

7.45am EST 07:45

43 min Cash is booked for deliberately handling the ball just outside the area. Southampton are arguing he should be sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Is that allowed? I’ll level with you, I’ve no idea. But Walcott was waiting behind him and would have been through on goal with an assured first touch.

Updated at 7.45am EST

7.44am EST 07:44

42 min There’s been an undercurrent of niggle throughout the first half, and a 21-man brawl isn’t completely beyond the realms.

7.43am EST 07:43

41 min Cash thumps Ward-Prowse, an old-fashioned man-and-ball challenge near the touchline. Ward-Prowse springs to his feet with murder in mind, then realises he’s on a yellow card and thinks better of it.

7.40am EST 07:40

38 min Watkins has a close-range shot blocked by Martinez. He was offside anyway.

7.39am EST 07:39

37 min Grealish skips past Walker-Peters before hitting a low cross that is put behind for a corner by the sliding … Ings. That sums up Southampton’s work-rate.

7.38am EST 07:38

35 min The scoreline is a bit harsh on Villa, if not on James Ward-Prowse’s right foot. His set-piece ability has led directly to both goals.

Updated at 7.38am EST

7.35am EST 07:35

James Ward-Prowse, who is 26 today, has doubled Southampton’s lead with a immaculate free-kick. He curled it over the wall at pace, towards the near side of the goal, and the ball whistled past the flying Martinez. Textbook stuff.

Updated at 7.36am EST

7.33am EST 07:33

32 min Walcott finds some space between the lines and is fouled just outside the area by Douglas Luiz. This is perfect for James Ward-Prowse: 22 yards out, slightly to the left of centre.

Updated at 7.34am EST