It feels like an international break is over. Instead, it's very different. I'm not going to go in to why last weekends matches were cancelled, but I think it was the right thing. I also think cancelling this weekend was probably the right thing, but hey ho.
Tonight, we face Southampton and this is a big test. The result against Manchester City was a surprise and the performance quite impressive. We need to see another performance like that and a better result later. Anything but that and the knives are going to be out.
Tonight, Leeds and Forest are three important matches for the manager and I hope he does well. And yes, this is a quick post. I'm on the train heading to the airport and I've got three calls to join all at the same time. Catch you all on the other side.
The manager
Match facts from the BBC
Head-to-head
- Aston Villa's 4-0 victory in last season's corresponding fixture ended their six-match winless run at home to Southampton.
- Saints have earned a club record 16 Premier League victories against both Villa and Newcastle.
Aston Villa
- Villa have won just one of their past 10 league fixtures and lost 10 of 17, including four defeats in six this season.
- They were relegated in each of the past three seasons in which they lost five or more of their opening seven league games, latterly from the Premier League in 2015-16.
- Aston Villa have gone 11 top-flight matches without a clean sheet, their longest run since a 26-game streak ended nine years ago.
- Philippe Coutinho has scored one goal and provided no assists in his past 17 Premier League appearances. He has been directly involved in a career-high seven Premier League goals against Southampton, scoring five and setting up two.
- Danny Ings scored 46 goals in 100 appearances for Southampton before joining Villa in 2021.
Southampton
- Their current run of 12 defeats in 18 league games began with a 4-0 defeat at Villa Park in March.
- Southampton's seven points so far this season were all won from a losing position - they have conceded the first goal in each of their past five matches.
- They have earned 13 points from their last five Friday fixtures, keeping a clean sheet in all four victories.
- Ralph Hasenhuttl's side have gone 17 top-flight away matches without a clean sheet for the first time since May 1990 to March 1991. Their club top-flight record is 21 games between September 1988 and September 1989.
- It's 12 league games without a clean sheet for Saints home or away, the longest current run in the division.
- Since the beginning of last season, James Ward-Prowse has scored 10 of his 11 Premier League goals in away games. Only Mohamed Salah (13) and Harry Kane (12) have more away goals over that period.