Unai Emery asked his Aston Villa side to focus on each match as it comes while keeping the Premier League a priority. It was against an already decided relegation-bound Southampton visitor, but they still found a way to grab a convincing victory.
It wasn't smooth sailing for Villa. For a lot of the game, it looked like the final score ending in 0-0 would be inevitable. That is, until the AVFC boss once again turned to his bench for a needed boost in the closing portion of the EPL fixture and found a way to force the positive result.
For the first time in Prem history, three substitutes came on and scored in the same league encounter. It's telling that Villa are the first team to accomplish this feat. In truth, if it wasn't going to be this collective group of players, it may never have happened.
To have three separate individuals enter the fray and find a way to put one in the back of the net is an incredible testament to what Villa are building. The term supersub is often used. Having the ability for multiple people to share that title for the same fixture is simply incredible.
Highly encouraging from Aston Villa
This has become something of a commonality among the Villans. It can be a difficult undertaking to impose the will and force on opponents. Sometimes, the staff will see something that they can share with an oncoming player. A lot of times, it's as simple as equally talented individuals coming on late and benefitting from not being worn down. Everyone wants to start, but sometimes being able to enter when others have endured a long battle can be advantageous.
Critics, and even worried Aston Villa fans, will be worried about the initial starting XI not producing enough from the opening whistle. This is just part of the juggling act that Emery is dealing with. Naturally, those who play and train well will believe they deserve more playing time. All high-caliber athletes would. For the most part, the Aston Villa boss has done well in making adjustments during the course of a match, and that is more telling than anything else.