Two-goal Ings inspires Saints win at Villans
Ralph Hasenhuttl saluted two-goal Danny Ings after he fired Southampton out of the drop zone.
The striker’s brace inspired the Saints to a 3-1 win at Aston Villa and see them leapfrog their fellow Premier League strugglers.
Jack Stephens also netted in the first half and, while Jack Grealish scored a spectacular late goal, the visitors deserved victory.
They have now won three of their last five games to sit three points above the relegation zone after Ings’ 12th goal in his last 13 games.
Hasenhuttl said: “We like him in this form, I like to see how he is working and he is always there. He has a clinical finish, the second goal was fantastic.
“He was unlucky in the last game, hitting the woodwork and having a goal disallowed, but he is full of confidence. Not only this, he is a fantastic character for the team.
“We knew it was a very important game for us, all week I felt the guys were working well. In defence we were very compact and it was a deserved win for us.
“At 3- 1 you could feel we were a bit nervous but it was normal. We are out of the relegation zone and looking at the Christmas games. It gives us a lift.”
Jay Rodriguez scored a dramatic late winner as Burnley snatched a 1-0 win from a badtempered encounter against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Substitute Rodriguez broke the deadlock in the 89th minute with the game’s first attempt on target, scruffily converting into the bottom right corner with his chest following Ashley Westwood’s cross.
A dismal contest on a rain-soaked south coast was littered with secondhalf bookings and looked set to end in stalemate before the hosts were cruelly condemned to a third successive home defeat.
Sheffield United had two goals ruled out by VAR but still claimed a t h i rd consecutive Premier League win by dispatching Brighton 1-0.
VAR intervened to deny John Egan and Jack O’connell either side of half- time but with Oliver Mcburnie on target in the 23rd minute, the Blades left the south coast with all three points.
It extended their unbeaten away league record this season to nine games and they were rarely in danger during a one- sided clash played in relentless drizzle at the Amex Stadium.
Raul Jimenez grabbed a late winner as Wolves struck twice in the second half to come from behind and secure a 2- 1 victory over struggling Norwich at Carrow Road.
Todd Cantwell broke the deadlock in the 17th minute to give Norwich the lead.
Howe ve r, it was a different story in the second half as Romain Saiss nodded home the equaliser and Jimenez struck the winner in the 81st minute.