Aston Villa ground out a gritty 1-0 victory against Southampton at Villa Park last night.

Jacob Ramsey's first-half goal was enough to seal all three points and take the intense pressure off Steven Gerrard for the time being.

It was a game with very few chances, but the Villans will not care, and they will look to build on this when they're next in action against Leeds United after the international break.

For Southampton, it was a disappointing display. But an odd result like this can be expected due to their young side this season.

  • An important result for Gerrard

The most relieved man at Villa Park last night will definitely be the former England captain.

The result will possibly give him a bit more time in the Villa hot seat, despite the recent calls from some fans for the 42-year-old to lose his job.

Gerrard, who decided to take the captaincy away from defender Tyrone Mings at the start of the season, won't be happy about the performance that his side showed, but he'll be grateful for the effort his side put in.

The Villa boss turned to his backroom staff at full-time with his fists clenched, perhaps realising how crucial the win was.

The ever-improving midfielder impressed yet again in the Villa midfield.

During a game that was seriously lacking in any kind of quality, the big moment arrived just before the interval.

After Gavin Bazunu's acrobatic save to deny Ollie Watkins, Ramsey was there to cushion home the rebound for his first goal of the season.

The 21-year-old may not be ready to represent England just yet, but if he continues the trajectory that his career path is on, it will surely only be a matter of time.

His intelligence and combination of pace and power in the middle of the park is something Villa fans can look forward to for years to come.

  • Southampton's lack of chances

The south-coast side were inferior, and they offered absolutely nothing going forward.

The most likely opportunity for them to create any kind of chance looked like it would come from Mohammed Salisu's long throws.

But even on those occasions, the ball barely made it into the heart of the penalty area, and Villa comfortably dealt with everything that was thrown at them.

Hasenhuttl will want to move on from this quickly, and the international break seems to have come at a good time for his side.

Every match this weekend will have tributes following the passing of The Queen.

Before the match, a minute silence and national anthem were impeccably observed, and any doubts that football fans couldn't be trusted to pay their respects were swiftly put to bed.

An in-game minute of applause also took place, with the managers and players joining in.

Prince William, a lifelong Villa fan, sent a pre-match message to the club. He will have been thrilled with the result and tributes that took place.