What Aston Villa fans chanted at James Ward-Prowse during thrashing of Southampton

Aston Villa put Southampton to the sword on Saturday as Steven Gerrard's side swept away their visitors 4-0.

Four goals, evenly split either side of half time rewarded Gerrard for executing the perfect game plan against Ralph Hasenhuttl's Saints who had only tasted defeat once in the 10 league games prior to their trip up the M40.

Ollie Watkins opened the scoring with his second goal in as many games, before Douglas Luiz doubled the lead in the final minutes of the first half. After passing up on a number of opportunities to bag goals before the interval, Philippe Coutinho finally got in on the act in the second half. Danny Ings then rounded off the scoring before the hour mark, but elected not to celebrate against his former employers.

Villa signed Ings for £25million from Southampton in the summer as one of three players who were recruited to help replace the influence left behind by Jack Grealish, who joined Man City for £100million.

But Villa's interest in Southampton players wasn't over until the final weeks of the window.

A £25million bid for their captain James Ward-Prowse was swiftly turned down in the summer, but despite Villa's hopes of wrapping up a deal towards the end to the window, he signed a five-year contract with his boyhood club just after the season had started.

Ward-Prowse started against Villa on Saturday and as Southampton searched for a consolation goal with just a quarter of an hour left to play, he took a succession of corners and set-pieces, where Villa supporters in the lower North Stand were heard chanting to the midfielder.

Villa supporters chanted: "You should have signed for the Villa, signed for the Villlla."

Gerrard didn't have to warn his players not to make any cynical fouls in and