In March, Saints travelled to Villa Park at their highest point.
February had ended with back-to-back 2-0 victories against Everton and Norwich to make it one defeat in nine Premier League matches. March started in the same vein as a much-changed side beat West Ham 3-1 to reach the FA Quarter-Final.
Dreams of a place in Europe seemed almost realistic as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side made the trip up to the Midlands. Then, a team which had only conceded more than twice on one occasion since the turn of the year, were crushed 4-0.
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It proved the beginning of the end as hopes of a first top-ten finish under Hasenhuttl slipped into relieved feelings of survival when the curtain came down on a confusing but ultimately unsatisfactory campaign.
Wholesale changes followed as three members of Hasenhuttl’s coaching staff were sacked before nine first-team players signed on in the summer. Saints head back to Villa Park this evening with the look of a very different side to the one that was beaten five months ago.
While Romeo Lavia will miss the clash through the hamstring injury he suffered against Chelsea, there is something of a new spine developing. Gavin Bazunu should start in goal while Armel Bella-Kotchap’s seriously impressive introduction to life in the Premier League has been rewarded with his first call-up to the Germany squad.
Joe Aribo is already a regular following his move from Rangers while Samuel Edozie and Sekou Mara have flashed their talent and potential in briefer cameos. Ainsley Maitland-Niles got 17 minutes plus stoppage time off the bench at Wolves while centre-back Deja Caleta-Car and left-back Juan Larios are still to come.
Much has changed since Saints last visited Aston Villa and Hasenhuttl is relishing the opportunity to show that this truly is a new team with a new backbone of belief.
“It is a good chance to show a different face there,” Hasenhuttl said when asked about the return to Villa Park on Friday night. “I always like to go that way, to be honest. The years before we had massive games there, we have won 3-1, 4-3, something like that. It was really good games, one of our best away games every year.”
The scars of last season’s heavy defeat and the ensuing collapse shouldn’t be imprinted on this squad thanks to the injection of fearless young players this summer but regardless of what happens on Friday, the key will be in what occurs after.
Thus far, Saints have already shown an ability to bounce back from trouble, winning all seven of their points thus far from losing positions. Those seven points lead the Premier League in the amount gained after falling behind. All of last season, they won a total of nine points from the same positions.
Saints also beat Chelsea just three days after narrowly losing to Manchester United while they’ve recovered from Spurs’ all-too comfortable win on the opening day of the season. Now, Saints head to Aston Villa with the need to bounce back again, this time following the disappointing 1-0 defeat at Wolves almost two weeks ago.
To truly pass judgment on the progress made from the epic capitulation last spring, one good game - or bad one - won’t suffice. The aim of this summer’s expensive overhaul was to ensure there would not be another destructive cycle like has been seen multiple times in recent years. That in turn, should make the ambition of a top ten finish reality.
Consistency is not something that has been central to Saints’ positive start to the new season with the full swing of emotions already felt by fans. Inconsistency game-by-game is not the worst thing and really should be expected from such a young Saints team.
As long as they continue to stand up in the face of pressure, there should be enough added quality in the squad to show progress. Saints absolutely can not afford to descend into the kind of cavernous trough that ruined last season. On that occasion, It started with Aston Villa.
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