Adam Armstrong's goal was his first since the opening day of the seasonAdam Armstrong's early goal helped Southampton continue their Premier League revival as they inflicted a fifth defeat in a row on Aston Villa.
Dean Smith's side are short on confidence and got off to a disastrous start with Matt Cash failing to clear a long ball and Armstrong smashing in a sensational first-time effort from 20 yards.
Villa were a mess in the first half and Southampton could have led by several goals at the break, while the visitors' Anwar el Ghazi was lucky to avoid a second booking for a blatant dive.
But Villa looked like a new side in the second half with El Ghazi and Emiliano Buendia going close.
They also had a strong penalty appeal turned down when Oriol Romeu pulled Tyrone Mings' shirt, but they could not find a leveller and the pressure increases on Smith.
Asked if he will be given time to turn round Villa's form, he said: "I have no idea.
"I have never had any control over that so I never worry about it. I always concentrate on my job day to day and continue to do that.
"I am very confident if given time that we will turn it around with the squad we have got, and the players we have got coming back [from injury]."
Southampton move up to 12th, while Villa remain only three points above the relegation zone before everybody else plays this weekend.
Two teams going in opposite directions?
Villa were six points above Southampton at the start of October - and now sit four points behind them.
Ralph Hasenhuttl's Saints have taken 10 points from four league matches, as many as in their previous 12 games.
It was the archetypal game of two halves on Friday night.
Southampton were first to every ball in the first half, and got in behind the Villa defence time and time again.
Adam Armstrong gave Saints that early lead and then namesake Stuart Armstrong blazed over when unmarked in the box.
Villa players passed around a note from the bench midway through the first half, which returning captain Tyrone Mings hid in his sock, but it did not change much.
El Ghazi had been booked for an early foul on Valentino Livramento and twice rode his luck. First he grabbed Livramento around the shoulders and then dived in the box, but avoided punishment each time.
Saints should have scored more with Emiliano Martinez diving to keep out James Ward-Prowse's shot.
The second half started in the opposite manner with Villa winning 50-50s and creating chances at will.
They had more shots in the opening eight minutes of the second half (five) as in the first 45 minutes - including two from El Ghazi.
Villa's bench were furious when the referee did not give a penalty for Romeu's clear shirt-tug on Mings - with no activity from the video assistant referee either.
They finished with three strikers on the pitch and probably deserved to take a point - but this is now their worst losing run since January to February 2017 in the Championship.
Under-pressure Smith has 15 days until he can start turning things around, with the international break due to start.
Player of the match
A ArmstrongAdam Armstrong
Aston Villa
Squad number1Player nameMartínez
Squad number2Player nameCash
Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
Squad number5Player nameMings
Squad number41Player nameJ Ramsey
Squad number35Player nameArcher
Squad number11Player nameWatkins
Squad number3Player nameTargett
Squad number16Player nameTuanzebe
Squad number10Player nameBuendía
Squad number19Player nameNakamba
Squad number39Player nameDavis
Squad number31Player nameBailey
Squad number21Player nameEl Ghazi
Line-ups
Southampton
Formation 4-4-2
1McCarthy
21Livramento35Bednarek22Salisu2Walker-Peters
17S Armstrong8Ward-Prowse6Romeu24Elyounoussi
9A Armstrong10Adams
1McCarthy21Livramento35Bednarek22SalisuBooked at 90mins2Walker-Peters17S ArmstrongSubstituted forLyancoat 56'minutes8Ward-Prowse6RomeuBooked at 62mins24ElyounoussiSubstituted forDialloat 76'minutes9A ArmstrongSubstituted forBrojaat 81'minutes10AdamsSubstitutes
4Lyanco7Long15Perraud18Broja19Djenepo23Tella27Diallo32Walcott44ForsterAston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Martínez
2Cash16Tuanzebe5Mings3Targett
7McGinn19Nakamba
31Bailey10Buendía21El Ghazi
11Watkins
1Martínez2Cash16TuanzebeBooked at 65mins5Mings3Targett7McGinn19NakambaSubstituted forJ Ramseyat 63'minutes31Bailey10BuendíaSubstituted forArcherat 71'minutes21El GhaziBooked at 11minsSubstituted forDavisat 79'minutes11WatkinsSubstitutes
12Steer18Young30Hause32Philogene-Bidace33Chukwuemeka35Archer39Davis40A Ramsey41J RamseyReferee:Andy MadleyAttendance:30,178Live Text
Match ends, Southampton 1, Aston Villa 0.
Second Half ends, Southampton 1, Aston Villa 0.
Jan Bednarek (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cameron Archer (Aston Villa).
Foul by James Ward-Prowse (Southampton).
Matt Targett (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa).
Foul by Armando Broja (Southampton).
John McGinn (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. John McGinn (Aston Villa) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Mohammed Salisu (Southampton) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Mohammed Salisu (Southampton).
Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Jan Bednarek (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cameron Archer (Aston Villa).
Offside, Aston Villa. Emiliano Martínez tries a through ball, but Ollie Watkins is caught offside.
Corner, Aston Villa. Conceded by Lyanco.
Attempt blocked. Cameron Archer (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matt Targett with a cross.
Attempt missed. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Jacob Ramsey.
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