Southampton 6 Villa 1 - report and pictures
Sadio Mane scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history as Villa conceded five in the first-half and collapsed at Southampton.
The Senegalese front-man struck three times in just two minutes and 56 seconds to put the hosts three up after just 16 minutes.
Shane Long struck then struck twice, as shambolic Villa were were blown away.
Christian Benteke did, at least, pull one back in first-half stoppage time, but Graziano Pelle added a sixth late on to compound a miserable day for Tim Sherwood's side.
Goals: Mane 13, 14, 16, Long 26, 38, Benteke 45, Pelle 81.
Southampton: Gazzaniga, Clyne, Fonte, Alderweireld, Bertrand, Wanyama, S Davis (Yoshida 71), Ward-Prowse (Djuricic 80), Mane, Long, Pelle (Elia 85)
Substitutes: Davis (GK), Gardos, Reed, Targett.
Aston Villa: Given, Bacuna (Lowton 67), Vlaar, Okore, Hutton, Westwood, Delph, Cleverley, N'Zogbia (Agbonlahor 57), Grealish (Sinclair 82), Benteke.
Substitutes not used: Guzan (GK), Weimann, Senderos, Sanchez.
Referee: Robert Madley (Yorkshire)
Sherwood now begins the process of picking up his side following their heaviest ever defeat to the Saints.
Mane was quite simply brilliant but much of Villa's pain was self inflicted by some atrocious defending.
Sherwood made just one change to the side which recorded back-to-back home wins over Everton and West Ham, with Alan Hutton replacing the injured Kieron Richardson.
The game got off to a lively start - though there was no hint of to come - as, within four minutes, Pelle had the ball in the net for the hosts but saw his effort ruled out for offside.
Benteke stabbed wide of the near post after being played in Delph but for Villa, that was as good as it got, as Mane ran riot.
His first, on 13 minutes, owed plenty to fortune as his initial shot rebounded off Given and into his own leg to leave a tap-in, after Long's through ball had opened up the visiting backline.
Within a minute it was two and all of Villa's own doing, Ron Vlaar selling Given woefully short on a backpass. The goalkeeper collided with Pelle, leaving Mane with another easy finish.
There was nothing fortunate about the third though as again Sherwood's men were woeful in defence.
They collapsed on the right wing, allowing Long to scamper away and cutback for Mane to side foot a finish high into the net.
Villa were shell-shocked but unable to right the ship. Ten minutes later, Mane split the defence with a simple through ball and Long stroked home into an empty net after Given had saved from Pelle.
It was shambolic stuff at the back and the fifth, while a brilliantly executed lob by Long from a full 35 yards out, came after Ashley Westwood conceded position to the striker in the middle of the pitch.
A half of utter embarrassment for Villa did, at least, end on a high note when Benteke headed in Bacuna's cross deep into stoppage time.
The second-half was a mere formality, but it was still the hosts who looked more likely to increase their lead late on.
Long shot wide and Given saved from a Toby Alderweireld header and also brilliantly kept out a Maya Yoshida effort, at point blank range.
With nine minutes remaining, Pelle made it six when he fired home a Mane cross after being left unmarked in the box.
Substitute Gabby Agbonlahor saw two late efforts saved by home goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga but, for Villa, this was an afternoon to forget.
