This is already messy for Villa. It could get very, very painful. Southampton are not the kind of side who ease up on the accelerator.

Oh, almost 4-0. Southampton seize possession and almost their moment as Stuart Armstrong curls an effort from just inside the box past the post.

Kieron Dyer
Former England and Newcastle midfielder on BBC Radio 5 live

I just think his performances on the pitch just haven't been good enough.

He's cost Everton a lot of points and Carlo Ancelotti has said enough is enough.

I think Pickford's been very fortunate to keep his England place too. Maybe this is the kick-starter he needs.

McCarthy to the rescue again for Saints. Grealish is amongst a group in the box and gets his head to a cross, but before the ball can find the net the visiting keeper dives across to claw it away.

Decent effort from Villa. A quickly-taken free-kick releases Grealish down the left and his deep cross is met by the diving Trezeguet for a header that McCarthy pushes away.

Seb Chambers: Good grief. How good is Ward-Prowse at the moment? Birthday-boy hat-trick inbound at this rate

Matthew Noble: Ward-Prowse needs to be picked for England he is good enough and should be on free-kick duty not seen many people as clinical or as good at free-kicks in the Premier League as him.

Phil: How do you defend against that? Stick a man on the line next to the keeper and invite pressure in the box? Surely less of a goal scoring certainty than a Ward-Prowse direct free-kick.

Pulkit Bhuwalka: Bad news for Southampton is that if James Ward-Prowse keeps playing like this he might end up playing for Liverpool next season.

Grealish fouls Ward-Prowse for a free-kick midway inside the Villa half. Wouldn't put it past the Saints man to curl this in, to be honest. He just lays it off, though.

Image source, BBC Sport

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce makes one change to the team that drew 1-1 at Wolves last Sunday. Sean Longstaff comes into midfield in place of Ryan Fraser who drops to the bench.

Fellow midfielder Isaac Hayden makes the bench after recovering from a hamstring problem.

Newcastle XI: Darlow, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis, Hendrick, S Longstaff, Murphy, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Wilson

Subs: Gillespie, Clark, Carroll, Joelinton, Hayden, Manquillo, Fraser

Image source, BBC Sport

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti makes five changes to the side that lost against Southampton last Sunday.

The big one is that Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen comes in for his debut replacing Jordan Pickford who drops to the bench.

Jonjoe Kenny comes in at right back, while Niels Nkounkou, Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph also start. There is also a place on the substitute bench for 19-year-old forward Ellis Simms, who could make his debut.

The Blues are without injured playmaker James Rodriguez and club captain Seamus Coleman, who is still struggling with a hamstring strain. Lucas Digne and Richarlison are also missing due to suspension.

Everton XI: Olsen, Kenny, Keane, Mina, Nkounkou, Gomes, Doucoure, Sigurdsson, Allan, Delph, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Pickford, Tosun, Iwobi, Bernard, Gordon, Branthwaite, Simms

Yemmy: I still have Villa as a relegation candidate.

Paul Bernal: Has any team ever been relegated after winning their first four games?

Nathn House: I love English football fans. If Villa (and Everton) win their game in hand they’re a point behind Everton and Liverpool at the top but apparently title's over. How does someone go from Villa as title challengers to out of discussion in the space of 6 matches?

If Villa are to get anything from this, we've got a hell of a half coming up!

Jan Bednarek, who suffered that blow to the head in the first half, is replaced by Jack Stephens. Sensible move.

Now then. Interesting team news from Everton v Newcastle.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been benched. Robin Olsen is in the side in his place.

Graham Green: James Ward-Prowse has become such a good player that it’s genuinely disappointing when he doesn’t score from free-kicks. Strikers might get most of the attention, but he’s a huge part of Southampton’s success.

Bob Hawkins: That sound you can hear is Aston Villa’s bubble bursting

@CabbageFace: Don’t want to get carried away, but probably going to win the league #Saints

Of the two Ward-Prowse free-kicks, I reckon I'm gonna go for the second as my favourite. The fact that it was that bit closer to goal, giving him more of a challenge to beat the wall and less margin for error, makes it a really special finish.

Four wins on the bounce to start the season. Now staring at back-to-back heavy losses.

Where do Villa go from here then?

Image source, Getty Images

Ward-Prowse has been directly involved in five goals (two goal, three assists) in his last four Premier League games against Aston Villa, versus no other side has been involved in more in the competition.

Image source, Getty Images

James Ward-Prowse is the ninth player in Premier League history to score two direct free-kick goals in a game, and first since Christian Eriksen for Spurs in October 2015 (v Swansea).

The James Ward-Prowse show reaches it's halfway point.