Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is quickly turning his attention to the UEFA Champions League following their 1-0 Premier League win over Southampton.

Jhon Duran's first-half goal sealed successive league victories for Emery on the back of three straight top-flight losses against rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.

Victory against the Saints is a vital boost for Emery ahead of a crucial few weeks of action before the end of 2024.

Villa head to RB Leipzig on 10 December, looking to push their case for a spot in the Round of 16, followed by four more league clashes this month.

The immediate focus for Emery is on Leipzig, with Villa's contrasting European form a cause for concern, despite a brilliant start on their Champions League debut.

Three straight wins in their first appearance in the competition since it was renamed – including an historic 1-0 home victory over Bayern Munich – put Villa in a strong position, but defeat to Club Brugge and a 0-0 tie with Juventus has stalled their momentum.

The former Arsenal chief wants this result to act as a platform for his team ahead of their tricky trip to Germany in midweek.

"Over the 90 minutes we had chances to score more, but sometimes they dominated possession. We managed the game plan to try and find a way to win," as per quotes from BBC Sport.

"The most important thing is how we're progressively getting more comfortable on the field. We had to use substitutions because we have the Champions League on Tuesday. Three matches in nine days. We have to be ready with the players we have available to try and enjoy the competition.

"The Champions League is something we have to enjoy, but we also focus on the difficulties in the Premier League, and the challenge against Nottingham Forest is something else. But, we have to try and get to the next round of the Champions League."

Up next for Villa is that Midlands derby with Forest, followed by a crunch clash at home to Manchester City on 21 December.

A win for Villa puts them up to fifth in the table, but defeat for Southampton registers as their 12th league loss of the campaign so far, with Russell Martin's team still rooted to the foot of the table.

Individual mistakes are becoming a theme, and centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis was robbed by Duran for Villa's winner, with Martin left to rue a familiar frustrating story for his team.

"We gave away a poor goal when it was a good, tight game. We changed shape and then the game became transitional. They were trying to find another goal, so it became very open," he said.

"We're two v one, and we had a chance to clear the ball, and we don't. It's another mistake. We forced them long, and then we had another two v one, and he [Duran] somehow comes out with the ball and scores."

Up next for Southampton is a home tie with Tottenham next weekend, followed by an EFL Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool on December 18.