Aston Villa came from two goals down to edge a chaotic seven-goal thriller at Brighton, their 4-3 win moving them to third in the Premier League.
Villa suffered a nightmare start on the south coast as an error from goalkeeper Marco Bizot — a late replacement for Emiliano Martínez — and Pau Torres’ own goal saw Brighton lead 2-0 after 29 minutes. But Ollie Watkins ended an 11-game goal drought with a sensational first-half brace to bring Villa level before the break.
Emi Martínez was ruled out after picking up a back injury in the warm-up, manager Unai Emery confirmed after the game, with Bizot taking the gloves for kick-off.
Villa completed the comeback when Amadou Onana rose to head home in the 60th minute. Substitute Donyell Malen then scored with his first touch in the 78th to make it 4-2. Brighton threatened a late response as Jan Paul van Hecke headed his second five minutes later, but Bizot atoned for his earlier mistake with a stoppage-time save from Danny Welbeck to preserve the win and secure Villa’s sixth straight victory in all competitions.
The result moves Emery’s side six points behind leaders Arsenal, whom they host on Saturday. Brighton, suffering their first home defeat of the season, drop to seventh and will look to bounce back when they host West Ham.
Ollie Watkins on ending his drought:
“I think since the managers come in, I’ve scored a lot of goals, and got assists. Always find myself playing regularly in the team. So to go a prolonged period without scoring and doing that, it does affect you. It has been hard, but you have to just keep picking yourself up, turning up every day, and working hard. You get your rewards in the end and now I can put that behind me and keep looking forward. We’re in an amazing place. Even though I wasn’t scoring, I looked at the bigger picture where we’re further in the league. Winning every week, what isn’t there to love, really? So if I can add goals, it gets even better.”
Unai Emery on the performance:
“The players are getting the challenge to be consistent. Marco Bizot was fantastic after Emi Martínez was injured. Marco is a really fantastic guy, fantastic professional. His role is clear and he accepted it. When he is playing like how he did today, we are so, so proud of him. Today, as well, Watkins scored goals. Amadou [Onana] scores a set-piece goal. It’s something we are working and have been missing. Today we achieved it. We’ve needed other players scoring goals like they did today. I’m proud of how the players are responding. This is the way we want to build, to create here in our structure. When Watkins is doing his task, he’s playing fantastic. Sometimes scoring, sometimes not. He was a long time without scoring, today he scored and he got that balance. He needs to keep calm and keep going.”
Fabian Hurzeler on the narrow margins:
“There are small margins that made the difference. It’s about how you react and two set-pieces made the difference. These are the small margins. Overall, we saw a team that never gave up and had the belief to win this game. Overall, we defended it quite well in the season so far. It’s not easy to defend set-pieces. The blocking of the goalkeeper, we still don’t have a clear rule for that. It’s not easy to concede goals and we want to react. We have to challenge adversity we face in the game, and we have to be better. It was a matter of small margins. They scored in the second half after two set pieces and that’s the difference. We have to do better and keep improving.”
Emery makes Villa history
– This was Unai Emery’s 62nd Premier League win with Aston Villa — the most of any manager in the club’s history in the competition, overtaking John Gregory and Martin O’Neill (61).
– It was only the third time Villa have come from 2-0 down away to win in the Premier League (after wins at Tottenham in April 2000 and Southampton in April 2005).
Brighton unwanted first in 21st century
– This was the first time Brighton scored three goals in a home league game but still lost since a 4-3 home defeat to Rochdale in the fourth tier in December 1999.
Player ratings (selected)
Brighton: Verbruggen 6; Van Hecke 8; Dunk 5; Tzimas 6. Subs: Hinshelwood 7; Welbeck 6.
Aston Villa: Bizot 6; Cash 6; Torres 6; Onana 8; Rogers 8; Watkins 9. Subs: Malen 7. Player of the Match: Ollie Watkins.
What’s next
– Brighton fixtures and Aston Villa fixtures and upcoming Premier League schedule to follow as the season continues.