Aston Villa climbed to third in the Premier League after overturning a two-goal deficit to beat Brighton 4-3 in a breathless contest at the Amex Stadium, with Ollie Watkins ending his goal drought in style. In a meeting of two in-form sides, Villa’s comeback showcased Unai Emery’s team at their most resilient, while Brighton suffered their first home defeat of the season, despite twice holding a two-goal cushion and then threatening a late revival of their own.
Jan Paul van Hecke’s brace and a Pau Torres’ own goal had Brighton on course for a statement win, but Watkins struck twice before the interval to flip the momentum. Amadou Onana’s header and Donyell Malen’s close-range finish completed Villa’s turnaround, before Van Hecke’s second and a stoppage-time save from Marco Bizot against Danny Welbeck ensured the drama lasted until the final whistle. The result extends Villa’s winning run in all competitions to six matches and underlines their growing credentials as top-four contenders, while Brighton drop to seventh after a rare setback on home turf.
Brighton’s Flying Start and a Night of Small Margins
The afternoon began with Brighton in buoyant mood. Fabian Hürzeler’s side had won three of their previous four league games and arrived with genuine ambitions of challenging the top four, while Lewis Dunk marked his 500th appearance for the club. They quickly imposed themselves on a Villa side disrupted by late drama in the warm-up, when first-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was forced to withdraw and Marco Bizot was drafted in at short notice.