Aston Villa continued their impressive run with a dramatic 4-3 victory on the south coast against Brighton, marking their sixth consecutive win in all competitions. Trailing 2-0 early on, Unai Emery’s side mounted a thrilling comeback, led by Ollie Watkins’ brace to level the match before halftime. Amadou Onana’s crucial header on the hour mark put Villa ahead, and substitute Donyell Malen sealed the win with a goal shortly after coming on.
Despite Brighton’s late surge, including two goals from Jan Paul van Hecke, Villa held firm to claim all three points. This victory has propelled Villa to an outstanding 24 points from the last 27 available in the Premier League, winning 12 of their last 14 matches across all competitions. Since March, they also share the joint-best away points tally in the league with Arsenal, both collecting 23 points on the road.
Brighton started brightly, opening the scoring through van Hecke following a corner controversy. Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot, who stepped in last-minute for injured Emi Martinez, had a shaky start but recovered with crucial saves, including a key reflex stop from Danny Welbeck late in the game.
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Villa’s defense held strong despite some pressure, with Matty Cash delivering quality set-piece assists and Amadou Onana contributing decisively both defensively and offensively. Ian Maatsen impressed going forward despite adversity and was unlucky not to earn a penalty, while Morgan Rogers provided an exquisite assist for Watkins’ equalizer.
The dynamic attacking play was capped by Ollie Watkins, whose clinical finishing ended his goal drought. Unai Emery’s tactical substitutions paid off as Donyell Malen made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch.
Looking ahead, Villa return home to host league leaders Arsenal, aiming to build on their current momentum at Villa Park.
Player Ratings:
Marco Bizot – 7
Matty Cash – 7
Ezri Konsa – 7
Pau Torres – 6
Ian Maatsen – 7
Boubacar Kamara – 7
Amadou Onana – 8
Evann Guessand – 6
John McGinn – 7
Morgan Rogers – 8
Ollie Watkins – 9
Substitutes:
Youri Tielemans – 6
Lucas Digne – 6
Donyell Malen – 7
Goals:
Brighton – Van Hecke (9’, 83’), Torres OG (29’)
Villa – Watkins (37’, 52’), Onana (61’), Malen (78’)