Aston Villa are looking to make it back-to-back wins this afternoon as they host struggling Brighton & Hove Albion at Villa Park, who have only won one of their last eight games in the premier league. Reece Heaton will take you through the action as it happens.
STARTING LINEUPS
The teams for today’s clash are out:
It’s an unchanged side for the Villa team that smashed Arsenal 3 – 0 away from home before the international break.
Bertrand Traore is on the bench for the hosts after returning from a groin strain.
Two changes for Brighton after the 0 – 0 draw with Burnley two weeks ago, Lewis Dunk returns from a three match ban and replaces Joel Veltman in the back line.
Solly March returns from injury and takes Dan Burn’s place at left-wing back.
LAST TIME OUT
Matt Targett scored a 90th minute winner for the hosts when the teams last met at Villa park in October 2019.
Aston Villa could possibly go top of the Premier League table this afternoon if they can beat Brighton by four or more goals. At this position last year, Villa were sitting 17th with eleven points and only just survived the drop on the final day of last season. How far can Dean Smith take this Villa side?
Brighton are currently three points off the relegation zone and have only won four league games this whole calendar year, with three of them being away from home. Can Graham Potter and his side find some confidence going into the Christmas fixtures?
Here come the teams! Warm ups are completed, and the teams are ready to get the game underway, who will prevail this afternoon?
KICK OFF – Brighton kick us off in an empty Villa Park stadium.
1′ INJURY – Problem for Ross Barkley in the opening minute, looks like he’s pulled his hamstring whilst chasing down the ball on the edge of the box.
He’s left the pitch for the time being, but unlikely that he’ll be able to carry on, early blow for Villa.
4′ SUBSTITUTION – Ross Barkley has had to be withdrawn, on comes Bertrand Traore who returns from injury.
6′ First effort of the game goes to the home side, John McGinn has a pop from twenty yards but it goes well wide from goal, very disappointing attempt…
8′ CHANCE! – Free kick for Villa on the left hand side is whipped in brilliantly from substitute Bertrand Traore it finds Trezeguet near the far post and his shot is blocked and goes out for the corner, Villa making their early mark on the game.
11′ GOAL – Aston Villa 0 – 1 Brighton (Danny Welbeck) Against the run of play!
Danny Welbeck scores his first goal for Brighton! Against the run of play as Villa were looking to dominate even more, Danny Welbeck finds himself through on goal and he dinks it over Emiliano Martinez into the back of the net, can they now hold onto this lead?
15′ CHANCE! – Almost 2 – 0 as Tariq Lamptey brilliantly reads a Villa pass and proceeds to bolt down the right hand side to pull it back to Welbeck, but he can’t manage to pull the trigger in time and Emiliano Martinez gathers.
18′ CHANCE! – How have Villa not equalised here? Ollie Watkins has the ball on the right hand side and finds Grealish overlapping him. He then plays it back to Watkins in the box who’s shot is saved, the ball then finds Trezeguet on the rebound and he misses the target. Massive chance for Villa to level things up.
It’s a shame injuries have taken a toll on Welbeck’s career…
22′ POST! – Villa are knocking on the door, Traore has a pop on the edge of the box and Matt Ryan gets down well to his left hand side to push it onto the post, this game is screaming for more goals.
23′ CHANCE! – End to end stuff! Lovely play from Brighton as their two forwards link up brilliantly to set Maupay through on goal, but Emiliano Martinez is quick to react and prevents Maupay from taking the shot.
Embed from Getty Images26′ SAVE! – Matt Ryan called into action again, Grealish shows his class as he curls a shot into the right hand corner and Matt Ryan makes an acrobatic save to put it out for a corner, both teams are so dangerous on the attack.
30′ CHANCE! – Another chance for Brighton, Lamptey is causing all sorts of problems for Villa defenders, he finds Adam Lallana unmarked in the box who hits it first time but can’t get his effort on target.
You wouldn’t think Graham Potter’s team would be sitting three points of the relegation zone with their fantastic attacking play so far?
Embed from Getty Images34′ CHANCE! – Trezeguet has had a handful of chances but can’t seem to finish his dinner, he cuts inside on the right and his shot goes wide of the post, he could’ve had a hat-trick by now.
37′ CHANCE! – Important goal line clearance from Brighton! Grealish takes the free kick on the right hand side and finds Tyrone Mings ready to latch onto the ball, his attempted volley is cleared off the line from Matt Ryan.
Embed from Getty Images39′ CHANCE! – What an interception! Grealish has been on fire for Villa so far, he squares the ball to Watkins in the box to tap it in for 1 – 1, but a crucial interception from Ben White prevents Watkins from tapping it in, how is this still 1 – 0?
43′ BOOKING – First booking of the game, Matt Targett is the first to go into the referee’s book for a foul on Neil Maupay.
45′ ADDITIONAL TIME – There will be one added minute for this dramatic first half.
HALF TIME – Aston Villa 0 – 1 Brighton – Chances galore in the first half of Villa Park.
What a first half here! Aston Villa have had bags and bags of chances to score, but have failed to do so in the first half.
Brighton have had good chances too, in which they’ve taken as Danny Welbeck got off the mark for his new club to put the Seagulls 1 – 0 up at halftime.
Will we see the same sort of action in the second half as we did in the first?
Stats from the first half:
45′ SUBSTITUTION – Brighton have made a half time change, Adam Lallana looks to have picked up an injury so he is taken off as a precautionary.
KICK OFF – Villa get the ball rolling for the second half, will they make their chances count in the last forty-five?
46′ GOAL – Aston Villa 1 – 1 Brighton (Ezri Konsa) What a start to the second half!
Aston Villa have instantly repaid for those missed chances in the first half, a great free kick from Bertrand Traore on the left hand side who fires it in to the back post and in comes Konsa who finds himself in acres of space to tap it in for 1 – 1, not the start Graham Potter would’ve wanted.
50′ Tyrone Mings under pressure from the Brighton forwards, he doesn’t choose the best option and boots it out for a Brighton corner instead of playing it back to Martinez.
53′ CHANCE! – Lamtpey showing his class once again, he strides through the Villa midfield and plays a great through ball to Welbeck, but once again Martinez is quick enough to get off his line to come and collect.
54′ CHANCE! – Now Villa hit back on the counter, Douglaz Luiz on the left hand side tries to finesse it into the top right but Matt Ryan is hardly challenged by the shot and collects the ball comfortably.
55′ GOAL – Aston Villa 1 – 2 Brighton (Solly March) What a goal!
This is a brilliant finish from Solly March to give Brighton the lead! They play it on the edge of the box, the ball then finds Pascal Gross on the right hand side of the box. He switches the play to the left hand side in which Solly March is waiting to have a pop at goal, he curls it in magnificently into the top right, great response from the Seagulls!
58‘ Villa looking to respond after going 2 – 1 down, very sloppy clearance from Adam Webster who fumbles the ball out to Douglaz Luiz, but his shot is miles off target.
A repeat of that goal again!
60′ Brighton are calling for a penalty after the ball is handled in the box, however the ball went out of play when Lamptey’s lobbed cross went behind the goal line.
68′ BOOKING – Bissouma is the first Brighton player to go into the book after a foul on Grealish on the right hand side.
72′ CHANCE! – Brighton nearly wrapped this game up, extremely sloppy play from Grealish on the edge of the Villa box, he losses the ball to Neil Maupay who’s flick is blocked, it then comes back out to Danny Welbeck who shoots wide, will that chance come back to haunt them?
73′ DOUBLE SUBSTITUTION – Dean Smith makes his final changes of the game.
77′ CHANCE! – Another chance goes begging for Brighton, a great cross from the right hand side by Pascal Gross finds Neil Maupay who heads it poorly and goes off target, Maupay should’ve done better…
79′ SUBSTITUTION – That was Maupay’s last action of the game, one to forget.
80′ Ten minutes left of the game, can Villa find a late response to earn a point here?
84′ Villa starting to run out of ideas, Jack Grealish has worked his socks off this game but it hasn’t been enough, Brighton are on their way to only their second win of the season.
86′ CHANCE! – Villa pushing to find that equaliser, Trezeguet has the ball on the edge of the area but skies the effort, Villa giving it all they can.
Embed from Getty Images87′ BOOKING – Tariq Lamptey is booked for a foul, took one for the team I guess you could say.
89′ BOOKING – Villa are getting more frustrated, Jack Grealish is booked after a scuffle with Veltman.
Embed from Getty Images90′ RED CARD – Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) Oh dear, what an awful way to end what was such a great game for Lamptey…
A second yellow card for the Brighton man for a foul on Jack Grealish and he is giving his marching orders by Michael Oliver, he doesn’t look impressed.
Embed from Getty Images90+2′ PENALTY FOR ASTON VILLA! Late drama at Villa Park! Aston Villa are rewarded a penalty after Solly March sticks out a foot to Trezeguet, VAR are taking a look at this though…
90+2′ Michael Oliver is now heading to the sides to look at the screen.
90+2 NO PENALTY! Wow! Michael Oliver gives no penalty in the end! Solly March managed to get a touch on the ball before catching Trezeguet, mental…
Crazy…
90+5 SUBSTITUTION – Brighton make their final change of the game.
FULL TIME – Aston Villa 1 – 2 Brighton What an end to the game! Brighton have won at Aston Villa for the first time in their history!
It’s now three home defeats in a row for Aston Villa as Brighton take all three points after Danny Welbeck and Solly March scored the goals for the Seagulls as they extend the gap from the relegation spaces to six points.
