30 December 2024
Aston Villa 2 Brighton 2
Two teams met at Villa Park who are in serious danger of seeing their campaigns fall away rapidly. Aston Villa’s stuttering form has cost them dearly as the gap between themselves and the top four widens. Brighton had an impressive start but had started to draw too many games, seeing them slide down the table as a result.
As both sides tried to find a foothold in the game, Dunk sent a long ball downfield. The Villa defence struggled to deal with the bouncing ball and it broke kindly to Adingra. He checked onto his right foot and bent a shot into the far corner with Martinez at full-stretch. It was a clinical attack from the visitors leaving the home fans stunned.
The Brighton winger has struggled to find his best form this season and has been in and out of the starting line-up. His superb finish shows just what he can offer to The Seagulls when playing at the top of his game. Fabian Hurzeler needs to get more out of him if they are going to achieve any of their objectives for the campaign.
Aston Villa looked to counter as an attack broke down for the visitors. It was worked out wide to Rogers who ran at The Seagulls’ defence. As he got into the penalty area, he played it towards Bailey but his scuffed shot ended up at the back post where Watkins was unable to convert due to the challenge of Dunk. Brighton would have to put their bodies on the line to keep out this potent attack of the hosts.
This was proving to be quite the battle between these two evenly-matched teams. Brighton countered once again and it was worked to Enciso on the left. He checked onto his right foot and as he got close to the edge of the box he looked to drill a shot into the far corner. Martinez got down well to tip the effort around the post.
Rogers then drove into the box after beating his man out wide. Just as he was ready to pull the trigger, van Hecke slid in to make a crucial challenge. The hosts wanted a penalty but the referee awarded a corner. VAR reviewed the incident and agreed with the referee’s decision. The replay showed that the Brighton defender got the slightest of touches on the ball.
From the resulting corner, Digne drilled a low shot towards the bottom corner of the goal but Verbruggen got down well to tip it around the post. Both keepers were earning their keep in this game, even at this early stage, you felt there were still plenty of goals in this game. The Seagulls were keen to defend the slender lead they had got themselves.
The Brighton keeper’s efforts seemed to be in vain as a VAR review decided that Joao Pedro had fouled Rogers in the build-up. They sent the referee to the monitor and he opted to change his decision. Watkins stepped up and sent the keeper the wrong way to get the hosts back on level terms as Villa Park celebrated.
Into the second-half and the hosts forced a corner. Brighton struggled to clear their lines and Aston Villa recycled the ball well. Eventually a pass was lifted over the backline for Rogers. He controlled it on his chest before striking a superb shot into the far corner to give Unai Emery’s side the lead in the game for the first time.
The hosts were looking ragged in defence. The Seagulls tried to pepper them with long, direct balls over the top which Villa struggled to deal with. Konsa gave the ball away and it was suddenly threaded into the path of Joao Pedro. He got his shot all wrong as he sliced it well wide of the target. It was a big chance missed by the visitors.
Emery will not be pleased with what he saw from his defence. They kept on giving the ball away in dangerous areas, inviting danger upon their goal. Georginio laid the ball off to Minteh just outside the box who looked to get a left-footed shot away. It narrowly missed the far post with Martinez throwing himself across the goal to ensure he had it covered.
Lamptey then burst forward down the right with an abundance of yellow shirts in support. As play was switched to the other flank, it was finally squared into the path of The Seagulls’ right-back. He ran onto it and struck a half-volley past Martinez to draw the sides level. It was no more than Hurzeler’s side had deserved on the balance of play.
Aston Villa pushed forward, desperately looking to find a winner. Brighton dropped deep and tried to batten down the hatches. The hosts forced a corner and as the cross came into the box, The Seagulls struggled to clear. It dropped to Watkins but he snatched at his chance and thundered it over the crossbar. It proved to be the last chance of the match.
As both sides shared the spoils, it did neither of them any favours in the league table. Only two points separate the pair but they find themselves closer to mid-table than any European places. Aston Villa are enjoying their exploits in the Champions League and will not want to make it a one-season wonder of an adventure.
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