Brighton & Hove Albion 3-4 Aston Villa: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Aston Villa edged out Brighton & Hove Albion with a thrilling 4-3 victory at the Amex Stadium. The hosts got off to a flyer when Jan Paul van Hecke headed them in front after just nine minutes, and their lead doubled on 29 minutes thanks to an own goal from Pau Torres. But Villa fought back before the break, with Ollie Watkins pulling one back on 37 minutes and then netting again in the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time to level things up, building on their recent run of four straight league wins coming into this clash.

The second half saw Villa take control as Amadou Onana put them ahead on 60 minutes, and substitute Donyell Malen extended the lead to 4-2 with a goal just a minute after coming on at 77 minutes. Brighton, who had been in decent form with three wins and a draw in their last four before this, pulled one back late through van Hecke’s second of the game on 83 minutes, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a point. Both sides made changes throughout, with Brighton’s early sub at 24 minutes seeing Jack Hinshelwood replace Stefanos Tzimas, while Villa’s bench impact proved decisive in a game full of twists.

Brighton enjoyed more of the ball with 56% possession, which helped them create chances, but Aston Villa looked sharper in transition, edging successful dribbles 55 to 52 and making the most of their opportunities. The visitors also had a slight advantage in corners at 6-5, pointing to their threat from set pieces, while both teams picked up two yellow cards each, reflecting a competitive but fair contest without any reds.

Substitutions played a role too, with Brighton using four – including Jack Hinshelwood coming on for Stefanos Tzimas at 24 minutes, Danny Welbeck replacing Ferdi Kadıoğlu at 67, Charalampos Kostoulas for Brajan Gruda at 77, and Joël Veltman for Carlos Baleba at 78 – while Villa made five, such as Youri Tielemans for Boubacar Kamara and Lucas Digne for Ian Maatsen both at 70 minutes. Villa recorded three assists compared to Brighton’s two, underlining their clinical edge in attack, and there were no penalties or injury-time goals beyond the first half’s added time strike.

The game burst into life early with Jan Paul van Hecke’s opener for Brighton at nine minutes, assisted by Mats Wieffer, but Villa’s comeback was sparked by Ollie Watkins’ brace – first on 37 minutes with help from Evann Guessand, then in first-half stoppage time at 45+7 assisted by Morgan Rogers. A turning point came after the hour when Amadou Onana scored Villa’s third on 60 minutes from Matty Cash’s assist, shifting momentum firmly their way.

Brighton’s early change at 24 minutes saw Jack Hinshelwood replace the injured Stefanos Tzimas, and later subs like Danny Welbeck for Ferdi Kadıoğlu at 67 couldn’t turn the tide fully. Villa’s bench made a big impact too, with Donyell Malen coming on for John McGinn at 77 minutes and scoring just a minute later, though van Hecke’s second goal at 83, assisted by Hinshelwood, set up a tense finish amid yellow cards for both sides, including Bart Verbruggen’s booking right at the end of the first half.

Brighton & Hove Albion lined up in a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Jan Paul van Hecke proving a rock at the back and a threat up front, netting twice including the early opener. Partnerships like Mats Wieffer assisting van Hecke’s first goal showed their midfield control, while changes such as Jack Hinshelwood replacing Stefanos Tzimas early on and later Joël Veltman for Carlos Baleba helped maintain their push.

Aston Villa set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Ollie Watkins led the line effectively with his double strike, supported by creative outlets like Morgan Rogers who assisted one of his goals. Key roles included Amadou Onana’s midfield presence for his goal, and subs like Donyell Malen replacing John McGinn to add fresh legs and a quick impact with his late strike.

Coral’s Man of the Match goes to Ollie Watkins, who was outstanding for Aston Villa with two crucial goals that turned the game around before half-time. He also created one big chance and made two key passes, showing his all-round influence in attack and helping secure the win despite coming off late for Emiliano Buendía.

Recent Premier League matches:

• Loss: 3-4 vs Aston Villa (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Nottingham Forest (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Brentford (H)
• Draw: 0-0 vs Crystal Palace (A)
• Win: 3-0 vs Leeds United (H)

Recent Premier League matches:

• Win: 4-3 vs Brighton & Hove Albion (A)
• Win: 1-0 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Leeds United (A)
• Win: 4-0 vs AFC Bournemouth (H)
• Loss: 0-2 vs Liverpool (A)

Brighton & Hove Albion have just suffered a narrow 3-4 home defeat to Aston Villa, ending a solid run that included wins over Nottingham Forest, Brentford and Leeds United, plus a draw with Crystal Palace. Sitting seventh on 22 points, they’ll look to bounce back against struggling West Ham United on 2025-12-07 at 14:00, with the visitors down in 18th on just 11 points – a chance for Brighton to push for European spots and widen the gap from the bottom half.

Aston Villa have just claimed a hard-fought 4-3 away win over Brighton & Hove Albion, extending their impressive streak with victories against Wolves, Leeds United and Bournemouth after a loss to Liverpool. Currently third on 27 points, they face a tough test next against league leaders Arsenal on 2025-12-06 at 12:30, with the Gunners top on 33 points – a result here could really boost Villa’s title chase or keep them in the Champions League mix.

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Odds and market details are accurate as of the time of publication.