Ollie Watkins scored his second hat-trick of the season as Aston Villa delivered a ruthless display to thrash high-flying Brighton at Villa Park.
Watkins gave Unai Emery’s side an early lead, finishing coolly into the left corner after Matty Cash had picked out the forward with a low cross.
The 27-year-old went close with a rasping drive that flew inches wide, before doubling his personal tally with a low shot inside Jason Steele’s right-hand post.
Sharper to the ball and stronger in the challenge, Villa were all over Brighton and increased their lead just five minutes later when Moussa Diaby’s scuffed shot deflected in off the unfortunate Pervis Estupinan.
Half-time substitute Ansu Fati pulled one back as Brighton improved after the restart, but Watkins’ third of the game – a powerful drive that took a deflection off Adam Webster on its way in – ended the visitors’ hopes of an unlikely comeback.
Watkins, who also scored three against Hibernian in Europa Conference League qualifying, is the first Villa player to net more than one hat-trick in a season since Andy Gray in 1976-77.
Late efforts from Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz were the icing on the cake for Villa, who move level on points with the Seagulls in the Premier League table.
More to follow.
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Aston Villa
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Squad number1Player nameE MartÃnez
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Squad number2Player nameCash
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Squad number4Player nameKonsa
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Squad number14Player nameP Torres
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Squad number12Player nameDigne
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Squad number44Player nameKamara
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Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
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Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
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Squad number19Player nameDiaby
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Squad number22Player nameZaniolo
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Squad number11Player nameWatkins
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Squad number8Player nameTielemans
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Squad number24Player nameDurán
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Squad number41Player nameJ Ramsey
Brighton & Hove Albion
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Squad number23Player nameSteele
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Squad number34Player nameVeltman
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Squad number4Player nameWebster
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Squad number5Player nameDunk
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Squad number30Player nameEstupiñán
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Squad number41Player nameHinshelwood
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Squad number11Player nameGilmour
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Squad number7Player nameMarch
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Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
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Squad number22Player nameMitoma
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Squad number28Player nameFerguson
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Squad number2Player nameLamptey
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Squad number9Player nameJoão Pedro
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Squad number20Player nameBaleba
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Squad number24Player nameAdingra
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Squad number31Player nameAnsu Fati
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1E MartÃnez
- 2Cash
- 4KonsaBooked at 57mins
- 14P Torres
- 12DigneBooked at 32mins
- 44KamaraSubstituted forTielemansat 90′minutes
- 6Douglas LuizBooked at 7mins
- 7McGinn
- 19DiabySubstituted forDuránat 79′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 22ZanioloSubstituted forJ Ramseyat 57′minutes
- 11Watkins
Substitutes
- 3Diego Carlos
- 8Tielemans
- 9Traoré
- 16Chambers
- 17Lenglet
- 24Durán
- 25Olsen
- 32Dendoncker
- 41J Ramsey
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 23Steele
- 34Veltman
- 4Webster
- 5DunkBooked at 78mins
- 30EstupiñánSubstituted forLampteyat 45′minutes
- 41HinshelwoodSubstituted forBalebaat 87′minutes
- 11Gilmour
- 7MarchSubstituted forAdingraat 62′minutes
- 18WelbeckBooked at 39minsSubstituted forJoão Pedroat 45′minutes
- 22MitomaBooked at 84mins
- 28FergusonSubstituted forAnsu Fatiat 45′minutesBooked at 72mins
Substitutes
- 1Verbruggen
- 2Lamptey
- 3dos Santos de Paulo
- 8Dahoud
- 9João Pedro
- 20Baleba
- 24Adingra
- 29van Hecke
- 31Ansu Fati
- Referee:
- Andy Madley
- Attendance:
- 40,636
Live Text
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Match ends, Aston Villa 6, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
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Second Half ends, Aston Villa 6, Brighton and Hove Albion 1.
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Goal! Aston Villa 6, Brighton and Hove Albion 1. Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner.
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Attempt saved. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by John McGinn.
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Hand ball by Tariq Lamptey (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Jhon Durán (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
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Simon Adingra (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Foul by Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa).
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Matty Cash.
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Attempt missed. Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a headed pass.
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Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. João Pedro tries a through ball, but Simon Adingra is caught offside.
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Foul by Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) wins a free kick on the right wing.
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Substitution, Aston Villa. Youri Tielemans replaces Boubacar Kamara because of an injury.
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Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Jacob Ramsey.
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Foul by Carlos Baleba (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Billy Gilmour (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Kaoru Mitoma with a headed pass.
