Brighton 0 Aston Villa 2 - Report

Goals in each half from Matty Cash and Ollie Watkins earned Steven Gerrard’s team just their second win in eight Premier League matches to ease fears of being dragged into trouble.

Cash opened the scoring against the run of play when he sent a low drive in off the post in the 17th minute.

Watkins then made the match safe when he scored to end a seven-match goal drought midway through the second half.

Analysis

The England international's goal, after being recalled to the starting XI, was one of the most pleasing aspects for Gerrard on a day when his team also kept their first clean sheet in four matches.

Villa had entered the game under rising pressure after a haul of just one point from their previous three games.

But after an admittedly shaky start, they were the better team after Cash had opened the scoring and more than worthy of winning what was, at times, a tempestuous affair. Referee John Brooks, taking charge of just his third Premier League match, dished out nine bookings.

Victory moved Villa up to 12th in the table, just three points behind 10th-placed Brighton but now nine clear of a relegation zone which had threatened to become uncomfortably close.

The scheduled 3pm kick-off was delayed by half-an-hour due to serious traffic problems outside the Amex Stadium, held up both supporters and the visiting team. Villa did not arrive at the ground until almost 2.30pm.

Gerrard made two changes to the starting XI from last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Watford, with Watkins and Ezri Konsa replacing Emi Buendia and Calum Chambers.

The visitors started like a team whose minds were still on the bus, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn both guilty of losing possession deep in their own half. Skipper Tyrone Mings was a little fortunate with a dangerous pass across the face of his own box.

Villa had been indebted twice to Cash defensively, first when he beat Leandro Trossard to Jakub Moder’s deflected shot and then when he chased back to dispossess Solly March when the wideman was bearing down on goal, before he opened the scoring against the run of play in the 17th minute.

Alexis Mac Allister could only head Lucas Digne’s cross as far as Cash and he chested the ball down before driving a low right-footed shot in off the post. The right-back revealed a shirt expressing support for fellow Poland international and Dynamo Kyiv player Tomasz Kedziora during the celebration and was booked by referee John Brookes.

If that slightly soured the mood, Cash then went close to going from hero to zero when he missed the ball and allowed March to escape. The latter’s cross was laid off by Neal Maupay to Mac Allister but the shot was sent off the top of Villa’s bar.

Yet barring an Yves Bissouma drive which again cleared the bar, there were few scares for Villa in the rest of the first half.

The increasing talking point was the number of yellow cards being handed out by referee Brookes. Watkins and Mings both went into the book after Marc Cucurella, himself on a booking, threw himself theatrically to the ground after being caught by the former, with Mings being sanctioned for his furious reaction.

If there was a criticism of Villa’s performance it was they had not, other than the goal, seriously threatened home keeper Rob Sanchez. Within the opening five minutes of the second half Philippe Coutinho did just that with a dipping free-kick which the shot-stopper kept out superbly, one-handed, diving to his right.

Coutinho then picked out the run of Cash with a chipped pass and the full-back, looking for his second of the afternoon, took a touch before hammering a shot wide of Sanchez’s post. Bissouma and Joel Veltman became the next players to go into the book, both in quick succession after fouling Coutinho.

Villa were the better team and the second goal they craved arrived midway through the half. Mings fired a long ball forward and Watkins blazed past Veltman, taking one touch with his right foot before sending a left-footed finish beyond and Sanchez and into the bottom corner.

Brighton had a quick chance to reduce the deficit but Danny Welbeck couldn’t react in time to Lamptey’s cross and saw his header sail well wide. Maupay then sent a tame shot straight at Martinez after getting a brief sight at goal.

But Villa were not seriously troubled, with Gerrard able to hand a debut to teenager Tim Iroegbunam during the closing stages.

Key Moments

17 GOAL Villa open the scoring against the run of play, Matty Cash chesting the ball down on the edge of the box and firing a low drive in off the post.

68 GOAL Ollie Watkins snaps a seven-game goal drought to double Villa’s lead. The striker races on to Tyrone Mings’ ball over the top before finishing past Rob Sanchez.

Teams

Brighton (3-4-3): Sanchez, Veltman Dunk, Veltman, Cucurella, Lamptey, Moder (Welbeck 62), Bissouma, March, Maupay, Mac Allister, Trossard Subs not used: Gross, Alzate, Duffy, Caicedo, Leonard, Offiah, Ferguson, Steele (gk).

Villa (4-3-1-2): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne, McGinn, Luiz (Sanson 72), Ramsey, Coutinho (Iroegbunam 86), Ings (Young 79), Watkins Subs not used: Chambers, Hause, O'Reilly, Buendia, Bailey, Olsen (gk).