Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Aston Villa 2
Albion were beaten despite scoring after just 50 seconds.
Villa time wasted throughout and received an astonishing seven yellow cards.
The game and the day looked like it was going to go in Albion’s favour when almost immediately from kick off Emiliano Martinez played a weak ball to Lucas Digne.
He was robbed by Alexis Mac Allister who fired in Albion’s quickest Premier League goal ever for 1-0.
Just a few minutes later Adam Lallana went down under an innocuous looking challenge from John McGinn and was replaced by Julio Enciso and Albion’s game plan changed.
As the game entered it’s second ten minutes Albion were still in front but Danny Ings and Emilliano Buendia were causing the new central defensive partnership of Levi Colwill and Lewis Dunk some significant problems with their pace.
Soon, Boubacar Kamala provided a telling pass for McGinn to race into the area where he was rather scythed down by Dunk. Ings converted the spot kick for 1-1.
Tyrone Mings was flying in a bit and eventually got a yellow card for a bad tackle on Solly March who was being well marshalled by Digne.
Pascal Gross brought a good save out of Martinez late in the half as Albion had a succession of corners before the interval.
Albion didn’t look particularly purposefully as the second half started and didn’t make any half-time substitutions.
They were certainly missing Lallana as Enciso, possibly playing out of position, was guilty of losing the ball all too often.
Leandro Trossard did fire a stunner into the back of net but was adjudged to have fouled Matty Cash in the process so it was ruled out with no VAR intervention.
But minutes later Mac Allister uncharacteristically lost possession to Douglas Luiz, who found Ings, and his shot limped almost apologetically over Roberto Sanchez and Villa were in front.
Albion seemed out of ideas and although March was making some ground down the right the Seagulls forwards including Deniz Undaz who replaced Welbeck always looked slow to react and potentially offside at the point the ball was about to come in.
At every goal kick Martinez was time wasting as was Cash at throw ins and he eventually got booked.
Trossard brought a good save out of the Villa keeper who apparently injured himself in the process and threw the ball straight out of play. After receiving no treatment, the entire West Stand encouraged Albion to play on and return the ball although Mac Allister eventually kicked towards the corner flag after receiving substitute Tariq Lamptey’s throw in.
March got a cross in that Trossard fluffed with Undev waiting for a virtual tap in behind him – then Undev stuck out a leg for a cross that saw his weak effort got well wide.
Digne looked to have caught March in the penalty area but after a long look on VAR Jarod Gillett said no penalty.
In the final two minutes Mac Allister’s deep cross into the six-yard box was headed high and wide by Colwill and everyone knew, despite the eight minutes added on, that Albion were fresh out of ideas.
The Seagulls are seventh in the table going into the World Cup and face Charlton in the League Cup five days before Christmas before returning to Premier League action at Southampton on Boxing Day.
