Aston Villa’s Watkins Hat Trick piles misery on Brighton

Full time: Aston Villa 6-1 Brighton

Aston Villa make it ten straight league wins at Villa Park with a clinical dismantling of Brighton. Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick, with Pervis Estupinan, Jacob Ramsey and the newly prolific Douglas Luiz getting the others.

Ollie Watkins is the first player to score two hat-tricks in a single season in all competitions for Aston Villa since Andy Gray in 1976-77. Clinical.

Aston Villa's BIGGEST ever win over Brighton! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Ci2jrhEjjY

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 30, 2023

Brighton had one of those days. VAR wasn’t their friend – Villa’s third goal should have been disallowed, maybe the second too – but ultimately they were well beaten. Villa were pretty magnificent.

What a fine player Douglas Luiz has become.This was a pretty routine finish but he has again been superb. McGinn made the chance with a stealthy through pass to Watkins. His shot was very well saved by Steele but Douglas Luiz rolled the loose ball into the net from the edge of the area.

2nd half “Brighton were at their best because they attract press and create space to attack. In this game Emery however did a number on them by dropping Villa back and Brighton failed to adjust. Doesn’t matter ref’s decision on second and third goal because Villa’s gameplan has been perfect, and Brighton contributed unwittingly.”

Half time: Aston Villa 3-0 Brighton

Exhilarating stuff from Villa, who harassed Brighton when they didn’t have the ball and destroyed them in transition when they did. Ollie Watkins scored two before Pervis Estupinan deflected Moussa Diaby’s shot into his own net.

Brighton will argue the last two goals should have been disallowed – the third was a dreadful act of VAR negligence – but not even the most one-eyed Seagull would dispute that Villa have been by the far the better side.