Aston Villa confidently defeated Brighton 4-0 in the 30th round of the Premier League, strengthening their position in the race for European competitions.
Aston Villa made a strong statement for a European spot by thrashing Brighton 4-0 at Villa Park. The hosts dominated throughout the match, with Ollie Watkins scoring a brace.
Villa left no chance for Brighton
From the first minutes of the match, Aston Villa took the initiative. As early as the 12th minute, Ollie Watkins opened the scoring after a cross from the flank by Leon Bailey. Brighton tried to respond, but the home team's defense was flawless.
Today we showed character and quality. It was one of our best games of the season.
— Унаи Эмери, главный тренер Астон Виллы
Watkins and McGinn are the heroes of the match.
In addition to Watkins' brace, John McGinn scored a goal and provided an assist. Villa's captain was named Man of the Match. Meanwhile, Brighton failed to score in a Premier League match for the first time since November.
This win allowed Aston Villa to climb to 6th place in the table, surpassing Manchester United on goal difference. Brighton remained in 9th position.
Aston Villa's next match is against Wolverhampton, while Brighton will host Chelsea at the Amex Stadium.