Premier League: Brighton return to winning ways

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Brighton and Hove Albion 1 - 0 Aston Villa

The impact of this Villa defeat was ultimately lessened after Spurs lost 4 - 2 away at Liverpool 

Brighton v Villa

Joao Pedro scored a late goal as Brighton put a small dent in Aston Villa's Champions League hopes at the Amex Stadium.

The winner arrived when Pedro scored a rebound in the 87th minute after his penalty was saved by Robin Olsen.

Earlier in the match, Pascal Gross had an effort for the hosts ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). At the other end of the pitch, Villa captain John McGinn was also judged to be inches ahead of the Brighton defence before scoring in vain.

Brighton's beat Aston Villa in a home game for the first time in the Premier League since its inception and for the first time at home across all competitions since December 1980.

For Brighton fans, this win was a huge relief. Even then, they will have a few concerns. A lack of goals is not a characteristic often associated with Brighton managed by De Zerbi. However, they have now only managed to score five times in their last 10 Premier League fixtures.

Brighton v Villa

A bad few days for Aston Villa

The fans of Aston Villa have suffered a lot with successive defeats. Before the Europa Conference League semi-final first leg tie with Olympiakos, they were full of hope and expectation.

There was disbelief all around Villa Park after the 4-2 home loss to the Greek side and the loss to Brighton will add to their misery. All that being said, their fight to reach the Champions League places is still very much in their hands. This is very much down to Tottenham's inconsistency as much as anything.

Paul, a Villa fan, told us: "As a Villa fan, I’m not concerned at all. Just over 18 months ago, you could see us being relegated. A world-class coach and manager came in and they signed a long-term contract. We finished 7th last season and we have gone all the way to a European semi. We should finish 4th this season. The phrase upward trajectory comes to mind. We do need to make the squad bigger, this is a given. All of these matches are having an impact on fatigue levels now."

Back to winning ways for Brighton

Tony, a Brighton fan, said: "It wasn't a great match, but it's nice to pick up a win. Those Brighton fans who are moaning need to remember where we were a few years ago. Qualifying for Europe was amazing, but we can't expect to do that every season."

Premier League news and stories: 2023/2024 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)

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