Aston Villa travelled down to Sussex hoping to turn around a poor run of form against a Brighton and Hove Albion side who had also experienced a stuttering patch.
For the away side, it had been one win in eight, whilst Brighton had picked up one win in their last seven.
Both managers made changes to their out-of-sorts sides
After Graham Potter’s Albion had turned in a toothless display against a resurgent Burnley, the underperforming duo of Shane Duffy and Danny Welbeck dropped out, whilst Adam Lallana missed out through injury. Lewis Dunk, Leandro Trossard and Solly March came in. For Gerrard, Ezri Konsa returned from suspension in place of Calum Chambers, whilst Emi Buendía dropped to the bench as Ollie Watkins was restored to the line-up.
The game was delayed by half an hour after the away side’s coach was stuck in traffic following an incident on the A23.
With a return to two up top, and Coutinho in behind, it would be of great importance that the full-backs got the precarious balance between providing width going forward and sitting deeper to contain the dangerous Lamptey and March, whilst also allowing McGinn to drift forward where they are so effective.
The slight change in system did not seem to have the hoped immediate impact, as Brighton, and in particular the wing-backs March and Lamptey, probed Villa early on. With their claret socks on, the Villans looked like the 2017/18 side, and early on Matty Cash made a James Chester-esque intervention as he hooked a looping Moder effort away from danger.
Brighton continued to threaten throughout the opening 15 minutes, but Villa rode their luck and began to get their midfielders on the ball and crucially further up the pitch. As Ryan Mckeown wrote this week, in recent fixtures John McGinn and Jacob Ramsey have moved deeper to accommodate the marauding left and right back. On Saturday, however, the pair began to wrestle control back of the game for the visitors as they pinned the Villa-linked Brighton enforcer Bissouma back.
Coutinho has drifted in and out of games recently, and once again he showed fleeting moments of ingenuity. His delicate flick from a throw-in, was one such moment of class, as he set Digne away down the left. The French international swung in a cross, which was diverted into the path of Matty Cash. The Polish star has come under fire from some for his lack of end product, but his superb chest control and rasping effort will have gone a long way to show that he is ready to add the attacking output that Steven Gerrard so desperately craves from his full-backs.
The former Forest man was booked for his celebration, as he removed his shirt to reveal an emotional message of support for his international colleague Tomasz Kędziora who is currently situated in Kyiv, where he plays his club football. This was one of many poignant moments of solidarity with the Ukrainian population on Saturday, as the footballing world offered their clear and unwavering support.
Brighton will have been disappointed to go behind after a promising start, and they almost found a swift response. March had latched onto a direct ball from Lewis Dunk after a Cash misjudgement, and the local lad raced into the box. His cross found Maupay, but the forward could not sort his feet out and the ball fell to Alexis Mac Allister. Luckily for Villa, the Argentinian playmaker could not control his laced effort, which flicked the top of the bar on it’s way over.
From that moment, though, the away side kept the chances of their hosts to a premium. And although Villa were delighted to reach half-time ahead, the one goal lead could have easily been two. First, Ramsey determinedly forced his way through, with the help of a lucky bounce, but his effort was deflected wide by a last-ditch challenge from Veltman. Then, McGinn could have found the net, as a great Villa move freed Luiz on the left. The Brazilian midfielder crossed for Watkins, and a knock down found Villa’s number seven who seemed certain to score. Between them, Robert Sánchez and Mac Allister managed to thwart Scotland’s player of the year.
Whilst the Albion had played some tidy stuff, they had not had a shot on target by the time half-time rolled around. They were also perhaps a touch fortunate to retain their full complement of players, as Marc Cucurella, who had been booked for a cynical foul early on, landed an elbow on Watkins’ face before rolling on the floor to buy a foul of his own. Ollie Watkins and Tyrone Mings were booked, but nothing was brandished for the Spanish defender.
The second half kicked off, and Villa picked up where they had left off in the first 45. Forward Ollie Watkins, who has come in for a torrid of disgusting abuse from a small number of ‘fans’, started to look dangerous. Both he and Ings worked tirelessly throughout the afternoon, and last year’s top scorer nearly profited from his endeavour as he almost latched on to an undercooked Dunk backpass. His keeper got him out of trouble momentarily, before Ramsey earned a free-kick in a dangerous area just seconds later.
The on-loan Brazilian Coutinho stood over the dead-ball, and his sweet strike brought a fine save from Sánchez. A couple more chances came and went for Villa, but their patience was finally rewarded as the game was all but sewn up in the 68th minute.
Against Newcastle and Watford, the Villa had struggled to play their way out of trouble, with Martínez forced to go direct regularly and with little success. The tweak in style saw Villa find their way out with much greater regularity, and the clinching goal game from one such move. Mings received the ball from his goalkeeper, before advancing and spotting the movement of Watkins. The ball was well weighted and caught Veltman out in its flight. Watkins rolled his man and cleverly moved the ball away from the onrushing Dunk. His finish was coolness personified and his celebration was one of unbridled joy.
As he stood in front of the away end, with arms wide open, Ollie Watkins was a picture of relief. It is little wonder, as the England international had not found the net since the 14th December, when he tapped home at Carrow Road. The finish, and in truth all round performance of Watkins suggested that there could well be room for both he and Ings in the starting eleven after all. Steven Gerrard admitted this could be the case as he wants as many sources of goals in the team.
What had previously been an ill-tempered, high intensity game of football between two good sides, quickly began to fizzle out as the visitors managed the game masterfully. Even the scourge of the claret and blue Danny Welbeck, who had previously scored five goals against Villa, could not make a difference when he entered the action. His misjudged header when open in the area summed up Brighton’s poor afternoon. Their only shot on target was a tame Maupay effort on the 79th minute.
To ensure the game petered out for a Villa victory Steven Gerrard needed to get his substitutions right, and on Saturday the Liverpudlian got it spot on. Morgan Sanson looked busy and composed after replacing the erratic Luiz, whilst Ashley Young offered the knowhow and game management that he has developed over the years. In Tim Iroegbunam, the Villa (and West Brom) academy seems to have churned out yet another gem, and he looked assured and defensively sound on his Premier League debut. He may not be ready for a start just yet, but it is clear that he is not far off at all.
The three minutes of added time passed with little jeopardy, as Villa secured a crucial three points after a professional performance that until recently had been a staple of Gerrard’s reign. This was a display of real maturity from Villa. The last few games have not been good enough, both from individual players as well as a team. But on Saturday the big players stepped up once more and the rest of the team thrived on it. Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings were largely untroubled and started moves from the back, John McGinn looked back to his bustling best, and the front two worked tirelessly, with Watkins taking his chance when it finally arrived. Villa put on a clinic in the complete away performance, as defensive solidity met ruthlessness on the break. Brighton controlled the ball, but Villa controlled the game.
Such a comfortable win, with two well-taken goals, was even more impressive as Bertrand Traoré was injured, whilst Leon Bailey and Emi Buendía were not required from the bench. The slight system change worked wonders, and will certainly be on the mind of Gerrard for the tricky visit of the on-song Saints next time out.
The well-deserved three points saw Villa rise to 12th in the league, as they put a bad run of results and performances firmly behind them. Top ten must still be the aim for this talented squad, and Brighton and their rivals Crystal Palace are now firmly in the sights of Gerrard’s men.
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