Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins Scores a Hat-trick in Victory over Brighton and Hove Albion
Tyrone Mings and Douglas Luiz add goals as Aston Villa defeat Brighton and Hove Albion 6-1 at Villa Park
Steven Gerrard's men move up to ninth in the Premier League table with their first win of the season
Aston Villa cruised to a 6-1 victory over top-four rivals Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with Ollie Watkins scoring a hat-trick.
The win was the first for new head coach Steven Gerrard, who took over from Dean Smith in November 2021. It also moved Villa up to ninth in the Premier League table.
Villa took the lead in the 12th minute when Watkins tapped in from close range after Emiliano Buendia's shot had been saved by Robert Sanchez.
The hosts doubled their lead in the 22nd minute when Watkins headed home John McGinn's cross.
Watkins completed his hat-trick in the 39th minute, when a pass from Buendia broke the offside trap and sent him clear through on goal.
Brighton pulled a goal back in the 55th minute when Neal Maupay finished off a cross from Marc Cucurella.
However, Villa restored their three-goal lead in the 79th minute when Tyrone Mings headed home a corner from Douglas Luiz.
Luiz then added a sixth goal for Villa in the 84th minute, with a stunning long-range strike.
The win was a welcome boost for Gerrard, who had seen his side lose their first two games of the season.
Villa will now be looking to build on their victory when they travel to Crystal Palace next weekend.
Comments