Aston Villa player ratings as Tyrone Mings delivers a late Premier League win over Brighton
Villa rescued themselves from a disappointing evening in B6 to gain a couple of crucial points in the fight for the Champions League
Aston Villa snatched a Premier League win at home against Brighton & Hove Albion thanks to a headed goal from Tyrone Mings on his 200th club appearance.
Villa felt Brighton should have had Carlos Baleba sent off inside the first six minutes but Peter Bankes let him off the second yellow and he was substituted, giving Brighton the chance to bring James Milner off the bench.
The former Villa midfielder came on in a stodgy first half punctuated by endless late tackles from the away team. Brighton had the better of the second half and Villa were second-best until they won the match late with the simplest of goals from a corner.
Here are the ratings:
Emiliano Martínez - 7
Got away with dawdling on the ball despite Danny Welbeck blocking his kick. Picked out Jadon Sancho with a terrific long pass out of his hands in the middle of the first half, during which his handling was very good. Exceptional save from Ferdi Kadıoğlu nine minutes after the break.
Lamare Bogarde - 6
Sat in a back three in possession and was backed up by Sancho defensively. Neat and tidy in his touches and stood up smartly against Kaoru Mitoma in a position that isn’t his best.
Ezri Konsa - 7
A typically measured, effective and confident defensive display from the stand-in skipper. Passed the ball well out of defence.
Tyrone Mings - 7
Kept it simple and took no shit. Patient and composed, and well-positioned when needed. Gave Villa the lead with a fantastic header from a late corner.
Ian Maatsen - 7
Put in an excellent tackle on the cover with Brighton on the break after ten minutes. Crossed well for Ollie Watkins early in the game. Tidied up well after his goalkeeper in the last quarter of an hour and put in an all-round solid display.
Our Holy Trinity of conclusions for this match will be available tomorrow for paid AVR subscribers. Upgrade now for wraparound match coverage and other features for just £4 per month.
Amadou Onana - 6
Read the play well to intervene defensively on the regular and was a crucial part of Villa’s play in possession. One or two little decisions in Villa’s defensive third were unnecessarily risky. Flew into a few tackles on a night when his manager had asked him to stay fit. Substituted with quarter of an hour to go.
Douglas Luiz - 6
Villa’s mobile midfield man, working space and angles in possession and doing his defensive work too. Played a fabulous lofted first-time ball in behind late in the first half to eventually earn Villa a shooting position.
Pitched another superb pass to Morgan Rogers early in the second period but made an awful misjudgement in the middle with 20 minutes to go. Substituted late.
Jadon Sancho - 7
Always willing to get stuck in and take a risk in the final third. Started the game well and linked really well with Watkins early on. Grew into the match and looked very assured with the ball at his feet. At times, he was Villa’s most influential attacking player. Substituted on the hour.
Emi Buendía - 7
Involved in patches in the opening period but Villa always looked better when he was in the mix. Zipped low shot deflected wide in the last minute of the first half. Substituted after an hour.
Morgan Rogers - 7
Drew a second-minute yellow card for Baleba with a powerful run up the gut and hassled Brighton’s defenders from the start. Feet were too quick for Brighton in the middle of the pitch and he was consistently Villa’s biggest threat in central areas. Played in three positions, which didn’t do him any favours on an individual level.
Ollie Watkins - 5
First proper involvement was some excellent back-to-goal play that led to a blocked shot from Sancho. Made some good contributions on the ball but tackled himself the first time he got a chance to run at Lewis Dunk. Soon chased a mistake out of the goalkeeper to win a throw-in high on the right.
Not on his toes for a Rogers wall pass in first-half stoppage time. Substituted with 15 minutes left.
Substitutes
Ross Barkley (for Buendía, 60) - Looked to provide some quality around the edge of the box and showed his technical ability to get Villa up the field. 6
Leon Bailey (for Sancho, 60) - Ran at his man at the first opportunity to win Villa a corner, from which he whipped in a fine cross for Konsa. Played with freshness on Villa’s right and helped to shift the game in Villa’s favour. Took the corner that created the Villa goal. 6
Tammy Abraham (for Onana, 74) - Barely got a kick in a largely shapeless game. 5
Alysson (for Watkins, 74) - On for his debut on the left, with Rogers completing the set in all three 10 positions by switching to the right. 5
Victor Lindelöf (for Luiz, 84) - Late substitute. N/A