Aston Villa 6-1 Brighton: Ollie Watkins scores a superb hat-trick in a rout at Villa Park with Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey also on the scoresheet as Unai Emery’s side blow the Seagulls away

• Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick in front of England boss Gareth Southgate
• Aston Villa scored three goals in each half as Unai Emery’s team dominated 
• Mail Sport’s new WhatsApp Channel: Get the breaking news and exclusives here 

Ollie Watkins hit a brilliant hat-trick in front of watching England manager Gareth Southgate as Aston Villa recorded a 10th consecutive Premier League win at Villa Park.

After a fierce debate about their Castore shirts showing too much perspiration, getting three points was no sweat for Unai Emery’s side – although their kit still looked damper than you’d have expected in chilly conditions.

They scored three times in the opening 26 minutes and wrapped up the points with another three in the second half after Ansu Fati had pulled a goal back for Brighton.

Watkins, who hopes to be named in Southgate’s England squad this week, finished clinically while Brighton’s misery was further compounded by an own goal from Pervis Estupian and late strikes by Jacob Ramsey and Douglas Luiz.

It was a perfect Villa riposte to a midweek Carabao Cup defeat against Everton and they’ve not dropped points at home since Arsenal beat them in February.

Ollie Watkins scored a hat-trick as Aston Villa’s cruised to a 6-1 victory over Brighton

Watkins opened the scoring with the Aston Villa forward turning in Matty Cash’s low cross

Watkins doubled the lead by turning Joel Veltman and wrongfooting goalkeeper Jason Steele

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For Brighton, it was a sobering result given they’d started the lunchtime game with the theoretical possibility of going top of the table.

Manager Roberto de Zerbi showed his displeasure by making three substitutions 3-0 down at half-time and while his side improved a little, there were still plenty of gaps at the back.

Seagulls had given 18-year-old Jack Hinshelwood his first start for the club while Emery reverted to the Villa XI that had won at Chelsea in their previous league game.

Brighton started adventurously with Billy Gilmour releasing full-back Estupian after five minutes forcing Emi Martinez into a save.

Villa had clearly identified Gilmour as the danger-man as he was forcibly stopped by Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara in quick succession.

Villa started like the away team but showed their devastating ability to counter in taking the lead after 14 minutes.

Matty Cash’s overlapping down the right was spotted by John McGinn and the full-back played a quality ball into the six-yard box where Watkins converted first-time by opening up his left foot.

It was the striker’s first goal at Villa Park this season and timely given Southgate is naming his next squad on Thursday.

Aston Villa took a 3-0 lead when Moussa Diaby’s shot deflected in off Pervis Estupian

Diaby enjoyed the acclaim from the home crowd as the hosts dominated in the first half

Brighton substitute Ansu Fati pulled a goal back for the visitors five minutes after half-time

MATCH FACTS 

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6: Cash 7, Konsa 6, Torres 6, Digne 6.5; Luiz 6, Kamara 6.5 (Tielemans 90); McGinn 8, Diaby 7.5 (Duran 79), Zaniolo 6 (Ramsey 56 6.5); Watkins 9 

Subs unused: Olsen (Gk), Carlos, Chambers, Lenglet, Dendoncker, Traore

Goals: Watkins 14′, 21′ 65′,  Estupinan (o.g, 26), Ramsey 85′, Luiz 90+7

Booked: Luiz, Duran, Konsa, Digne

Brighton (4-2-3-1): Steele 5.5: Veltman 5, Dunk 6, Webster, Estupinan 5 (Lamptey 45 6); Gilmour 7, Hinshelwood 6 (Baleba 87); March 6 (Adingra 62 6), Welbeck 5.5 (Fati 45 7), Mitoma 6; Ferguson 5.5 (Pedro 45 7)

Subs unused: Vertbruggen (Gk), van Hecke, Julio, Dahoud

Goals: Fati 50′

Bookings: Welbeck, Fati, Mitoma, Dunk

Referee: Andrew Madley 6 

Attendance: 40,636 

With his confidence soaring, Watkins then had a shot blocked by Joel Veltman and wasn’t far away when he tried to curl the rebound inside the near post.

Villa would have been glad of the cool west Midland temperature given the fuss over their Castore shirts.

They were happy to put in a shift as Brighton found it hard to break them down and Watkins again turned on the turbos to add a second after 21 minutes.

Again it was a devastating break. A loose touch by Veltman allowed Moussa Diaby to eat up ground in the Brighton half.

He played an outside pass to Watkins who cleverly turned back in past a flailing Veltman and wrongfooted Jason Steele with a low finish to the near post.

It was carnage at Villa Park and Diaby had twice been foiled by Steele before the home side added a third after 26 minutes.

This time, Diaby’s shot was heading wide but Estupian couldn’t get his feet sorted out as the ball sped towards him and it took a flick off his right boot and in. Brighton protested there had been a foul by Luiz on Solly March in the build-up but a VAR check couldn’t find anything amiss.

Estupian, so good this season, was rattled and was late in challenges on McGinn and then Luiz. The frustration spread to Danny Welbeck who was cautioned for sliding in high on Boubacar Kamara.

Watkins skinned Veltman for the umpteenth time to set up Diaby approaching the interval but Villa failed to add a fourth when Lewis Dunk got across to make a courageous block.

Watkins ended Brighton’s hopes of a fightback by completing his hat-trick with a deflected effort

Jacob Ramsey added Aston Villa’s fifth in the closing stages with a curling shot into the corner

The substitute’s fine finish added further gloss to a superb performance by the home side

Douglas Luiz scored for the fifth consecutive home match in the last minute of stoppage time 

De Zerbi sent on Ansu Fati, Tariq Lamptey and Joao Pedro at half-time with Danny Welbeck, Evan Ferguson and Estupian making way.

Within five minutes, the two substitutes had combined to throw the visitors a lifeline.

Pedro managed to cut back from the byline and after a fortuitous one-two with a Villa defender, he set up Fati who drove home his first Brighton goal following a loan move from Barcelona.

Emery responded himself by sending on Jacob Ramsey to bolster the midfield and Watkins duly completed his third hat-trick for the club, following a league treble against Liverpool in 2020 and a treble earlier this season in the Europa League at Hibs.

McGinn switched play to find Watkins on the edge of the penalty area and his well-struck shot deflected up off a lunging Adam Webster to give Steele no chance. It was a 50th Villa goal for Watkins who must now feel confident of adding to his seven England caps, the last against Ivory Coast in March 2022.

Though that made the scoreline look safe, there remained an edge to the game. Ansu Fati shoved Ezri Konsa who grabbed the forward by the scruff of the neck in return.

Referee Andrew Madley stepped in to book both parties and Villa added to Brighton’s woes with a late fifth and sixth.

First, Ramsey cut inside and hit a shot from the edge of the box that cannoned in via the inside of the post.

Then, in injury-time, Steele saved from Watkins only for the rebound to fall kindly for Luiz who sidefooted home.

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