Aston Villa dropped points as we were pegged back by Brighton late on in an entertaining 2-2 draw on Monday night.
The visitors took an early lead through Simon Adingra, but Villa were back level before half-time as Ollie Watkins converted from the penalty spot.
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Villa then came storming out of the blocks for the second half and were ahead in the 47th minute as Morgan Rogers found the back of the net with Watkins turning provider, but once again, our porous defence continued to leak goals as Tariq Lamptey secured a share of the spoils for Brighton with an 81st-minute equaliser.
Ultimately, it was a frustrating night as the game was there to be won for Villa, and although we were wasteful in the final third having had plenty of chances, Unai Emery must find a fix for our defence as we simply can’t continue to concede so often, having now failed to keep a clean sheet in our last five games while conceding 10.
Aston Villa player ratings vs Brighton:
Emiliano Martinez, 7 – Produced a couple of smart saves as Brighton threatened, while his distribution and commanding of his box were spot on. Couldn’t do much for either goal having been left exposed by his defence.
Ezri Konsa, 6 – Far too casual for the opening goal, as he seemed to slow down as the long ball was played over him and danger presented itself. Improved as the game went on, but we have to play him as a centre-half and stop with this right-back option as he looks more limited in possession and vulnerable defensively.
Diego Carlos, 6 – Nowhere to be seen for the first goal, got dragged out of position and committed fouls for being too physical. Similarly to Konsa, he did improve as the game went on, but the threat came down the right side again for the second Brighton goal and we weren’t tight enough.
Pau Torres, N/A – Real concern over the Spaniard as his injury looks to be a serious one given the way he was helped off the pitch and down the tunnel. Hopefully it isn’t as bad as it looked.
Lucas Digne, 6 – A steady shift in both phases, but given the number of crosses he swings in, he doesn’t seem to be particularly successful in terms of actual assists. Struggled with Yankuba Minteh’s pace in the latter stages.
Boubacar Kamara, 6.5 – The Frenchman did an important job in front of the defence, as he broke up play and provided protection. However, he was sloppy in key moments which almost cost us, and we need him to be more imposing when the pressure builds from the opposition, particularly given how vulnerable we are at the back.
Youri Tielemans, 7 – Did well to keep things ticking in the deeper midfield role, and he showed good touch and composure to turn away from pressure. Couldn’t quite get his final pass right though when we tried to break the lines and set us off in attack with pace.
Leon Bailey, 7 – Positive signs from the Villa winger, as he looks to be growing in confidence and playing with better intent. Still missing the end product, but given how important he is in providing that dynamic down the right flank, this was an important step in the right direction.
Morgan Rogers, 7.5 – Will miss the Leicester game through suspension and he could probably do with the weekend off to rest as he looked sluggish at times. However, he produced quality when needed for his goal as it was a great touch and finish, and it should have proven to be the difference between the two sides.
John McGinn, 7 – Battling performance from the Villa skipper as he covered plenty of ground and tried to give us more control in midfield. Lacked quality from an attacking perspective, but an important shift for the team as we struggled to impose ourselves effectively.
Ollie Watkins, 7.5 – Excellent penalty and provided the assist for Rogers, he produced two big moments in the game that should have helped us seal all three points. However, he was wasteful with some big chances too which would have killed the game off, and so while he’s likely still getting his full fitness and sharpness back after a stint out of the side, he needs to be more clinical.
Substitutes:
Tyrone Mings, 7 – A big presence at the back with some important clearances, while he was tidy in possession too. Looked to be struggling in the latter stages, and particularly with Torres picking up an injury, it’s crucial that Mings is available this weekend for a potential extended run in the Villa XI.
Jacob Ramsey, N/A
Ross Barkley, N/A
Amadou Onana, N/A
Ian Maatsen, N/A
