Villa's Resilience Rewarded at the Amex
Sources confirm Aston Villa produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of the 2025-26 Premier League season on Wednesday night, recovering from a two-goal deficit to defeat Brighton 4-3 at the Amex Stadium. The victory moves Unai Emery's side up to third place and extends their winning streak to six matches in all competitions.
Understanding is that Villa faced an early crisis when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was ruled out during the warm-up with a back injury. Marco Bizot, thrust into action at the last moment, endured a difficult start that set the tone for a chaotic first half.
Brighton's Early Dominance Proves Short-Lived
Jan Paul van Hecke gave the hosts a ninth-minute lead, capitalizing on Bizot's failure to deal with a corner. The Dutch defender reacted fastest to bundle home from close range, sending the home supporters into raptures. Twenty minutes later, Brighton doubled their advantage through a Pau Torres own goal after Jack Hinshelwood's attempted cross deflected cruelly off the Spanish defender's outstretched boot.
At 2-0 down, Villa appeared destined for a rare defeat. The away side had struggled to find any rhythm, and Brighton's pressing game was suffocating any creative attempts from Morgan Rogers and John McGinn. Fabian Hurzeler's tactical setup seemed to have Emery's men completely figured out.
Watkins Ends Goal Drought in Spectacular Fashion
Exclusive: Ollie Watkins had endured an 11-game scoreless run before this encounter. The England international entered the match under significant pressure, with questions being raised about his form and fitness. What followed was a reminder of exactly why Villa fought so hard to keep him at the club.
In the 37th minute, Watkins pulled one back with a clinical near-post finish after Ian Maatsen delivered an excellent cross from the left flank. The striker showed predatory instincts to get ahead of his marker and steer the ball past Bart Verbruggen.
Then, deep into first-half stoppage time, Watkins completed his brace. A long ball over the Brighton defense found the striker in space, and he showed composure beyond what his recent form suggested, sliding an emphatic low finish past the helpless goalkeeper. The momentum had shifted decisively.
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 3, 2025
Onana Header Completes the Turnaround
Villa emerged for the second half with renewed purpose. The dressing room discussions clearly had an impact, as Emery's side took complete control of proceedings. Brighton, shell-shocked by conceding twice in quick succession, struggled to regain their composure.
The decisive moment arrived in the 60th minute. Matty Cash delivered a corner to the far post, where Amadou Onana rose highest above the Brighton defense. The Belgian midfielder powered a header into the net to make it 3-2, sparking wild celebrations among the 4,000 traveling supporters who had made the journey from Birmingham.
The goal underlined Onana's importance to this Villa side. His aerial presence, combined with dominant midfield performances throughout the season, has made him one of the signings of the campaign. Sources indicate his value has increased significantly since arriving at Villa Park, with several top European clubs monitoring his progress.
Malen Adds Crucial Fourth Goal
With Brighton still reeling, Villa went for the knockout blow. Donyell Malen, introduced from the bench just moments earlier, needed only seconds to make his mark. A scramble in the Brighton box saw Verbruggen parry a header back into the six-yard area, where Malen reacted quickest to prod home his first touch of the game.
The Dutch forward has now scored six goals in his last six appearances across all competitions, proving himself as an invaluable squad option for Emery. His impact off the bench has been particularly impressive, giving Villa genuine quality in depth that few Premier League rivals can match.
Nervy Finale After Van Hecke's Second
Brighton refused to go quietly. Van Hecke grabbed his second of the evening in the 83rd minute, driving a powerful strike from the edge of the area past Bizot. Suddenly, the Amex was alive again, and the final minutes became an exercise in survival for Villa.
The hosts threw everything at Emery's defense. Danny Welbeck had a golden opportunity in added time, but Bizot—who had endured such a difficult start—produced a crucial save to deny the substitute's header and secure the three points.
Emery Makes Premier League History
This victory carries historical significance for Villa. Unai Emery has now won 62 Premier League matches as Villa manager, surpassing both John Gregory and Martin O'Neill to become the club's most successful manager in the competition's history.
Speaking after the match, Emery praised his squad's mentality: "A very tough match. How we started and reacted is more like the season. The players reacted and continued with our game plan to never give up. We kept the mentality and the resilience, really fantastic."
On Watkins, the Spanish coach added: "Keep going. He needs those goals, he needs calm. He needs to keep going and get balance and he got it."
Implications for the Title Race
Villa now sit six points behind leaders Arsenal, whom they face at Villa Park on Saturday in what promises to be a crucial encounter. The momentum is firmly with Emery's side, who have won eight of their last nine Premier League fixtures after a difficult start to the campaign.
For Brighton, this represents their first home defeat of the season, ending a 10-match unbeaten run at the Amex dating back to April. They drop to seventh but remain in contention for European qualification. Hurzeler acknowledged the fine margins that decided the contest, particularly highlighting Villa's set-piece threat that proved decisive.
This was the first time Brighton had scored three goals in a home league match yet still lost since December 1999, when they suffered a 4-3 defeat to Rochdale in the fourth tier. It speaks to the extraordinary nature of this encounter and Villa's remarkable character.
With the title race wide open and the battle for European places intensifying, this seven-goal thriller may prove to be a defining moment of the 2025-26 season. Villa have announced themselves as genuine contenders, and the Saturday clash with Arsenal now takes on even greater significance.
